IP Library Granted Patent US 11,198,933
Granted Patent B2
US 11,198,933 · App. 16/713,957 · Granted Dec 14, 2021

Method of manufacturing sputtering target and sputtering target

Inventors: Tooru Komatsu (Kanagawa, JP); Nobuaki Nakashima (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA MATERIALS CO., LTD.
C23C14/3414B22D7/005C22F1/10C22F1/18C22F1/183C23C14/14C23G1/02C23G1/10C23G1/106H01J37/3426H01J37/3491
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,198,933
App. No.
16/713,957
Granted
Dec 14, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The manufacturing cost of a sputtering target is reduced and the impurity concentration of the manufactured sputtering target is also reduced. A method of manufacturing a sputtering target includes: surface-treating at least one of a used sputtering target and a scrap material; melting at least one of the used sputtering target and the scrap material after the surface treatment to form an ingot; and manufacturing a sputtering target by subjecting the ingot to forging, rolling, heat treating, and machining.

Claims (27)

1. A recycled sputtering target made from at least one selected from the group consisting of a used sputtering target and a scrap material,

the recycled sputtering target comprising:

at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, iridium, nickel, palladium and platinum;

oxygen;

iron;

aluminum; and

copper,

wherein the recycled sputtering target is formed by a method comprising:

surface-treating at least one selected from the group consisting of a used sputtering target including a first face and a scrap material including a second face to expose at least one selected from the group consisting of the first and second faces and remove at least one selected from the group consisting of a part of the used sputtering target and a part of the scrap material by 1 mm or more in an inward direction from at least one selected from the group consisting of the first and second faces, the used sputtering target and the scrap material each containing the at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, iridium, nickel, palladium and platinum, and the first and second faces each having uniform metallic color;

melting the at least one selected from the group consisting of the used sputtering target and the scrap material after the surface treatment to form an ingot; and

forming the recycled sputtering target by subjecting the ingot to forging, rolling, heat treating, and machining,

wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of the used sputtering target and the scrap material is surface-treated by at least one selected from the group consisting of a pickling removal and a mechanical removal, the pickling removal being performed using a mixture containing at least two acids selected from the group consisting of hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and acetic acid,

wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of the used sputtering target and the scrap material is melted using at least one melting method selected from the group consisting of electron-beam melting, plasma-arc melting, and cold crucible induction melting,

wherein the oxygen satisfies that oxygen amounts in a surface and a thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are within a range of +30% or less with respect to an average value of an oxygen amount in the entire recycled sputtering target,

wherein the iron satisfies that iron amounts in the surface and the thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are within a range of +30% or less with respect to an average value of an iron amount in the entire recycled sputtering target,

wherein the aluminum satisfies that aluminum amounts in the surface and the thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are within a range of +40% or less with respect to an average value of an aluminum amount in the entire recycled sputtering target,

wherein the copper satisfies that copper amounts in the surface and the thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are within a range of +40% or less with respect to an average value of a copper amount in the entire recycled sputtering target,

wherein the oxygen satisfies that oxygen amounts in a surface and a thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are 200 ppm or less,

wherein the iron satisfies that iron amounts in the surface and the thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are 10 ppm or less,

wherein the aluminum satisfies that aluminum amounts in the surface and the thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are 10 ppm or less, and

wherein the copper satisfies that copper amounts in the surface and the thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target are 5 ppm or less.

2. The recycled sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein, in X-ray diffraction patterns obtained from X-ray diffraction measurement in a surface and a thickness direction of the recycled sputtering target, a combination of a first crystal plane having the highest peak intensity, a second crystal plane having the second highest peak intensity, and a third crystal plane having the third highest peak intensity are identical to a combination of the first crystal plane, the second crystal plane, and the third crystal plane in data of Power Diffraction File.

3. The recycled sputtering target according to claim 1 ,

wherein the pickling removal is performed using the mixture containing the hydrofluoric acid having a first mixture ratio and the nitric acid having a second mixture ratio higher than the first mixture ratio.

4. The recycled sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected from the group consisting of the used sputtering target and the scrap material is melted using at least one melting method selected from the group consisting of the electron-beam melting and the cold crucible induction melting under a 1.0×10 −1 Pa degree of vacuum or less.

5. The recycled sputtering target according to claim 1 , comprising the titanium.

6. The recycled sputtering target according to claim 1 , comprising the nickel.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 19, 2026
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MATERIALS CO. LTD.
Reel/Frame 074940/0511 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 19, 2026
From: TOSHIBA MATERIALS CO. LTD.
To: NITERRA MATERIALS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074941/0803 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Feb 19, 2026
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 074941/0846 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-073960 · Mar 31, 2014 · national
Continuity (3)
Division 15271911 · Sep 21, 2016
Continuation PCTJP2015001827 · Mar 30, 2015
Related Publication 20200115790A1 · Apr 16, 2020