TWI672387B - Sputtering target and method for using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Sputtering target and method of using it. The sputtering target includes a back plate, a sputtering plate, and a protection unit. The back plate has an upper surface. The sputtering plate is disposed on the upper surface and has a sputtering plate edge. The protection unit is disposed on the upper surface and is adjacent to the edge of the sputtering plate.

Description

Sputtering target and its using method

The invention relates to a sputtering target and a method for using the same.

At present, sputtering is one of the methods used for the main deposition coating technology. Sputtering technology generally forms a plasma in a sputtering chamber. The plasma performs ion bombardment on a metal target, causing the metal atoms of the target to strike out, and the gas molecules are emitted to reach the desired deposition. After the gas molecules are sputtered by adhesion, adsorption, surface migration, nucleation, etc. on the substrate, a metal film with metal atoms is finally formed on the substrate. Sputtering technology is widely used in the fields of industrial production and scientific research. However, when a sputtering target is generally sputtered in a sputtering chamber, the edge of the backing plate corresponding to the sputtering plate is easily damaged by sputtering and must be reworked, such as sanding the depressions and filling them with sandpaper.

The invention relates to a sputtering target and a method for using the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a sputtering target is provided, which includes a back plate, a sputtering plate, and a protection unit. The back plate has an upper surface. The sputtering plate is disposed on the upper surface and has a sputtering plate edge. The protection unit is disposed on the upper surface and is adjacent to the edge of the sputtering plate.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for using a sputtering target is provided, which includes the following steps. The above sputtering target is provided, wherein the protection unit is detachably provided on the back plate.

In order to have a better understanding of the above and other aspects of the present invention, the following specific examples are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

In the following, some examples are used for illustration. It should be noted that this disclosure does not show all possible embodiments, and other implementations not proposed in this disclosure may also be applicable. Moreover, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual products. Therefore, the contents of the description and the drawings are only used to describe the embodiments, and not used to limit the scope of the disclosure. In addition, the descriptions in the embodiments, such as the detailed structure, process steps, and application of materials, are for illustration purposes only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure to be protected. The details of the steps and structures of the embodiments can be changed and modified according to the needs of the actual application process without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The following uses the same / similar symbols to indicate the same / similar components for explanation.

1A to 1D illustrate a method of using a sputtering target according to the concept of the first embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the provided back plate 308 has at least one notch 308A, and the notch 308A is recessed from the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308 to the inside. As shown in FIG. 1A, two notches 308A may be arranged, and the two notches 308A are separated from each other.

Referring to FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, at least one protection unit 326 is disposed in the notch 308A of the back plate 308, and then a sputtering plate 118 is disposed on the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308 and the protection unit 326. An embodiment The edges 118E of the sputtering plate 118 on opposite sides of the middle sputtering plate 118 respectively correspond to and contact the protection unit 326 in the notch 308A. The size of the notch 308A may be substantially equal to or slightly larger than the size of the protection unit 326. The width W1 of the protection unit 326 (for example, 90 mm to 190 mm) must be determined in accordance with the width of the back plate 308 and the sputtering plate 118 so as not to exceed the back plate. The width W of 308 is not less than the width W2 of the sputtering plate 118. For example, if the width W2 of the sputtering plate 118 is 90 mm, the width W1 of the protection unit 326 is not less than 90 mm. In one embodiment, the width W2 of the sputtering plate 118 is about 180 mm, and the width W of the back plate 308 is about 190 mm. Therefore, the width W1 of the protection unit 326 is between 180 mm and 190 mm. Therefore, the width W1 of the protection unit 326 is approximately The backplane has a width W of 47% to 100%. In one embodiment, the width W1 of the protection unit 326 is the same as the width W of the back plate 308.

The material of the sputtering plate 118 may depend on the material of the thin film to be deposited on the substrate, such as metal or oxide. The materials of the back plate 308 and the sputtering plate 118 may be the same or different. In one embodiment, the material of the back plate 308 is metal such as aluminum, titanium, or copper, and the material of the sputtering plate 118 is metal such as aluminum, titanium, or copper, or indium tin oxide. In one embodiment, the material of the back plate 308 is copper, and the material of the sputtering plate 118 is aluminum.

The material of the protection unit 326 may be the same or different from the back plate 308. For example, the material of the protection unit 326 may include, but is not limited to, metals such as copper, titanium, and aluminum, or other suitable materials.

Please refer to FIG. 1D again, the length L of the protection unit 326 is about 90-150mm, and the length L1 of the back plate 308 is about 3000mm. Therefore, the length L of the protection unit 326 accounts for about 3% of the length L1 of the back plate 308 to 5%; the height H of the protection unit 326 is about 0.1-4mm, such as 2mm, and the height H1 of the back plate 308 is about 10-20mm, such as 16mm. Therefore, the height H of the protection unit 326 occupies about the height H1 of the back plate 308. 0.5% to 20%, such as 12.5%, that is, the protection unit 326 will not penetrate the entire back plate 308, and will not contact the back surface 308 without the lower surface 308B of the sputter plate 118, where the lower surface 308B is parallel to the upper surface 308S And relative.

As shown, the two protection units 326 can be separated from each other by a back plate 308. In one embodiment, the protection unit 326 may be fixed to the back plate 308 by using a fixing member (not shown). The fixing member may include, but is not limited to, screws, plugs, adhesives (such as metal adhesives, solders, etc.) and the like. In this embodiment, the upper surface 326S of the protection unit 326 exposed from the notch 308A may be substantially aligned with the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308. In this embodiment, the two protection units 326 are exposed from the upper surface 326S of the notch 308A. The area occupies about 3 ~ 10% of the total area of the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308, such as 6%. The total volume of the two protection units 326 accounts for about 0.5 ~ 3% of the total volume of the backplane 308, for example, 0.75%.

Please refer to FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D, where FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view taken along line EF shown in FIG. 1C. The sputter plate 118 may be fixed to the back plate 308 by using a bonding member (not shown), so that the sputtering target 320 is assembled.

In one embodiment, the back plate 308 includes an upper back plate and a lower back plate (not shown), and the protection unit 326 and the supporting sputtering plate 118 are disposed on the upper back plate.

In one embodiment, a cooling pipe or a magnetic substance may be selectively disposed in the back plate 308.

In the embodiment, the protection unit 326 may be disposed in a region where the backing plate 308 may be impacted when the sputtering target 320 is performed in the sputtering chamber, for example, the sputtering is disposed adjacent to the opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118. The plate edge 118E can prevent the back plate 308 from being damaged by impact. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118 may be respectively overlapped with a part of the protection unit 326. For example, the protection unit 326 includes a first protection portion 330 and a second protection portion 332 connected to each other. The first protection portion 330 is exposed outside the sputtering plate 118, and the second protection portion 332 carries the sputtering plate 118 and is connected to the sputtering plate 118. The shooting plate 118 overlaps. From the top view, the first protection portion 330 of the protection unit 326 is exposed from the sputtering plate edge 118E of the sputtering plate 118 outside the sputtering plate 118, and the second protection portion 332 contacts the sputtering plate 118 and is sputtered. Covered by plate 118. In the embodiment, the protection unit 326 can be used to avoid the problem that the back plate 308 disposed below it is damaged by the sputtering impact during the sputtering process.

In the embodiment, the sputtering target 320 may be disassembled. The disassembly method includes removing the sputtering plate 118 from the back plate 308. The protection unit 326 can also be removed from the back plate 308. In the embodiment, after the protection unit 326 is damaged by being impacted by the sputtering process, the protection unit 426 can be directly replaced without the need to rework the backing plate 308. For example, the depressions are sanded and filled with sandpaper, and there is no need to replace them. The entire backplane 308 can reduce manufacturing costs, and the method of replacing the protection unit 326 is simple and fast, which can improve process efficiency. 2A to 2C illustrate a method of using a sputtering target according to the concept of the second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the protection unit 426 is disposed in the notch 308A of the back plate 308. The structure of the backplane 308 and the method of configuring the protection unit 426 can be similarly disclosed with reference to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, the protection unit 426 includes a first protection portion 430 and a second protection portion 332. The difference from the first embodiment is that the first protection portion 430 has a convex portion 430U, and the convex portion 430U is protruding from the back. The upper surface 308S of the plate 308 and the second protection portion 332.

Please refer to FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, where FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along line GH shown in FIG. 2B. The sputtering plate 118 is arranged on the back plate 308 and the protection unit 426, and the sputter plate 118 can be fixed to the back plate 308 by using a bonding member (not shown), thereby assembling the sputtering target 420. In one embodiment, the height H ′ of the convex portion 430U is lower than the height H2 of the sputtering plate 118, and is parallel to the sputtering plate 118. For example, the sputtering plate 118 has a sputtering plate side 118W. The convex portion 430U of the first protection portion 430 of the protection unit 426 has a protection portion side surface 430W. The side 118W of the sputtering plate and the side 430W of the protection portion face each other or directly contact each other, and may have complementary shapes. In this embodiment, the height of the side 118W of the sputtering plate is about 20mm, and the height of the side 430W of the protection portion is about 0.1-2mm. For example 2mm. The convex portion 430U protruding from the back plate 308 can be used to assist the positioning of the opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118, and can reduce the damage caused by the impact of the back plate 308 during the sputtering process, and is easy to replace, thereby extending the life of the back plate 308. . In this embodiment, the safety ratio of the height H 'of the convex portion 430U to the height H2 of the sputtering plate 118 is further limited to 10% or less, in order to avoid the convex portion 430U and the rule above the sputtering plate 118 during the sputtering process. Collision.

3A to 3D illustrate a method of using a sputtering target according to the concept of the third embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3A, in this embodiment, the back plate 408 has a notch 408A, and the notch 408A is recessed from the upper surface 408S of the back plate 408 to the inside.

Please refer to FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C, where FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram after cross-section taken along line IJ shown in FIG. 3B. The structure of the back plate 408 and the method of configuring the protection unit 426 can be similarly disclosed with reference to FIGS. 1A to 2A, and will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, at least one intermediate protection unit 526 is further disposed between the two protection units 426, that is, one intermediate protection unit 526 is connected to the two protection units 426. In this embodiment, the width W3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 is based on the width W2 of the back plate 408 and not less than the width W2 of the sputtering plate 118 (as shown in FIG. 3D). The protection unit 526 includes a first protection portion. 530 and a second protection portion 532, where the first protection portion 530 has a convex portion 530U, the convex portion 530U is protruding from the upper surface 408S of the back plate 408, and the height H of the convex portions 530U of the two first protection portions 530 '' It is lower than the height H2 of the sputtering plate 118 and is juxtaposed with the sputtering plate 118. For example, the sputtering plate 118 has a sputtering plate side 118W. In one embodiment, the height of the side 118W of the sputtering plate is about 20 mm, and the height H ″ of the convex portion 530U is 0.1-2 mm, for example, 2 mm.

In an embodiment, the heights H ″ of the convex portions 530U of the two first protection portions 530 are equal to the heights H ′ of the convex portions 430U of the adjacent protection units 426, respectively. The height H3 is also equal to the height H of the protection unit 426, so that the protection unit 426 and the intermediate protection unit 526 jointly define the protection unit accommodation space 540.

Please refer to FIGS. 3B and 3D. In this embodiment, the width W4 of the second protection portion 532 is equal to or slightly larger than the width W2 of the sputtering plate 118, so that the convex portion 530U of the first protection portion 530 can abut the splash. The side of the shooting plate 118.

Referring to FIG. 3D, the sputtering plate 118 is disposed on the back plate 408, and is correspondingly placed in the protection portion accommodating space 540 formed by the protection unit 426 and the intermediate protection unit 526. Further, a bonding member (not shown) ) The sputtering plate 118 is fixed to the back plate 408, so that the sputtering target 520 is assembled, so that the protection unit 426 and the intermediate protection unit 526 surround all the sputtering plate edges 118E of the sputtering plate 118, and the convex portion 430U can be used. The 530U auxiliary sputtering plate 118 is positioned in the protection portion accommodating space 540, and the second protection portions 332, 532 substantially correspond to the bottom of the sputtering plate 118.

In one embodiment, the number of the intermediate protection units 526 or the length L3 of the intermediate protection units 526 depends on the length L1 of the back plate 408 and the length L2 of the sputtering plate 18. In this embodiment, the length L2 of the sputtering plate 118 Approximately 2650mm, the length L1 of the back plate 408 is approximately 3000mm, the length L3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 is approximately 90mm to 3000mm, and the number of the configuration of the intermediate protection unit 526 can also be appropriately increased or decreased depending on the length L3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 Adjustment.

In one embodiment, the length L3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 accounts for about 3% to 100% of the length L1 of the back plate 408. In one embodiment, the total area of the upper surface 526S of the intermediate protection unit 526 exposed from the notch 408A accounts for about 6% to 90% of the total area of the upper surface 408S of the back plate 408. The protection unit 426 and the intermediate protection unit 526 jointly prevent the problem that the back plate 408 is damaged due to sputtering consumption during the sputtering process, in order to further extend the service life of the back plate 408, and the method of installing and replacing the middle protection unit 526 As simple and fast as the previous embodiment.

It should be particularly noted that the intermediate protection unit 526 and the protection units 426 on both sides thereof may also define the protection space 540 for the integral structure, and the length of the integral protection unit (not shown) is between the back The length L1 of the plate 408 and the length L2 of the sputtering plate 118 are about 2650mm-3000mm, that is, no longer than the length L1 of the back plate 408. The length of the integrated protection unit (not shown) accounts for about 88% to 100% of the length L1 of the back plate 408, for example, 90%.

Therefore, the sputtering target according to the concept of the present disclosure can also be arbitrarily adjusted in structural design according to actual needs. For example, the protection unit may be appropriately adjusted and configured according to the sputtering consumption distribution when the sputtering process is actually performed in the sputtering chamber according to the sputtering target. As shown in the third embodiment, the number of intermediate protection units may be adjusted. For three, four, or more, it is adjusted according to the length of the back plate or the sputtering plate, or it is arranged at other positions on the sputtering plate, or has other shapes and sizes.

In summary, although the present invention has been disclosed as above with the embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

308, 408‧‧‧ backplane

308A, 408A‧‧‧notch

308S, 326S, 408S, 526S‧‧‧upper surface

118‧‧‧Sputtered Plate

118E‧‧‧Edge of sputtering plate

118W‧‧‧Side of sputter plate

118S‧‧‧Sputtered surface

320, 420, 520‧‧‧ sputtering targets

326, 426‧‧‧ Protection Unit

330, 430, 530‧‧‧ First Protection Department

332, 532‧‧‧Second Protection Department

526‧‧‧Intermediate protection unit

540‧‧‧Protection space

430U, 530U‧‧‧ convex

430W‧‧‧side of protection

W, W1, W2, W3‧‧‧Width

L, L1, L2, L3‧‧‧Width

H, H ', H' ', H1, H2, H3 ‧‧‧ height

1A to 1D illustrate a method of using a sputtering target according to the concept of the first embodiment. 2A to 2C illustrate a method of using a sputtering target according to the concept of the second embodiment. 3A to 3D illustrate a method of using a sputtering target according to the concept of the third embodiment.

Claims (10)

A sputtering target material includes: a back plate having an upper surface; a sputtering plate provided on the upper surface and having a sputtering plate edge and a bottom surface; and a protection unit provided on the upper surface On the surface, there is an upper surface adjacent to the edge of the sputtering plate, wherein the bottom surface of the sputtering plate directly contacts the upper surface of the protection unit in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the back plate. The sputtering target as described in item 1 of the patent application range, wherein the upper surface has at least one notch, and the protection unit is detachably disposed in the at least one notch. The sputtering target as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the back plate has two notches, the two notches are arranged on the upper surface of the back plate spaced apart from each other, the two notches are respectively Corresponding to the opposite sides of the sputtering plate, the two notches are individually provided with the protection unit. The sputtering target material as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the material of the sputtering plate is metal or oxide, or the material of the back plate is metal. The sputtering target as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the protection unit satisfies at least one structural feature selected from the following (1) to (10): (1) The material of the protection unit is metal; ( 2) The height of the protection unit is between 0.1mm and 4mm; (3) The width of the protection unit is between 90mm and 190mm; (4) The length of the protection unit is between 90mm and 3000mm; (5) The width of the protection unit Not less than the width of the sputtering plate and not more than the width of the back plate; (6) the length of the protection unit is not more than the length of the back plate; (7) the height of the protection unit accounts for 0.5% of the height of the back plate To 20%; (8) the width of the protection unit accounts for 47% to 100% of the width of the backplane; (9) the length of the protection unit accounts for 3% to 100% of the length of the backplane; (10) the The protection unit has a protection part side, and the sputtering plate has a sputtering side, the sputtering side and the protection part side face or directly contact each other, and have complementary shapes. The sputtering target as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein the protection unit includes a first protection part and a second protection part, the first protection part or the second protection part satisfying at least one selected from the following (1)~(3) Structural features: (1) The first protection part is exposed to the sputtering plate, and the second protection part rides on and overlaps the sputtering plate; (2) The first A protection part is connected to the second protection part; (3) the first protection part has a convex part, the convex part protrudes from the back plate and juxtaposes the sputtering plate, or the height of the convex part is lower than the The height of the sputtering plate. The sputtering target described in item 1 of the patent application further includes a fixing member for fixing the protection unit to the backplane, wherein the fixing member includes screws, plugs, or adhesive. The sputtering target described in item 1 of the patent application scope further includes an intermediate protection unit, wherein the intermediate protection unit includes a first protection part and a second protection part, and the intermediate protection unit satisfies at least one item selected from The following structural features of (1) to (7): (1) The intermediate protection unit is placed between the two protection units; (2) The first protection part is exposed to the sputtering plate, and the second protection part is carried The sputtering plate overlaps with the sputtering plate; (2) The first protection portion is connected to the second protection portion; (4) The first protection portion has a convex portion, the convex portion protruding from the back Plate and the sputter plate in parallel, or the height of the convex portion is lower than the height of the sputter plate; (5) the width of the second protection portion is equal to or slightly larger than the width of the sputter plate; (6) the intermediate protection The length of the unit accounts for 3% to 100% of the length of the backplane; (7) The intermediate protection unit is detachably provided on the backplane. A method for using a sputtering target includes providing the sputtering target as described in any one of items 1 to 8 of the patent application range, wherein the protection unit is detachably provided on the back plate. The method of using a sputtering target as described in item 9 of the scope of the patent application further includes removing the protection unit from the back plate after the protection unit is consumed by sputtering.