WO2004032184A2

WO2004032184A2 - Low temperature salicide forming materials and sputtering targets formed therefrom

Info

Publication number: WO2004032184A2
Application number: PCT/US2003/024968
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael A. Thomas; Brian Daniels; Stephen P. Turner; Eal H. Lee
Original assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
Priority date: 2002-08-06
Filing date: 2003-08-06
Publication date: 2004-04-15
Also published as: WO2004032184A9; TW200407443A; AU2003290515A1; WO2004032184B1; WO2004032184A3; AU2003290515A8

Abstract

Metal-based precursor materials as described herein have an overall Curie temperature and include: a) a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; and b) at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component, wherein the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature component. Methods are also described of forming a metal-based salicide precursor material having an overall Curie temperature including: a) providing a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; b) providing at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component; and c) combining the first material constituent and the at least one additional material constituent such that the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature.

Description

LOW TEMPERATURE SALICIDE FORMING MATERIALS AND SPUTTERING

TARGETS FORMED THEREFROM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is sputtering targets and the materials for sputtering targets for physical vapor deposition (PND).

BACKGROUND

Electronic and semiconductor components are used in ever-increasing numbers of consumer and commercial electronic products, communications products and data-exchange products. Examples of some of these consumer and commercial products are televisions, computers, cell phones, pagers, palm-type organizers, portable radios, car stereos, or remote controls. As the demand for these consumer and commercial electronics increases, there is also a demand for those same products to become smaller and more portable for the consumers and businesses.

As a result of the size decrease in these products, the components that comprise the products must also become smaller and/or thinner. Examples of some of those components that need to be reduced in size or scaled down are microelectronic chip interconnections, semiconductor chip components, resistors, capacitors, printed circuit or wiring boards, wiring, keyboards, touch pads, and chip packaging.

When electronic and semiconductor components are reduced in size or scaled down, any defects that are present in the larger components are going to be exaggerated in the scaled down components. Thus, the defects that are present or could be present in the larger component should be identified and corrected, if possible, before the component is scaled down for the smaller electronic products.

In order to identify and correct defects in electronic, semiconductor and communications components, the components, the materials used and the manufacturing processes for making those components should be broken down and analyzed. Electronic, semiconductor and communication/data-exchange components are composed, in some cases, of layers of materials, such as metals, metal alloys, ceramics, inorganic materials, polymers, or organometallic materials. The layers of materials are often thin (on the order of less than a few tens of angstroms in thickness). In order to improve on the quality of the layers of materials, the process of forming the layer- such as physical vapor deposition of a metal or other compound - should be evaluated and, if possible, improved.

In a typical physical vapor deposition (PND) process, a sample or target is bombarded with an energy source such as a thermal radiation source, plasma, laser or ion beam, until atoms are released as a gaseous species into the surrounding atmosphere. In semiconductor manufacturing, large sputtering guns that typically use DC bias with magnetic enhancement are used to deposit most metallic films. The atoms that are released from the sputtering target travel towards the surface of a substrate (typically a silicon wafer) and condense on and coat the surface forming a thin film or layer of a material. If a sample or target material is magnetic in nature, such as those used in low temperature salicide formation (self-aligned suicide) systems (Co andΝi), there can be substantial problems in the uniformity of films deposited across wafers. These problems are caused by the interaction of the sputter gun rotating magnet with the magnetic target. Although sputtering targets can be forged and heat treated to yield crystallographic orientations which allow the easy passing of sputter gun magnetic fields through the target, low pass through flux (LPTF) does not completely resolve the problems associated with target magnetization.

Therefore, it is desirable to produce materials that are meet at least one of the following design goals: a) can be formed into and utilized as a sputtering target; b) are substantially non- magnetic; c) can form low temperature salicides on the deposition surface; d) can form a uniform film on the surface of a wafer or other surface/substrate; e) can form a film on a surface, wherein at least one constituent of the film can be chemically stripped without detrimentally affecting the salicides; and f) can have a lower overall Curie temperature than the Curie temperature of the largest constituent (largest by weight percent) of the material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Metal-based salicide-forming precursor materials as described herein have an overall Curie temperature and comprise: a) a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; and b) at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component, wherein the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature component.

Methods are also described of forming a metal-based salicide precursor material having an overall Curie temperature comprising: a) providing a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; b) providing at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component; and c) combining the first material constituent and the at least one additional material constituent such that the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows a phase diagram for a cobalt-manganese alloy system;

Fig. 2 shows a phase diagram for a nickel-manganese alloy system;

Fig. 3 shows a phase diagram for a cobalt- vanadium alloy system; and •

Fig. 4 shows a phase diagram for a nickel-silicon alloy system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Metal-based salicide forming precursor materials, as described herein, have been produced that meet at least one of the following design goals: a) can be formed into and utilized as a sputtering target; b) are substantially non-magnetic; c) can form low temperature salicides on the deposition surface; d) can form a uniform film on the surface of a wafer or other surface/substrate; e) can form a film on a surface, wherein at least one constituent of the film can be chemically stripped without detrimentally affecting the salicides; and f) can have a lower overall Curie temperature than the Curie temperature of the largest constituent of the material. In contemplated embodiments, the materials described herein meet two or more of the before-mentioned design goals. In other contemplated embodiments, the materials described herein meet all of the before-mentioned design goals. Contemplated metal-based precursor materials have an overall Curie temperature and comprise a) a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; and b) at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component, wherein the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature component.

Curie temperature or the Curie point is defined as that transition temperature above which ferromagnetism ceases to exist. See Lewis, Jr., Richard J., Hawley's Chemical Condensed Dictionary, 14^th Edition. The overall Curie temperature of a material should be as low as possible and should ideally approach room temperature. Contemplated metal-based salicide forming precursor materials have an overall Curie temperature. The overall Curie temperature (°C) is influenced not only by the Curie temperature of the first material constituent (the first Curie temperature component (°C)) and the Curie temperature of the at least one additional material constituent (the second Curie temperature component (°C)), but also the relative weight percentages of the first material constituent and the at least one additional material constituent in the precursor material. Therefore, a precursor material that comprises 85% nickel and 15% silicon will have a different overall Curie temperature than a precursor material that comprises 97% nickel and 3% silicon. As the at least one additional material constituent decreases in weight percent with respect to the first material constituent, the overall Curie temperature will approach the value of the first Curie temperature component. In contemplated embodiments, the overall Curie temperature is at least about 5% lower than the first Curie temperature component. In other contemplated embodiments, the overall Curie temperature is at least about 10% lower than the first Curie temperature component. And in yet other contemplated embodiments, the overall Curie temperature is at least about 20% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

To this end, it is possible to select salicide-forming precursor materials that provide a low temperature thermal transformation requirement, such as nickel (as a first material constituent) that has a Curie temperature of 360°C, where additions of at least one additional material constituent will impact the material's magnetization window. Another point to consider when selecting the at least one additional material constituent is that if the additional material constituent easily forms secondary phases at low solute levels, then the overall Curie temperature will not be strongly impacted, because the remaining phase will retain its magnetic properties. Therefore, among other things, the additional material constituent should interact strongly with the magnetic matrix and should provide, facilitate or encourage modified chemical bonding that changes the magnetic properties of the salicide-forming precursor material. Also, the additional material constituent, ideally, should form a single-phase alloy and should react at moderate to low temperatures with silicon to form a suicide phase. If possible, it is highly desirable that the additional material constituent not negatively impact the heteroepitaxial fomation of disilicides in systems like nickel and cobalt.

Contemplated material constituents, whether it's the first material constituent or the at least one additional material constituent, comprise any materials that can be a) reliably formed into a sputtering target; b) sputtered from the target when bombarded by an energy source; and c) suitable for forming a final or precursor layer on a wafer or surface. Contemplated materials are those that are substantially non-magnetic, slightly magnetic or are able to be made substantially non-magnetic or slightly magnetic. As used herein, the phrase "substantially non-magnetic" means that upon measurement using conventional analytical devices, there is no influential magnetic field according to one of ordinary skill in the art of metallurgy and physical vapor deposition techniques. Also as used herein, the phrase "slightly magnetic" means that upon measurement using conventional analytical devices, there is a magnetic field detected and measured; however, one of ordinary skill in the art of metallurgy or physical vapor deposition would not consider the magnetic field to be influential with respect to the sputtering gun and the associated magnet.

In contemplated embodiments, the first material constituent chemically reacts with a plurality of silicon groups to form a plurality of salicides. In some embodiments, the plurality of silicon groups are located on at least part of the surface of a wafer or substrate. In other embodiments, the additional material constituent comprises at least some of the plurality of silicon groups.

Materials that are contemplated to make suitable sputtering targets are metals, metal alloys, conductive polymers, conductive composite materials, conductive monomers, dielectric materials, hardmask materials and any other suitable sputtering material. As used herein, the term "metal" means those elements that are in the d-block and f-block of the Periodic Chart of the Elements, along with those elements or compositions that have metal-like properties, such as silicon and germanium.

As used herein, the phrase "d-block" means those elements that have electrons filling the 3d, 4d, 5d, and 6d orbitals surrounding the nucleus of the element. As used herein, the phrase "f-block" means those elements that have electrons filling the 4f and 5f orbitals surrounding the nucleus of the element, including the lanthanides and the acti ides. Preferred metals include titanium, silicon, cobalt, copper, nickel, iron, zinc, vanadium, zirconium, aluminum and aluminum-based materials, tantalum, niobium, tin, chromium, platinum, palladium, gold, silver, tungsten, molybdenum, manganese or a combination thereof. More preferred metals include copper, aluminum, nickel, vanadium, cobalt, tantalum, magnesium, lithium, silicon, manganese, iron or a combination thereof.

Most preferred metals include copper, nickel and cobalt-based materials, manganese, vanadium or a combination thereof. It should be understood that the phrase "and combinations thereof is herein used to mean that there may be metal impurities in some of the precursor materials and sputtering targets, such as a cobalt sputtering target with chromium and aluminum impurities, or there may be an intentional combination of metals and other materials that make up the precursor materials and/or sputtering target, such as those targets comprising alloys, borides, carbides, fluorides, nitrides, suicides, oxides and others.

The term "metal" also includes alloys, metal/metal composites, metal ceramic composites, metal polymer composites, as well as other metal composites. Alloys contemplated herein comprise gold, antimony, arsenic, boron, copper, germanium, nickel, indium, palladium, phosphorus, silicon, cobalt, vanadium, iron, hafnium, titanium, iridium, zirconium, tungsten, silver, platinum, tantalum, tin, zinc, lithium, manganese, rhenium, and/or rhodium. Specific alloys include gold antimony, gold arsenic, gold boron, gold copper, gold germanium, gold nickel, gold nickel indium, gold palladium, gold phosphorus, gold silicon, gold silver platinum, gold tantalum, gold tin, gold zinc, palladium lithium, palladium manganese, palladium nickel, platinum palladium, palladium rhenium, platinum rhodium, silver arsenic, silver copper, silver gallium, silver gold, silver palladium, silver titanium, titanium zirconium, aluminum copper, aluminum silicon, aluminum silicon copper, aluminum titanium, chromium copper, chromium manganese palladium, chromium manganese platinum, chromium molybdenum, chromium ruthenium, cobalt platinum, cobalt zirconium niobium, cobalt zirconium rhodium, cobalt zirconium tantalum, copper nickel, iron aluminum, iron rhodium, iron tantalum, chromium silicon oxide, chromium vanadium, cobalt chromium, cobalt chromium nickel, cobalt chromium platinum, cobalt chromium tantalum, cobalt chromium tantalum platinum, cobalt iron, cobalt iron boron, cobalt iron chromium, cobalt iron zirconium, cobalt nickel, cobalt nickel chromium, cobalt nickel iron, cobalt nickel hafnium, cobalt niobium hafnium, cobalt niobium iron, cobalt niobium titanium, iron tantalum chromium, manganese iridium, manganese palladium platinum, manganese platinum, manganese rhodium, manganese ruthenium, nickel chromium, nickel chromium silicon, nickel cobalt iron, nickel iron, nickel iron chromium, nickel iron rhodium, nickel iron zirconium, nickel manganese, nickel vanadium, tungsten titanium and/or combinations thereof. As far as other materials that are. contemplated herein for precursor materials, and/or sputtering targets, the following combinations are considered examples of contemplated precursor materials and/or sputtering targets (although the list is not exhaustive): chromium boride, lanthanum boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, tantalum boride, titanium boride, tungsten boride, vanadium boride, zirconium boride, boron carbide, chromium carbide, molybdenum carbide, niobium carbide, silicon carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, tungsten carbide, .vanadium carbide, zirconium carbide, aluminum fluoride,, barium fluoride, calcium fluoride, cerium fluoride, cryolite, lithium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, potassium fluoride, rare earth fluorides, sodium fluoride, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, niobium nitride, silicon nitride, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, vanadium nitride, zirconium nitride, chromium silicide, molybdenum silicide, niobium silicide, tantalum silicide, titanium silicide, tungsten silicide, vanadium silicide, zirconium silicide, aluminum oxide, antimony oxide, barium oxide, barium titanate, bismuth oxide, bismuth titanate, barium strontium titanate, chromium oxide, copper oxide, hafnium oxide, magnesium oxide, molybdenum oxide, niobium pentoxide, rare earth oxides, silicon dioxide, silicon monoxide, strontium oxide, strontium titanate, tantalum pentoxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide, lanthanum aluminate, lanthanum oxide, lead titanate, lead zirconate, lead zirconate-titanate, titanium aluminide, lithium niobate, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, yttrium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, bismuth telluride, cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, lead selenide, lead sulfide, lead telluride, molybdenum selenide, molybdenum sulfide, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, zinc telluride and/or combinations thereof.

Contemplated sputtering targets described herein can be incorporated into any process or production design that produces, builds or otherwise modifies electronic, semiconductor and communication components. Electronic, semiconductor and communication components are generally thought to comprise any layered component that can be utilized in an electronic-based, semiconductor-based or communication-based product. Components described herein comprise semiconductor chips, circuit boards, chip packaging, separator sheets, dielectric components of circuit boards, printed-wiring boards, touch pads, wave guides, fiber optic and photon-transport and acoustic-wave-transport components, any materials made using or incorporating a dual damascene process, and other components of circuit boards, such as capacitors, inductors, and resistors.

Sputtering targets contemplated herein comprise any suitable shape and size depending on the application and instrumentation used in the PND process. Sputtering targets contemplated herein also comprise a surface material and a core material, wherein the surface material is coupled to the core material. As used herein, the term "coupled" means a physical attachment of two parts of matter or components (adhesive, attachment interfacing material) or a physical and/or chemical attraction between two parts of matter or components, including bond forces such as covalent and ionic bonding, and non-bond forces such as Nan der Waals, electrostatic, coulombic, hydrogen bonding and/or magnetic attraction. The surface material and core material may generally comprise the same elemental makeup or chemical composition/component, or the elemental makeup and chemical composition of the surface material may be altered or modified to be different than that of the core material. In most embodiments, the surface material and the core material comprise the same elemental makeup and chemical composition. However, in embodiments where it may be important to detect when the target's useful life has ended or where it is important to deposit a mixed layer of materials, the surface material and the core material may be tailored to comprise a different elemental makeup or chemical composition.

The surface material is that portion of the target that is exposed to the energy source at any measurable point in time and is also that part of the overall target material that is intended to produce atoms that are desirable as a surface coating.

The core material is designed to provide support for the surface material and to possibly provide additional atoms in a sputtering process or information as to when a target's useful life has ended. For example, in a situation where the core material comprises a material different from that of the original surface material, and a quality control device detects the presence of core material atoms in the space between the target and the wafer, the target may need to be removed and retooled or discarded altogether because the chemical integrity and elemental purity of the metal coating could be compromised by depositing undesirable materials on the existing surface/wafer layer.

A contemplated method of forming a metal-based salicide precursor material having an overall Curie temperature comprises: a) providing a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; b) providing at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component; and c) combining the first material constituent and the at least one additional material constituent such that the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature. The precursor material may then be processed into a sputtering target to be utilized in a physical vapor device and/or similar devices/apparatus. The first material constituent and/or the at least one additional material constituent may be provided by any suitable method, including a) buying the the first material constituent and/or the at least one additional material constituent from a supplier; b) preparing or producing the first material constituent and/or the at least one additional material constituent in house using chemicals provided by another source and/or c) preparing or producing the the first material constituent and/or the at least one additional material constituent in house using chemicals also produced or provided in house or at the location.

The first material constituent and the at least one additional material constituent may be combined by any suitable method known in the art or conventionally used, including melting the two material constituents and blending the molten constituents, processing the two material constituents into shavings or pellets and combining the constituents by a mixing and pressure treating process, and the like.

Thin layers or films produced by the sputtering of atoms from targets discussed herein can be formed on any number or consistency of layers, including other metal layers, substrate layers dielectric layers, hardmask or etchstop layers, photolithographic layers, anti-reflective layers, etc to form layered materials. In some preferred embodiments, the dielectric layer may comprise dielectric materials contemplated, produced or disclosed by Honeywell International, Inc. including, but not limited to: a) FLARE (poly(arylene ether)), such as those compounds disclosed in issued patents US 5959157, US 5986045, US 6124421, US 6156812, US 6172128, US 6171687, US 6214746, and pending applications 09/197478, 09/538276, 09/544504, 09/741634, 09/651396, 09/545058, 09/587851 , 09/618945, 09/619237, 09/792606, b) adamantane-based materials, such as those shown in pending application 09/545058; Serial PCT/USO 1/22204 filed October 17, 2001; PCT/US01/50182 filed December 31, 2001; 60/345374 filed December 31, 2001; 60/347195 filed January 8, 2002; and 60/350187 filed January 15, 2002;, c) commonly assigned US Patents 5,115,082; 5,986,045; and 6,143,855; and commonly assigned International Patent Publications WO 01/29052 published April 26, 2001; and WO 01/29141 published April 26, 2001; and (d) nanoporous silica materials and silica-based compounds, such as those compounds disclosed in issued patents US 6022812, US 6037275, US 6042994, US 6048804, US 6090448, US 6126733,US 6140254, US 6204202, US 6208014, and pending applications 09/046474, 09/046473, 09/111084, 09/360131, 09/378705, 09/234609, 09/379866, 09/141287, 09/379484, 09/392413, 09/549659, 09/488075, 09/566287, and 09/214219 all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and (e) Honeywell HOSP® organosiloxane.

The wafer or substrate may comprise any desirable substantially solid material. Particularly desirable substrates would comprise films, glass, ceramic, plastic, metal or coated metal, or composite material. In preferred embodiments, the substrate comprises a silicon or germanium arsenide die or wafer surface, a packaging surface such as found in a copper, silver, nickel or gold plated leadframe, a copper surface such as found in a circuit board or package interconnect trace, a via- wall or stiffener interface ("copper" includes considerations of bare copper and its oxides), a polymer-based packaging or board interface such as found in a polyimide-based flex package, lead or other metal alloy solder ball surface, glass and polymers such as polyimides. In more preferred embodiments, the substrate comprises a material common in the packaging and circuit board industries such as silicon, copper, glass, or a polymer.

Substrate layers contemplated herein may also comprise at least two layers of materials. One layer of material comprising the substrate layer may include the substrate materials previously described. Other layers of material comprising the substrate layer may include layers of polymers, monomers, organic compounds, inorganic compounds, organometallic compounds, continuous layers and nanoporous layers.

The substrate layer may also comprise a plurality of voids if it is desirable for the material to be nanoporous instead of continuous. Voids are typically spherical, but may alternatively or additionally have any suitable shape, including tubular, lamellar, discoidal, or other shapes. It is also contemplated that voids may have any appropriate diameter. It is further contemplated that at least some of the voids may connect with adjacent voids to create a structure with a significant amount of connected or "open" porosity. The voids preferably have a mean diameter of less than 1 micrometer, and more preferably have a mean diameter of less than 100 nanometers, and still more preferably have a mean diameter of less than 10 nanometers. It is further contemplated that the voids may be uniformly or randomly dispersed within the substrate layer. In a preferred embodiment, the voids are uniformly dispersed within the substrate layer.

Sputtering targets described herein can be incorporated into any process or production design that produces, builds or otherwise modifies electronic, semiconductor and communication/data transfer components. Electronic, semiconductor and communication components as contemplated herein, are generally thought to comprise any layered component that can be utilized in an electronic-based, semiconductor-based or communication-based product. Contemplated components comprise micro chips, circuit boards, chip packaging, separator sheets, dielectric components of circuit boards, printed-wiring boards, touch pads, wave guides, fiber optic and photon-transport and acoustic-wave-transport components, any materials made using or incorporating a dual damascene process, and other components of circuit boards, such as capacitors, inductors, and resistors.

Electronic-based, semiconductor-based and communications-based/data transfer-based products can be "finished" in the sense that they are ready to be used in industry or by other consumers. Examples of finished consumer products are a television, a computer, a cell phone, a pager, a palm-type organizer, a portable radio, a car stereo, and a remote control. Also contemplated are "intermediate" products such as circuit boards, chip packaging, and keyboards that are potentially utilized in finished products.

Electronic, semiconductor and communication/data transfer products may also comprise a prototype component, at any stage of development from conceptual model to final scale-up mock- up. A prototype may or may not contain all of the actual components intended in a finished product, and a prototype may have some components that are constructed out of composite material in order to negate their initial effects on other components while being initially tested.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1 - NICKEL

A contemplated metal-based salicide forming precursor material comprises a nickel-7% vanadium alloy mixture. This material can be used to produce a target that is completely nonmagnetic at room temperature. Another nickel system that works well is nickel-manganese. Manganese forms low temperature salicides that match well with nickel and other metals. Also, for both nickel alloy systems, wet removal of unreacted metal is possible with conventional wet etchants.

Another useful nickel system is the nickel-silicon system, where the silicon content is less than 4 weight percent, and in some contemplated embodiments, is less than about 2 weight percent. In embodiments that do not comprise nickel as the first material constituent, the silicon content may be higher than 4% . There may be some residual magnetization in the nickel-silicon system, but the overall effects of the light magnetization should be minimal.

EXAMPLE 2 - COBALT

Another contemplated alloy that is suitable for precursor materials and sputtering targets in certain situations is a cobalt alloy system; however, in order to drive down the Curie temperatureof cobalt (the first material constituent in this Example) (which is ~1120^CC), the alloy content (or the content of the at least one additional material constituent) needs to be higher than that in the nickel alloy systems described in Example 1. For example, a useful non-magnetic alloy system of Co-Mn should comprise at least 40% manganese.

Figures 1-4 show, respectively, Phase Diagrams for a) a cobalt-manganese alloy system, b) a nickel-manganese alloy system, c) a cobalt-vanadium alloy system, d) and a nickel-silicon alloy system that help to show the Curie temperature changes when the percentages of certain elements are increased or decreased.

Thus, specific embodiments and applications of low temperature salicide forming materials and sputtering targets formed therefrom have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.

Claims

CLAIMSI claim:

1. A metal-based salicide precursor material having an overall Curie temperature, comprising: a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; and at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component, wherein the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature component.

2. The metal-based material of claim 1, wherein the precursor material is substantially non- magnetic.

3. The metal-based material of claim 1 , wherein the first material constituent chemically reacts with a plurality of silicon groups to form a plurality of salicides.

4. The metal-based material of claim 3, wherein the plurality of silicon groups are located on at least part of the surface of a wafer. . .

5. The metal-based material .of claim 3, wherein the additional material constituent comprises at least some of the plurality of silicon groups.

6. The metal-based material of claim 1, wherein the first material consituent comprises a transition metal.

7. The metal-based material of claim 6, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one of cobalt, nickel, vanadium or manganese.

8. The metal-based material of claim 7, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one of cobalt or nickel.

9. The metal-based material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional material constituent comprises at least one transition metal.

10. The metal-based material of claim 9, wherein the at least one transition metal comprises cobalt, nickel, vanadium or manganese.

11. The metal-based material of claim 10, wherein the at least one transition metal comprises vanadium or manganese.

12. The metal-based material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional material constituent comprises silicon.

13. The metal -based material of claim 12, wherein the silicon comprises less than 4 % of the total weight percent of the metal-based material when the first material constituent consists essentially of nickel.

14. The metal-based material of claim 13 , wherein the silicon comprises less than about 2 % of the total weight percent of the metal-based precursor material.

15. The metal-based material of claim 1 , wherein the overall Curie temperature is at least about 5% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

16. The metal-based material of claim 15, wherein the overall Curie temperature is at least about 10% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

17. The metal-based material of claim 16, wherein the overall Curie temperature is at least about 20% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

18. A sputtering target comprising the precursor material of claim 1.

19. A layered material comprising the precursor material of claim 1.

20. A method of forming a metal-based salicide precursor material having an overall Curie temperature, comprising: providing a first material constituent having a first Curie temperature component; providing at least one additional material constituent having a second Curie temperature component; and combining the first material constituent and the at least one additional material constituent such that the overall Curie temperature is lower than the first Curie temperature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the material is substantially non-magnetic.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first metal constituent chemically reacts with a plurality of silicon groups to form a plurality of salicides.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of silicon groups are located on at least part of the surface of a wafer.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the additional material constituent comprises at least some of the plurality of silicon groups.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the first material consituent comprises a transition metal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one of cobalt, nickel, vanadium or manganese.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one of cobalt or nickel.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one additional material constituent comprises at least one transition metal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one transition metal comprises cobalt, nickel, vanadium or manganese.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one transition metal comprises vanadium or manganese.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one additional material constituent comprises silicon.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the silicon comprises less than 4% of the total weight percent of the metal-based material when the first material constituent consists essentially of nickel.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the silicon comprises less than about 2% of the total weight percent of the metal-based material.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein the overall Curie temperature is at least about 5% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the overall Curie temperature is at least about 10% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the overall Curie temperature is at least about 20% lower than the first Curie temperature component.

37. A method of forming a sputtering target, comprising: performing the method of claim 20; and shaping the precursor material into the shape of a sputtering target.

38. A sputtering target produced from the method of claim 37.

39. A layered material comprising a layer of salicides formed by a precursor material from the target of claim 38.