US20060207740A1 - Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target - Google Patents
Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060207740A1 US20060207740A1 US11/357,525 US35752506A US2006207740A1 US 20060207740 A1 US20060207740 A1 US 20060207740A1 US 35752506 A US35752506 A US 35752506A US 2006207740 A1 US2006207740 A1 US 2006207740A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- sputtering target
- casting
- alloy
- silicon
- content
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
- C23C14/22—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
- C23C14/34—Sputtering
- C23C14/3407—Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
- C23C14/3414—Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D15/00—Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor
- B22D15/02—Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor of cylinders, pistons, bearing shells or like thin-walled objects
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
- B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
- B22D27/00—Treating the metal in the mould while it is molten or ductile ; Pressure or vacuum casting
- B22D27/15—Treating the metal in the mould while it is molten or ductile ; Pressure or vacuum casting by using vacuum
Definitions
- the invention concerns processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy with an aluminum content of 5-50 wt. %, a sputtering target and its use.
- Silicon-based alloys with an Al content of a few wt. % have long been known for use as sputtering targets in coating technology, for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,288 A, and DE 198 10 246 A1.
- rotating targets are also frequently used to produce reactively sputtered Si 3 N 4 or SiO 2 (EP 00 70 899). These rotating targets are usually produced by plasma spraying techniques (U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,816 A), in which either mixtures of Si and Al elemental powders or alloy powder (DE 101 40 589) are sprayed onto a support tube.
- the SiAl tubular sputtering targets obtained in this way can be produced only up to a thickness of about 6-8 mm Si(Al) wall thickness, since the walls break at greater thicknesses due to the high thermal stress to which they are subjected during plasma spraying.
- DE 100 63 383 C1 describes a process for casting metal tubular targets, in which the outer target coating consists of a metal with a melting point of at most 800° C., and the casting material runs into the mold from below.
- the object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a tubular sputtering target and a sputtering target that can be produced as inexpensively as possible.
- a further object of the invention is to specify a use for the target.
- this object is achieved by a process in which a sputtering target is produced from a silicon-based alloy with an Al content of 5-50 wt. %.
- the aluminum content of the alloy is more than 6 wt. %, and still more preferably at least 8 wt. %, but no more than 30 wt. %.
- the target material is produced by a casting technique in which the material is melted and vacuum-cast, such that the casting is carried out in a hollow cylindrical casting mold.
- the casting is carried out in a thin-walled casting mold.
- the casting mold comprises an outer wall and a core, and the target material is filled between the outer wall and the core.
- the outer wall and the core may be advantageously arranged symmetrically around the same axis.
- the cross-section of the core and the outer wall may be circular.
- the wall thickness of the hollow cylindrical mold is only slightly greater than the desired target wall thickness.
- the hollow cylindrical mold is filled by top-casting. Surprisingly, despite the extraordinarily broad melting range of 577° C. to a maximum of 1,380° C., one obtains a macroscopically homogeneous casting with only slight porosity and, above all, after removal of the casting mold, a crack-free tubular section.
- the head of the tubular casting is separated.
- the casting is machined to the necessary target dimensions on both the outside and inside diameter.
- the entire tubular target is then constructed in such a way that the tubular sections described above are centrically positioned around the support tube and integrated into a complete target by soldering or cementing on the support tube.
- FIG. 1 shows the casting process schematically
- FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a tubular sputtering target.
- a hollow cylindrical graphite mold is produced. It consists of a graphite core 1 with a diameter of 131 mm and an outer wall 2 with an inside diameter of 158 mm, an outside diameter of 170 mm, and a height of 600 mm.
- An alloy of 90 wt. % silicon and 10 wt. % aluminum is melted 3 in a vacuum. After complete melting of the alloy components, the temperature of the melt is stabilized at 1,430° C.
- the graphite mold is preheated to 300° C. and brought into the vacuum melting chamber, and the molten alloy is poured into the mold cavity 7 by a mold funnel or hopper 4 . After solidification of the melt and cooling of the casting to below 300° C., the mold can be removed from the furnace.
- Both the inner core of the mold and the outer wall of the mold can be removed from the casting by a hydraulic press.
- the top of the cylindrical casting is sawed off to a length of 100 mm.
- the inside diameter of the casting is hollowed out to 134 mm by turning, and the outside diameter is turned to 154 mm.
- the inner surface of the turned casting is metallized by electrochemical deposition with nickel strike and copper.
- the metallized Si—Al tubular sections 5 are wetted with indium solder and slid onto the likewise metallized and prewetted support tube 8 .
- the entire target which consists of seven SiAl tubular segments and the support tube, is heated to the soldering temperature of 180° C., and the space between the outside diameter of the inner tube and the inside diameter of the SiAl castings is filled with molten indium 6 .
- the finished target can be installed in a commercial tubular cathode and used to produce oxidic or nitridic silicon coatings.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Metallurgy (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
Abstract
A sputtering target and a process for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy with an aluminum content of more than 6 wt. % up to 50 wt. %. Preferably, the aluminum content of the alloy is at least 8 wt. %, but no more than 30 wt. %. The target material is produced by a casting technique in which the material is melted and vacuum-cast, such that the casting is carried out in a hollow cylindrical casting mold.
Description
- The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/654,557 filed Sep. 3, 2003, the entire contents thereof being incorporated by reference.
- The invention concerns processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy with an aluminum content of 5-50 wt. %, a sputtering target and its use.
- Silicon-based alloys with an Al content of a few wt. % have long been known for use as sputtering targets in coating technology, for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,288 A, and DE 198 10 246 A1. In addition to the planar targets that were originally used, rotating targets are also frequently used to produce reactively sputtered Si3N4 or SiO2 (EP 00 70 899). These rotating targets are usually produced by plasma spraying techniques (U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,816 A), in which either mixtures of Si and Al elemental powders or alloy powder (DE 101 40 589) are sprayed onto a support tube. The SiAl tubular sputtering targets obtained in this way can be produced only up to a thickness of about 6-8 mm Si(Al) wall thickness, since the walls break at greater thicknesses due to the high thermal stress to which they are subjected during plasma spraying. Furthermore, DE 100 63 383 C1 describes a process for casting metal tubular targets, in which the outer target coating consists of a metal with a melting point of at most 800° C., and the casting material runs into the mold from below.
- The object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing a tubular sputtering target and a sputtering target that can be produced as inexpensively as possible. A further object of the invention is to specify a use for the target.
- In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by a process in which a sputtering target is produced from a silicon-based alloy with an Al content of 5-50 wt. %. Preferably, the aluminum content of the alloy is more than 6 wt. %, and still more preferably at least 8 wt. %, but no more than 30 wt. %.
- The target material is produced by a casting technique in which the material is melted and vacuum-cast, such that the casting is carried out in a hollow cylindrical casting mold. Preferably, the casting is carried out in a thin-walled casting mold. It is advantageous for the tubular sections produced by casting to be soldered or cemented on a support tube and for the tubular sections possibly to be machined before they are soldered or cemented on the support tube. Surprisingly, it was found to be advantageous for the tubular sections to be cast by top-casting. The process makes it possible, especially as a result of the addition of aluminum, to produce excellent tubular sputtering targets, which can be used in a tubular cathode.
- The casting mold comprises an outer wall and a core, and the target material is filled between the outer wall and the core. The outer wall and the core may be advantageously arranged symmetrically around the same axis. Furthermore, the cross-section of the core and the outer wall may be circular.
- The wall thickness of the hollow cylindrical mold is only slightly greater than the desired target wall thickness. The hollow cylindrical mold is filled by top-casting. Surprisingly, despite the extraordinarily broad melting range of 577° C. to a maximum of 1,380° C., one obtains a macroscopically homogeneous casting with only slight porosity and, above all, after removal of the casting mold, a crack-free tubular section.
- The head of the tubular casting is separated. The casting is machined to the necessary target dimensions on both the outside and inside diameter.
- The entire tubular target is then constructed in such a way that the tubular sections described above are centrically positioned around the support tube and integrated into a complete target by soldering or cementing on the support tube.
- The invention is explained below with reference to an embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings.
-
FIG. 1 shows the casting process schematically; and -
FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a tubular sputtering target. - A hollow cylindrical graphite mold is produced. It consists of a
graphite core 1 with a diameter of 131 mm and anouter wall 2 with an inside diameter of 158 mm, an outside diameter of 170 mm, and a height of 600 mm. An alloy of 90 wt. % silicon and 10 wt. % aluminum is melted 3 in a vacuum. After complete melting of the alloy components, the temperature of the melt is stabilized at 1,430° C. The graphite mold is preheated to 300° C. and brought into the vacuum melting chamber, and the molten alloy is poured into themold cavity 7 by a mold funnel or hopper 4. After solidification of the melt and cooling of the casting to below 300° C., the mold can be removed from the furnace. Both the inner core of the mold and the outer wall of the mold can be removed from the casting by a hydraulic press. The top of the cylindrical casting is sawed off to a length of 100 mm. The inside diameter of the casting is hollowed out to 134 mm by turning, and the outside diameter is turned to 154 mm. The inner surface of the turned casting is metallized by electrochemical deposition with nickel strike and copper. The metallized Si—Altubular sections 5 are wetted with indium solder and slid onto the likewise metallized and prewetted support tube 8. The entire target, which consists of seven SiAl tubular segments and the support tube, is heated to the soldering temperature of 180° C., and the space between the outside diameter of the inner tube and the inside diameter of the SiAl castings is filled withmolten indium 6. The entire tube is slowly cooled, subsequently freed of excess solder, and ground to the final target dimension (d=152 mm) on an outside diameter grinding machine. The finished target can be installed in a commercial tubular cathode and used to produce oxidic or nitridic silicon coatings. - The invention is not limited by the embodiments described above which are presented as examples only but can be modified in various ways within the scope of protection defined by the appended patent claims.
Claims (8)
1. A sputtering target produced by melting a silicon-based alloy with an Al content of greater than 6 wt. % up to 50 wt. %, and
vacuum-casting the alloy in a hollow cylindrical casting mold to produce tubular sections.
2. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the alloy has an Al content of at least 8 wt. %.
3. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the alloy has an Al content of at most 30 wt. %.
4. The sputtering target according to claim 2 , wherein the alloy has an Al content of at most 30 wt. %.
5. A tubular cathode comprising a sputtering target produced by melting a silicon-based alloy with an Al content of greater than 6 wt. % up to 50 wt. %; and
vacuum-casting the alloy in a hollow cylindrical casting mold.
6. The tubular cathode according to claim 5 , wherein the alloy has an Al content of at least 8 wt. %.
7. The tubular cathode according to claim 5 , wherein the alloy has an Al content of at most 30 wt. %.
8. The tubular cathode according to claim 6 , wherein the alloy has an Al content of at most 30 wt. %.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/357,525 US20060207740A1 (en) | 2002-11-14 | 2006-02-17 | Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE10253319.9 | 2002-11-14 | ||
DE10253319A DE10253319B3 (en) | 2002-11-14 | 2002-11-14 | Method for producing a sputtering target from an Si-based alloy, and the use of the sputtering target |
US10/654,557 US20040094283A1 (en) | 2002-11-14 | 2003-09-03 | Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target |
US11/357,525 US20060207740A1 (en) | 2002-11-14 | 2006-02-17 | Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/654,557 Continuation-In-Part US20040094283A1 (en) | 2002-11-14 | 2003-09-03 | Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060207740A1 true US20060207740A1 (en) | 2006-09-21 |
Family
ID=34553295
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/357,525 Abandoned US20060207740A1 (en) | 2002-11-14 | 2006-02-17 | Processes for producing a sputtering target from a silicon-based alloy, a sputtering target |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20060207740A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2013003458A1 (en) * | 2011-06-27 | 2013-01-03 | Soleras Ltd. | Sputtering target |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4356073A (en) * | 1981-02-12 | 1982-10-26 | Shatterproof Glass Corporation | Magnetron cathode sputtering apparatus |
US5094288A (en) * | 1990-11-21 | 1992-03-10 | Silicon Casting, Inc. | Method of making an essentially void-free, cast silicon and aluminum product |
US5435965A (en) * | 1991-02-19 | 1995-07-25 | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | Sputtering target and method for manufacturing same |
US5853816A (en) * | 1992-07-15 | 1998-12-29 | Emiel Vanderstraeten | Method of coating a sputter cathode with a layer of material to be applied to a substrate by sputtering |
US20030089482A1 (en) * | 2000-12-19 | 2003-05-15 | W.C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg | Process for producing a tube-shaped cathode sputtering target |
US20030103857A1 (en) * | 2001-08-18 | 2003-06-05 | W.C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg | Sputter target made of a silicon alloy and process for producing a sputter target |
US6581669B2 (en) * | 1998-03-10 | 2003-06-24 | W.C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co., Kg | Sputtering target for depositing silicon layers in their nitride or oxide form and a process for its preparation |
-
2006
- 2006-02-17 US US11/357,525 patent/US20060207740A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4356073A (en) * | 1981-02-12 | 1982-10-26 | Shatterproof Glass Corporation | Magnetron cathode sputtering apparatus |
US5094288A (en) * | 1990-11-21 | 1992-03-10 | Silicon Casting, Inc. | Method of making an essentially void-free, cast silicon and aluminum product |
US5435965A (en) * | 1991-02-19 | 1995-07-25 | Mitsubishi Materials Corporation | Sputtering target and method for manufacturing same |
US5853816A (en) * | 1992-07-15 | 1998-12-29 | Emiel Vanderstraeten | Method of coating a sputter cathode with a layer of material to be applied to a substrate by sputtering |
US6581669B2 (en) * | 1998-03-10 | 2003-06-24 | W.C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co., Kg | Sputtering target for depositing silicon layers in their nitride or oxide form and a process for its preparation |
US20030089482A1 (en) * | 2000-12-19 | 2003-05-15 | W.C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg | Process for producing a tube-shaped cathode sputtering target |
US6719034B2 (en) * | 2000-12-19 | 2004-04-13 | W. C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg | Process for producing a tube-shaped cathode sputtering target |
US20030103857A1 (en) * | 2001-08-18 | 2003-06-05 | W.C. Heraeus Gmbh & Co. Kg | Sputter target made of a silicon alloy and process for producing a sputter target |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2013003458A1 (en) * | 2011-06-27 | 2013-01-03 | Soleras Ltd. | Sputtering target |
KR20140057213A (en) * | 2011-06-27 | 2014-05-12 | 솔레라스 리미티드 | Sputtering target |
US10138544B2 (en) | 2011-06-27 | 2018-11-27 | Soleras, LTd. | Sputtering target |
KR101988391B1 (en) | 2011-06-27 | 2019-06-12 | 솔레라스 리미티드 | Sputtering target |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |