Sputtering target with low generation of particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8936706-B2
Application number	US-93501409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2009
Priority date	Apr 3, 2008
Publication date	Jan 20, 2015
Grant date	Jan 20, 2015

Abstract

Provided is a sputtering target with low generation of particles having a target surface in which intermetallic compounds, oxides, carbides, carbonitrides and other substances without ductility exist in a highly ductile matrix phase at a volume ratio of 1 to 50%, wherein a center-line average surface roughness Ra is 0.1 μm or less, a ten-point average roughness Rz is 0.4 μm or less, a distance between local peaks (roughness motif) AR is 120 μm or less, and an average length of waviness motif AW is 1500 μm or more. Provided are a sputtering target wherein the generation of nodules and particles upon sputtering can be prevented or inhibited by improving the target surface, which contains large amounts of substances without ductility; and a surface processing method thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sputtering target capable of suppressing generation of particles, comprising a target body having an exposed sputtering face consisting of a target surface having a center-line average surface roughness, Ra, of 0.1 μm or less, a ten-point average roughness, Rz, of 0.4 μm or less, an average length of roughness motif, AR, of 120 μm or less, and an average length of waviness motif AW of 1500 μm or more, said target body being made of a first substance forming a matrix phase of said target body, said target body containing at least one second substance forming at least one granular phase dispersed within said matrix phase at a volume percentage of 1 to 50% of a total volume of said target body, said matrix phase having a Vickers hardness of 400 Hv or less and being ductile relative to said at least one granular phase which has a Vickers hardness greater than that of said matrix phase and which is brittle relative to said matrix phase.

2. A sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one second substance is selected from the group consisting of inter metallic compounds, oxides, carbides, and carbonitrides, and wherein said at least one granular phase has an average grain size of 0.5 to 50 μm.

3. A surface processing method of a sputtering target capable of suppressing generation of particles, comprising the steps of:
providing a body made of a first substance forming a matrix phase of the body within which at least one second substance in a form of a granular phase is dispersed, the granular phase forming a volume percentage of 1 to 50% of a total volume of the body, and the matrix phase having a Vickers hardness of 400 Hy or less and being ductile relative to the granular phase which has a Vickers hardness greater than that of the matrix phase and which is brittle relative to the matrix phase,
preliminarily subjecting the body to primary processing of cutting work, and
after said preliminarily subjecting step, subjecting the body to finishing processing of primary wet polishing using droppings of pure water and secondary wet polishing using droppings of alumina abrasive agent to faun a sputtering target having a surface with a center-line average surface roughness, Ra, of 0.1 μm or less, a ten-point average roughness, Rz, of 0.4 μm or less, an average length of roughness motif, AR, of 120 μm or less, and an average length of waviness motif, AW, of 1500 μm or more.

4. The surface processing method of a sputtering target according to claim 3 , wherein the primary processing of cutting work is performed to cut a surface layer of a thickness within a range of 1 mm to 10 mm off of a surface of the body.

5. The surface processing method of a sputtering target according to claim 4 , wherein the finish processing of primary and secondary wet polishing is performed to polish and remove a surface layer of a thickness within a range of 1 μm to 50 μm from a surface of the body having been subject to the primary processing of cutting work.

6. The surface processing method of a sputtering target according to claim 3 , wherein the finish processing of primary and secondary wet polishing is performed to polish and remove a surface layer of a thickness within a range of 1 μm to 50 μm from a surface of the body having been subject to the primary processing of cutting work.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one second substance is selected from the group consisting of intermetallic compounds, oxides, carbides, and carbonitrides.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the granular phase has a Vickers hardness of 400 Hv or more.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the granular phase has a Vickers hardness that is 1.5 times the Vickers hardness of the matrix phase.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the matrix phase is made of at least one of Co, Cr, Pt and B.

11. The sputtering target according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one granular phase has a Vickers hardness of 400 Hv or more.

12. The sputtering target according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one granular phase has a Vickers hardness that is 1.5 times the Vickers hardness of said matrix phase.

13. The sputtering target according to claim 12 , wherein said matrix phase is made of at least one of Co, Cr, Pt and B.

14. The sputtering target according to claim 12 , wherein said matrix phase is made of Co, Cr, Pt and B.

15. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one second substance is selected from the group consisting of intermetallic compounds, oxides, carbides and carbonitrides.

16. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one granular phase has a Vickers hardness of 400 Hv or more.

17. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one granular phase has a Vickers hardness that is 1.5 times the Vickers hardness of said matrix phase.

18. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein said matrix phase is made of at least one of Co, Cr, Pt and B.

19. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein said matrix phase is made of Co, Cr, Pt and B.

Assignees

• Koide Kei
• Jx Nippon Mining & Metals Corp

Inventors

• Koide Kei

Classifications

• C23C14/0688

  Cermets, e.g. mixtures of metal and one or more of carbides, nitrides, oxides or borides · CPC title

• C23C14/3414 Primary

  Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy · CPC title