US 5,474,667 A · Reduced stress sputtering target and method of manufacturing therefor

Abstract

A sputtering target assembly in which the region of attachment between the sputtering target and the backing plate has varying stiffness, thereby reducing stresses in the target during sputtering. In the region of attachment, the backing plate has varying thickness, for example a smooth taper. Alternatively, the backing plate may include structures which affect the stiffness of the backing plate in the region of attachment. These structures may be defined by machining, molding or forging during manufacture of the backing plate, or by machining or drilling voids in the backing plate. As a second alternative, the bonding material used to attach the sputtering target and the backing plate may have a varying stiffness across the region of attachment.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A sputtering target assembly comprising

a sputtering target of sputtering material having a sputtering face and a rear face, and
a backing plate, a region of said backing plate attached to said rear face of said sputtering target,
said target being subjected to localized thermo-mechanical and pressure differential stresses at different locations within said target during a sputtering operation, said region of said backing plate having varying stiffness at different locations thereof correlated to said different localized stresses at different locations within said target, thereby reducing stresses in said sputtering target during said sputtering operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reduced stress sputtering target and method of manufacturing therefor

Life of this patent

Reduced stress sputtering target and method of manufacturing therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25