Plating stack to condition a bonding surface

1. A rotary sputtering target assembly comprising:

a target;

a backing tube having a plate stack on a radially outer surface thereof; and

a bonding material bonding the plate stack to the target;

wherein the backing tube and the target are bonded together along the plated bonding surface;

wherein the plate stack comprises a negative copper plating, a positive copper plating, and a silver plating; and

wherein the rotary sputtering target assembly comprises from radially inward to radially outward in sequence the backing tube, the plate stack, the bonding material, and the target.

2. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein the backing tube includes a stainless steel body.

3. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein the silver plating is the radially outermost layer of the plate stack.

4. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bonding material is solder.

5. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 4 , wherein the solder includes at least one of the following: indium based, tin based, antimony based, or lead based solders.

6. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one end cap bonded to the backing tube.

7. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 6 , wherein a terminal end of the backing tube includes a plated material different than a remainder of the plate stack to which the target is bonded.

8. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plate stack comprises from radially inward to radially outward in sequence the negative copper plating, the positive copper plating, and the silver plating.

9. The rotary sputtering target assembly of claim 8 , wherein the plate stack consists of the negative copper plating, the positive copper plating, and the silver plating.

10. A method of making a rotary target assembly comprising:

constructing a backing tube body;

plating a radially outer surface of a backing tube body to form a plate stack thereon;

assembling a target over the plate stack; and

bonding the target to the plate stack with a bonding material;

wherein the plate stack comprises a negative copper plating, a positive copper plating, and a silver plating; and

wherein the rotary sputtering target assembly comprises from radially inward to radially outward in sequence the backing tube body, the plate stack, the bonding material, and the target.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the backing tube body comprises stainless steel.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bonding includes soldering the backing tube body to the target.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising bonding an end cap to the backing tube body.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plate stack comprises from radially inward to radially outward in sequence the negative copper plating, the positive copper plating, and the silver plating.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plate stack consists of the negative copper plating, the positive copper plating, and the silver plating.

16. A backing tube for a rotary sputter target assembly comprising:

a stainless steel backing tube body having a radially outer surface;

a plate stack on the radially outer surface;

wherein the plate stack comprises a negative copper plating, a positive copper plating, and a silver plating; and

wherein the plate stack comprises from radially inward to radially outward in sequence the negative copper plating, the positive copper plating, and the silver plating.

17. The backing tube of claim 16 , wherein the plate stack is deposited via electroplating.

18. The backing tube of claim 16 , wherein the plate stack consists of the negative copper plating, the positive copper plating, and the silver plating.