Copper Sputtering Targets and Methods of Forming Copper Sputtering Targets

A method of forming a copper-comprising sputtering target, comprising:

• providing a Cu billet having a purity of at least 99.99% copper;
• hot-forging the Cu billet at a temperature of greater than 300° C. with a reduction in height of at least about 40% to form a forged block;
• water quenching the forged block;
• performing an extrusion process comprising:
• at least four passes of the forged block through equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE);
• and
• a heat-treatment comprising one or both of intermediate annealing between at least some of the at least four passes, and heating ECAE die to a temperature of from about 125° C. to about 225° C. during the extrusion process;
• after extrusion process, cold-rolling to a reduction of less than 90% to form a blank, and
• forming the blank into a target.

A method of forming a copper alloy sputtering target, comprising:

• providing a Cu billet consisting essentially of less than 99.99% copper and at least one alloying element selected from the group consisting of Cd. Ca, Au, Ag, Be, Li, Mg Al, Pd, Hg, Ni, in, Zn, B, Ga, Mn, Sn, Ge, W, Cr, O, Sb, Ir, P, As, Co, Te, Fe, S, Ti, Zr, Sc, and Hf, a total amount of the at least one alloying element present in the Cu billet being at least 100 ppm and less than 10% by weight;
• hot-forging the Cu billet at a temperature of greater than 300° C. with a reduction in height of at least about 40% to form a forged block;
• performing an extrusion process comprising:
• at least four passes of the forged block through equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE);
• and
• a heat-treatment comprising one or both of heating ECAE die during the extrusion process, and intermediate annealing at a temperature of from about 120° C. to about 325° C., for a time of at least 1 hour between at least some of the at least four passes;
• after the extrusion process, cold-rolling to a reduction of less than about 90% to form a blank;
• and
• forming the blank into a target.