Powder metallurgy sputtering targets and methods of producing same
View Patent ↗A method of forming a sputtering target and other metal articles having controlled oxygen and nitrogen content levels and the articles so formed are described. The method includes surface-nitriding a deoxidized metal powder and further includes consolidating the powder by a powder metallurgy technique. Preferred metal powders include, but are not limited to, valve metals, including tantalum, niobium, and alloys thereof.
1. A sputtering target assembly comprising a consolidated surface-nitrided metal powder sputter target and a backing plate.
2. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder comprises tantalum, niobium, an alloy of tantalum, an alloy of niobium, or combinations thereof.
3. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder comprises tantalum.
4. The sputtering target assembly of claim 3 , wherein said metal powder has a tantalum nitride shell.
5. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder comprises niobium.
6. The sputtering target assembly of claim 5 , wherein said metal powder has a niobium nitride shell.
7. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder has an oxygen content of about 100 ppm or less and has a nitrogen content of at least about 40 ppm.
8. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder has an oxygen content from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm.
9. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder has a nitrogen content from about 1,000 ppm to about 10,000 ppm.
10. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated at a temperature not exceeding 0.7 T H of said metal powder.
11. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated at a temperature of about 0.7 T H or more of said metal powder.
12. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated by a powder metallurgy technique.
13. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated by hot isostatic pressing.
14. The sputtering target assembly of claim 13 , wherein said sputter target has a yield strength of from about 18,000 to about 40,000 psi and an elongation to failure of about 20% or more.
15. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated by extrusion.
16. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an oxygen content of about 300 ppm or less and has a nitrogen content of at least about 10 ppm.
17. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an oxygen content of about 100 ppm or less and has a nitrogen content of at least about 40 ppm.
18. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an oxygen content from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm.
19. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a nitrogen content from about 1,000 ppm to about 10,000 ppm.
20. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a purity of about 99.5% or greater.
21. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of about 300 microns or less.
22. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of 100 microns or less.
23. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of about 50 microns or less.
24. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of about 10 microns or less.
25. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a random texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
26. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (111) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
27. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (100) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
28. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform mixed (100):(111) texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
29. The sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform texture that lies along or near the (111)-(100) symmetry line on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
30. The sputtering target assembly of claim 24 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (111) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
31. The sputtering target assembly of claim 24 , wherein said sputter target has a random texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
32. The sputtering target assembly of claim 24 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (110) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
33. The sputtering target assembly of claim 24 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform mixed (111):(100) texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
34. The sputtering target assembly of claim 24 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform texture that lies along or near the (111)-(100) symmetry line on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
35. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder has an oxygen content of about 100 ppm or less and has a nitrogen content of at least about 40 ppm.
36. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder has an oxygen content from about 1 ppm to about 100 ppm.
37. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder has a nitrogen content from about 1,000 ppm to about 10,000 ppm.
38. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated at a temperature not exceeding 0.7 T H of said metal powder.
39. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated at a temperature of about 0.7 T H or more of said metal powder.
40. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated by a powder metallurgy technique.
41. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated by hot isostatic pressing.
42. The sputtering target assembly of claim 41 , wherein said sputter target has a yield strength of from about 18,000 to about 40,000 psi and an elongation to failure of about 20% or more.
43. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said metal powder is consolidated by extrusion.
44. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has an oxygen content of about 300 ppm or less and has a nitrogen content of at least about 10 ppm.
45. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has an oxygen content of about 100 ppm or less and has a nitrogen content of at least about 1,000 ppm.
46. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a nitrogen content from about 1,000 ppm to about 10,000 ppm.
47. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a purity of about 99.5% or greater.
48. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of about 300 microns or less.
49. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of about 50 microns or less.
50. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has an average grain size of about 10 microns or less.
51. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a random texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
52. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (111) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
53. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (100) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
54. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform mixed (100):(111) texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
55. The sputtering target assembly of claim 2 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform texture that lies along or near the (111)-(100) symmetry line on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
56. The sputtering target assembly of claim 49 , wherein said spatter target has a uniform primary texture of (111) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
57. The sputtering target assembly of claim 49 , wherein said sputter target has a random texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
58. The sputtering target assembly of claim 49 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform primary texture of (110) on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
59. The sputtering target assembly of claim 49 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform mixed (111):(100) texture on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
60. The puttering target assembly of claim 49 , wherein said sputter target has a uniform texture that lies along or near the (111)-(100) symmetry line on the surface or throughout the entire thickness of said metal.
61. The sputtering target of claim 1 , wherein said metal powder has a BET surface area of from about 0.1 m 2 /g to about 10 m 2 /g.