IP Library Granted Patent US 8,425,696
Granted Patent B2
US 8,425,696 · App. 12/088,793 · Granted Apr 23, 2013

Sputtering target

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,425,696
App. No.
12/088,793
Granted
Apr 23, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a tantalum or a tantalum alloy target capable of shortening the burn-in time and minimizing the fluctuation in the deposition speed throughout the target life, whereby the production efficiency of semiconductors in the sputtering process can be improved and stabilized, and the production cost can be significantly reduced. With tantalum or tantalum-based alloy sputtering target, provided is a sputtering target, wherein FWHM (full width of half maximum) of a {200} crystal plane measured by X-ray diffraction of the sputtered outermost surface is 0.1 to 0.6°, and wherein the variation of FWHM is within ±0.05°.

Claims (16)

1. A tantalum or a tantalum-based alloy sputtering target having a metallurgical structure formed by casting, deformation processing including cold rolling as a final deformation process, and heat treatment including heat treatment after the cold rolling only at a temperature of 100 to 250° C. in a vacuum to control Full Width of Half Maximum (FWHM) of a {200} crystal plane measured by X-ray diffraction of an outermost surface of the sputtering target, wherein the FWHM of the {200} crystal plane measured by X-ray diffraction of the outermost surface of the sputtering target is 0.1 to 0.6°.

2. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein variation of FWHM of the {200} crystal plane is within ±0.05°.

3. The sputtering target according to claim 2 , wherein FWHM of a {110} crystal plane is 0.25 to 0.4°, and the variation of FWHM of the {110} crystal plane is within ±0.05°.

4. The sputtering target according to claim 3 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 15 μm from the target surface.

5. The sputtering target according to claim 3 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 10 μm from the target surface.

6. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein FWHM of a {110} crystal plane is 0.25 to 0.4°, and variation of FWHM of the {110} crystal plane is within ±0.05°.

7. The sputtering target according to claim 6 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 15 μm from the target surface.

8. The sputtering target according to claim 6 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 10 μm from the target surface.

9. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 15 μm or less from the target surface.

10. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 10 μm or less from the target surface.

11. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the FWHM of the {200} crystal plane measured by X-ray diffraction of the outermost surface of the sputtering target is 0.15 to 0.45°.

12. The sputtering target according to claim 11 , wherein the variation of FWHM of the {200} crystal plane is within ±0.05°.

13. The sputtering target according to claim 12 , wherein FWHM of a {110} crystal plane is 0.25 to 0.4°, and the variation of FWHM of the {110} crystal plane is within ±0.05°.

14. The sputtering target according to claim 13 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 15 μm from the target surface.

15. The sputtering target according to claim 13 , wherein a surface layer of the sputtering target contains strains arising from surface processing of said sputtering target, a depth of the surface layer containing the strains being 10 μm from the target surface.

16. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the sputtering target is a tantalum sputtering target.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Aug 11, 2021
From: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
To: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057160/0114 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Feb 7, 2017
From: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
To: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041649/0733 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 12, 2010
From: NIPPON MINING HOLDINGS, INC.
To: JX NIPPON MINING & METALS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025123/0358 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 8, 2010
From: NIPPON MINING & METALS CO., LTD.
To: NIPPON MINING HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025115/0062 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2008
From: ODA, KUNIHIRO; FUKUSHIMA, ATSUSHI
To: NIPPON MINING & METALS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 020746/0827 →