Integrated sputtering target assembly

A sputtering target assembly comprising:

• a sputtering target in intimate contact with a first side of a backing plate forming part of a target backing plate assembly;
• said target backing plate assembly configured to cover an opening of a sputtering chamber so as to seal the opening, said backing plate assembly having heat exchange fluid passages therethrough, said heat exchange fluid passages having one or more inlet and outlet openings,
• wherein the target backing plate assembly comprises said backing plate and a cooling cover plate, said backing plate having a generally planar second side, said cooling cover plate having a generally planar third side fluid tightly joined to said second side, grooves being formed in at least one of said second and third sides to form heat exchange cooling passages between said target backing plate and said coding cover plate
• wherein a bond is formed between said second side of said cooling cover plate and said third side of said backing plate using seal means and fasteners, a continuous seal means surrounding said heat exchange cooling passages, and seal means surrounding one or more of the fasteners securing a field of said cooling cover plate within the pattern forming the inside edge of the opening to said third side of said backing plate within the perimeter of a continuous seal means groove.

A sputtering target assembly for a sputtering apparatus including a sputtering chamber having a sputtering opening having an inside perimeter pattern, a first side of the sputtering target assembly is sealed against the opening outside the pattern and including a pressure equalizing chamber sealed to a second side of said sputtering target assembly generally opposite the location where the target assembly is sealed on the first side, the target assembly acting as a diaphragm type barrier between the sputtering chamber and the pressure equalizing chamber comprising:

• a sputtering target in intimate contact with a first side of a backing plate forming part of a target backing plate assembly;
• said target backing plate assembly having heat exchange fluid passages therethrough, said heat exchange fluid passages having one or more inlet and outlet openings,
• wherein the target backing plate assembly comprises said backing plate and a cooling cover plate, said backing plate having a generally planar second side, said cooling cover plate having a generally planar third side fluid tightly joined to said second side, grooves being formed in at least one of said second and third sides to form heat exchange cooling passages between said target backing plate and said cooling cover plate,
• wherein a bond is formed between said second side of said cooling cover plate and said third side of said backing plate using O-rings and fasteners, and comprises a continuous O-ring in an O-ring groove surrounding said heat exchange cooling passages, and individual O-rings surrounding one or more of the fasteners securing a field of said cooling cover plate within the pattern forming the inside edge of the opening to said second side of said backing plate within the perimeter of a continuous O-ring groove.

A sputtering target assembly for a sputtering apparatus including a sputtering chamber having a sputtering opening having an inside perimeter pattern, a first side of the sputtering target assembly is sealed against the opening outside the pattern and including a pressure equalizing chamber scaled to a second side of said sputtering target assembly generally opposite the location where the target assembly is sealed on the first side, the target assembly acting as a diaphragm between the sputtering chamber and the pressure equalizing chamber comprising:

• a sputtering target in intimate contact with a first side of a backing plate forming part of a target backing plate assembly;
• said target backing plate assembly having heat exchange fluid passages therethrough, said heat exchange fluid passages having one or more inlet and outlet openings,
• wherein the target backing plate assembly comprises said backing plate and a cooling cover plate, said backing plate having a generally planar second side, said cooling cover plate having a generally planar third side fluid tightly joined to said second side, grooves being formed in at least one of said second and third sides to form heat exchange cooling passages between said target backing plate and said cooling cover plate
• wherein a bond is formed between said second side of said cooling cover plate and said third side of said backing plate using seal means and fasteners, a continuous seal means surrounding said heat exchange cooling passages, and seal means surrounding one or more of the fasteners securing a field of said cooling cover plate within the pattern forming the inside edge of the opening to said second side of said backing within the perimeter of a continuous seal means groove.