# US 2017/0287685 A1 · Sputtering target assembly having a graded interlayer and methods of making > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0287685 A1 - Document ID: US20170287685A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/470,581 - Filed: 2017-03-27 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Stephane Ferrasse; Susan D. Strothers; Xinlin Shi; Diana L. Morales - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170287685A1 ## CPC - H01J 37/3435: {Target holders (includes backing plates and endblocks)} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - C23C 4/129: Flame spraying - C23C 4/131: Wire arc spraying - C23C 4/134: Plasma spraying - C23C 14/14: Metallic material, boron or silicon - 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} - C23C 24/00: Coating starting from inorganic powder (spraying of the coating material in molten state C23C4/00; solid state diffusion C23C8/00 - C23C12/00) - C23C 24/103: {Coating with metallic material, i.e. metals or metal alloys, optionally comprising hard particles, e.g. oxides, carbides or nitrides} - C23C 24/106: {Coating with metal alloys or metal elements only} - H01J 37/3426: {Material} - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - 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) ## Abstract A sputtering target assembly includes a sputtering target having a rear surface, a backing plate having a front surface, and an interlayer disposed between the target and the backing plate. The interlayer includes a first interlayer portion disposed proximate the target material rear surface, and a second interlayer portion disposed proximate the backing plate front surface. The first interlayer portion is formed of a first mixture containing a first material and a second material and having a higher concentration of the first material than the second material, and the second interlayer portion is formed of a second mixture containing the first material and the second material and having a higher concentration of the second material than the first material. A method of making is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sputtering target assembly comprising: a sputtering target having a rear surface; a backing plate having a front surface; and an interlayer disposed between the sputtering target and the backing plate, the interlayer comprising a first interlayer portion disposed proximate the sputtering target rear surface, and a second interlayer portion disposed proximate the backing plate front surface; wherein the first interlayer portion is formed of a first mixture containing a first material and a second material and having a higher concentration of the first material than the second material, and wherein the second interlayer portion is formed of a second mixture containing the first material and the second material and having a higher concentration of the second material than the first material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, further comprising a third interlayer portion between the first interlayer portion and the second interlayer portion wherein the concentration of the first material either increases or decreases along an axis extending through the sputtering target and the backing plate, wherein the axis is perpendicular to the rear surface of the sputtering target. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the interlayer has a property gradient in any one of grain size, grain texture, material composition, or material component density along an axis extending through the sputtering target and the backing plate, the axis perpendicular to the rear surface of the sputtering target. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the first interlayer portion and the second interlayer portion are each from about 0.5 millimeters to 3 millimeters thick. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the sputtering target is formed from a sputtering target material and wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first interlayer portion is within five hundred percent of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the sputtering target material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the backing plate is formed from a backing plate material and wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second interlayer portion is within five hundred percent of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the backing plate material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the first material is aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), tungsten (W), yttrium (Y), or zirconium (Zr) or their alloys, or steels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the interlayer further includes a third material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the interlayer further comprises a third material and wherein the first interlayer portion has a higher concentration of the third material than the second interlayer portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sputtering target assembly of claim 1, wherein the interlayer further comprises a third material and wherein the first interlayer portion has a lower concentration of the third material than the second interlayer portion. ### Claim 11 A method of forming a sputtering target assembly, the method comprising: forming a first layer on a surface of a sputtering target or a surface of a backing target from a first mixture containing a first material and a second material; forming a second layer on the first layer from a second mixture containing the first material and the second material, wherein the first layer has a higher concentration of the first material than the second layer, and the second layer has a higher concentration of the second material than the first layer; arranging the backing plate or the sputtering target on the second layer to form the sputtering target assembly having the first layer and second layer between the sputtering target and backing plate; and joining the sputtering target, the first layer, the second layer, and the backing plate together in a target assembly bonding step. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first layer is formed on the backing plate, and the sputtering target is arranged on the second layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, the method further comprising, adding a plurality of subsequent layers of material on the first layer wherein each subsequent layer of material has a lower concentration of the first material than the layer on which it is formed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein from the first layer to the second layer there is a change in any one of grain size, grain texture, or material component density. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein each layer of the plurality of subsequent layers of material is from about 0.5 millimeter to about 3 millimeters thick. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the sputtering target is formed from a sputtering target material and wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first layer is within five hundred percent of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the sputtering target material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the backing plate is formed from a backing plate material and wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second layer is within five hundred percent of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the backing plate material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein a difference between a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first layer and a coefficient of thermal expansion of the sputtering target is less than a difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first layer and a coefficient of thermal expansion of the backing plate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first mixture and the second mixture further include a third material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein a concentration of the third material in the first mixture is higher than a concentration of the third material in the second mixture.