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US 6,199,259 B1Granted
Autoclave bonding of sputtering target assembly
AssigneeApplied Komatsu Technology, Inc.
InventorsRichard E. Demaray, Manuel Herrera
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fabrication techniques for an integrated sputtering target assembly include pressure assisted bonding of soldered layers of material, in particular, soldering of the target material to its backing plate; pressure assisted curing of structural adhesives used to join a finned cover plate to a backing plate which between them form passages for fluid cooling; and bonding an electrical insulating layer to the back surface of the backing plate. The pressure to assist in bonding is typically applied by an autoclave. The cooling fluid passages disposed between a cover and a finned backing plate can be sealed by using laser welding or electron beam welding rather than closing the cooling passages with structural adhesives.
Claims32
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a set of components of a sputtering target assembly assembled in an unbonded sandwich, said set of components includes at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer, said at least two layers being disposed adjacent to one another and not bonded to one another when assembled in said unbonded sandwich, wherein said components are assembled at a temperature below a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- pressing the layers of the unbonded sandwich together using a source of pressure which provides a generally uniform pressure distribution across a top surface and a bottom surface of said unbonded sandwich;
- raising the temperature of the unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature of said bonding layer while maintaining pressure on said layers;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the layers of said unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- and
- maintaining the pressure on the unbonded sandwich while the temperature of the unbonded sandwich falls to a process completion temperature;
- enclosing the unbonded sandwich in a flexible vacuum tight enclosure;
- creating a vacuum pressure within the flexible vacuum tight enclosure, thus forming a vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly;
- and
- wherein the pressing step includes pressurizing the flexible vacuum tight enclosure and vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly in a pressure chamber;
- and
- wherein the steps of raising the temperature, maintaining the temperature, and maintaining the pressure are all performed in a pressure chamber.
9 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- laminating a set of components of a sputtering target assembly in an unbonded sandwich on a support plate, at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer;
- covering the unbonded sandwich on the support plate with an upper flexible vacuum tight cover sealed to the support plate thus forming a vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly;
- creating a vacuum pressure within the upper flexible vacuum tight cover over the unbonded sandwich and the support plate;
- pressurizing the support plate and vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly in a pressure chamber;
- raising the temperature of the vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly in the pressure chamber above a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly in the pressure chamber above the bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- maintaining the pressure on the support plate and vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly while the temperature of the vacuum encapsulated unbonded sandwich assembly falls to a process completion temperature.
4 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a set of components of a sputtering target assembly assembled in an unbonded sandwich, said set of components includes at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer, said at least two layers being disposed adjacent to one another and not bonded to one another when assembled in said unbonded sandwich, wherein said components are assembled at a temperature below a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- pressing the layers of the unbonded sandwich together using a source of pressure which provides a generally uniform pressure distribution across a top surface and a bottom surface of said unbonded sandwich;
- raising the temperature of the unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature of said bonding layer while maintaining pressure on said layers;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the layers of said unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- and
- maintaining the pressure on the unbonded sandwich while the temperature of the unbonded sandwich falls to a process completion temperature;
- wherein the step of providing a set of components includes providing a target backing plate as a component of the unbonded sandwich, said backing plate having been produced by a method including the steps of:
- providing a finned target backing plate including a void forming a set of cooling fluid passages in said plate, said void including a series of fins, each fin having a top surface;
- putting a cover in place over said void;
- seal welding the edges of said cover to said backing plate to seal said void;
- and
- spot or seam welding said cover to the tops of said fins.
9 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a finned target backing plate including a void forming a set of cooling fluid passages in said plate, said void including a series of fins, each fin having a top surface;
- putting a cover in place over said void;
- seal welding a set of edges of said cover to said backing plate to seal said void;
- and
- welding said cover to said top surface of said fin of said series of fins.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- applying a bonding agent to a surface of a first of a plurality of generally planar panels, one of which comprises a sputtering target;
- locating said plurality of panels together, said surface of said first of said plurality of panels facing a surface of a second of said plurality of panels, said first and second of said plurality of panels constituting a first pair of panels;
- exerting a first pressure across at least two of said plurality of panels including said first pair, said first pressure pressing said first of said panels toward said second of said panels;
- and
- simultaneously with exerting said first pressure, heating at least said first and second of said plurality of panels to a first temperature at which said bonding agent causes said first pair of panels to be bonded together;
- wherein said bonding agent comprises a solder;
- and
- further comprising applying an adhesive to a third surface of one of a second pair of panels, said second and a third of said plurality of panels comprising said second pair, said third surface facing a fourth surface of said second pair of panels;
- and
- wherein said first pressure exerts a first force pressing said first pair of panels together;
- and
- further comprising:
- exerting a second pressure across at least two of said panels including said second pair;
- and
- simultaneously with exerting said second pressure, heating at least said second and third of said plurality of panels to a second temperature lower than said first temperature, at which said adhesive causes said second pair of panels to be bonded together.
12 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a set of components of a sputtering target assembly assembled in an unbonded sandwich, said set of components includes at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer, said at least two layers being disposed adjacent to one another and not bonded to one another when assembled in said unbonded sandwich, wherein said components are assembled at a temperature below a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- pressing the layers of the unbonded sandwich together using a source of pressure which provides a generally uniform pressure distribution across a top surface and a bottom surface of said unbonded sandwich;
- raising the temperature of the unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature of said bonding layer while maintaining pressure on said layers;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the layers of said unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- and
- maintaining the pressure on the unbonded sandwich while the temperature of the unbonded sandwich falls to a process completion temperature;
- wherein at least one of said layers includes a set of tiles with one or more joints between them and a flexible tape sealed to an edge of each tile and bridging said one or more joints to prevent solder from flowing from the backing plate surface into said one or more joints.
4 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a set of components of a sputtering target assembly assembled in an unbonded sandwich, said set of components includes at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer, said at least two layers being disposed adjacent to one another and not bonded to one another when assembled in said unbonded sandwich, wherein said components are assembled at a temperature below a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- pressing the layers of the unbonded sandwich together using a source of pressure which provides a generally uniform pressure distribution across a top surface and a bottom surface of said unbonded sandwich;
- raising the temperature of the unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature of said bonding layer while maintaining pressure on said layers;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the layers of said unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- and
- maintaining the pressure on the unbonded sandwich while the temperature of the unbonded sandwich falls to a process completion temperature;
- wherein during the steps of:
- providing, pressing, raising, maintaining the temperature, and maintaining the pressure;
- enclosing said components in a gas tight enclosure having a flexible wall, said enclosure containing a substantially inert gas environment.
6 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a set of components of a sputtering target assembly assembled in an unbonded sandwich, said set of components includes at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer, said at least two layers being disposed adjacent to one another and not bonded to one another when assembled in said unbonded sandwich, wherein said components are assembled at a temperature below a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- pressing the layers of the unbonded sandwich together using a source of pressure which provides a generally uniform pressure distribution across a top surface and a bottom surface of said unbonded sandwich;
- raising the temperature of the unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature of said bonding layer while maintaining pressure on said layers;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the layers of said unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- and
- maintaining the pressure on the unbonded sandwich while the temperature of the unbonded sandwich falls to a process completion temperature;
- wherein during the steps of:
- providing, pressing, raising, maintaining the temperature, and maintaining the pressure;
- enclosing said components in a gas tight enclosure having a flexible wall, said enclosure containing a substantially oxygen absorbing gas environment.
6 more elements
A method for producing a sputtering target assembly, comprising the steps of:
- providing a set of components of a sputtering target assembly assembled in an unbonded sandwich, said set of components includes at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich being separated by a bonding layer, said at least two layers being disposed adjacent to one another and not bonded to one another when assembled in said unbonded sandwich, wherein said components are assembled at a temperature below a bonding temperature of said bonding layer;
- pressing the layers of the unbonded sandwich together using a source of pressure which provides a generally uniform pressure distribution across a top surface and a bottom surface of said unbonded sandwich;
- raising the temperature of the unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature of said bonding layer while maintaining pressure on said layers;
- maintaining the temperature and pressure on the layers of said unbonded sandwich above said bonding temperature for the duration of a bond completion time;
- and
- maintaining the pressure on the unbonded sandwich while the temperature of the unbonded sandwich falls to a process completion temperature;
- wherein the step of providing the set of components includes providing the bonding layer, by placing a solder material in spaces between spacer members to form predominately alternating spacer and solder regions disposed to maintain a predefined clearance between at least two layers of said unbonded sandwich when the solder melts.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.