# US 10,369,656 B2 · Process for producing sputtering target and sputtering target

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- Number: US 10,369,656 B2
- Document ID: US10369656B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/770,857
- Filed: 2017-07-10
- Published: 2018-10-25
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-13
- Assignees: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
- Applicants: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
- Inventors: Mikio Takigawa; Toshiyuki Terasawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369656B2

## CPC

- B23K 20/023: {Thermo-compression bonding}
- C23C 14/34: Sputtering
- C23C 14/3407: {Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target}
- C23C 14/3414: {Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy}
- H01J 37/3417: {Arrangements}
- H01J 37/3426: {Material}
- H01J 37/3435: {Target holders (includes backing plates and endblocks)}
- H01J 37/3491: {Manufacturing of targets}
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

A process for producing a sputtering target in which a target material is diffusion-bonded to a top face of a backing plate material, the process comprising: a step of heating the top face of the target material by a hot plate while pressing from above thereby diffusion-bonding the target material to the backing plate material in such a manner that the step is performed at a center part prior to an outer peripheral part of the top face.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing a sputtering target in which a target material is diffusion-bonded to a top face of a backing plate material,
which process comprises heating the top face of the target material by a hot plate at a center part prior to an outer peripheral part of the top face while pressing from above to perform diffusion-bonding of the target material to the backing plate material,
said target material having hardness smaller than the backing plate material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein the center part of the top face of the target material projects upward from the outer peripheral part of the top face.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein, in the hot plate, the center part of a press surface in contact with the target material during pressing projects downward from an outer peripheral part of the press surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein the center part of the top face of the target material is provided with a projecting member projecting upward from the outer peripheral part of the top face of the target material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 1, further comprising: incorporating the target material inside a frame part of a backing plate material having an annular frame part, followed by heating the top face of the target material by a hot plate at a center part prior to an outer peripheral part of the top face while pressing from above to perform diffusion-bonding of the target material to the backing plate material.

### Claim 6

A process for producing a sputtering target in which a target material is diffusion-bonded to a top face of a backing plate material,
which process comprises heating the target material by a hot plate at a center part of an opposite face to a face in contact with the backing plate material prior to an outer peripheral part of the opposite face while pressing from a uniaxial direction to perform diffusion-bonding of the target material to the backing plate material,
said target material having hardness smaller than the backing plate material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 6, wherein the center part of the opposite face of the target material projects upward from the outer peripheral part of the opposite face.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 6,
wherein, in the hot plate, the center part of a press surface in contact with the target material during pressing projects downward from an outer peripheral part of the press surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 6, wherein the center part of the opposite face of the target material is provided with a projecting member projecting upward from the outer peripheral part of the opposite face of the target material to a face opposite to a face in contact with the backing plate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The process for producing a sputtering target according to claim 6, further comprising: incorporating the target material inside a frame part of a backing plate material having an annular frame part, followed by heating the target material by the hot plate at the center part of an opposite face to a face in contact with the backing plate material prior to the outer peripheral part of the opposite face while pressing from the uniaxial direction to perform diffusion-bonding of the target material to the backing plate material.