Sputtering targets and their application methods

Abstract

Sputtering target and method of using the same. 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 sputtering plate edge. The technical solution of the present invention prevents the back plate from being damaged by sputtering consumption during the sputtering process by using a protection unit and an intermediate protection unit to further extend the service life of the back plate, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, and the method of replacing the protection unit is simple and fast, which can improve process efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a sputtering target and a use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, sputtering technology is one of the main deposition coating technologies. Sputtering technology generally forms plasma in a sputtering chamber. The plasma will perform ion bombardment on the metal target material, causing the metal atoms of the target material to be knocked out and forming gas molecules to be emitted to the substrate to be deposited. After the gas molecules undergo sputtering effects such as attachment, adsorption, surface migration, and nucleation, they eventually form a metal film with metal atoms on the substrate. Sputtering technology is widely used in industrial production and scientific research. However, when a general sputtering target material is subjected to a sputtering process in a sputtering chamber, the edge of the back plate corresponding to the sputtering plate is easily damaged by sputtering and needs to be reworked, such as grinding the concave area with sandpaper and filling it. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to a sputtering target and a use method thereof.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sputtering target is provided, which includes a backing plate, a sputtering plate, and a protection unit. The backing plate has an upper surface. The sputtering plate is arranged on the upper surface and has a sputtering plate edge. The protection unit is arranged on the upper surface and adjacent to the sputtering plate edge.

[0005] In one embodiment, the upper surface has at least one notch, and the protection unit is detachably disposed in the at least one notch.

[0006] In one embodiment, the back plate has two recesses, the two recesses are spaced apart from each other and are disposed on the upper surface of the back plate, the two recesses respectively correspond to opposite sides of the sputtering plate, and the two recesses are both provided with the protection unit.

[0007] In one embodiment, the sputtering plate is made of metal or oxide, or the backing plate is made of metal.

[0008] In one embodiment, the protection unit satisfies at least one structural feature selected from the following (1) to (10):

[0009] (1) The material of the protection unit is metal;

[0010] (2) The height of the protection unit is between 0.1 mm and 4 mm;

[0011] (3) The width of the protection unit is between 90 mm and 190 mm;

[0012] (4) The length of the protection unit is between 90 mm and 3000 mm;

[0013] (5) The width of the protection unit is not less than the width of the sputtering plate and not greater than the width of the back plate;

[0014] (6) The length of the protection unit is not greater than the length of the back plate;

[0015] (7) The height of the protection unit accounts for 0.5% to 20% of the height of the back plate;

[0016] (8) The width of the protection unit accounts for 47% to 100% of the width of the back plate;

[0017] (9) The length of the protection unit accounts for 3% to 100% of the length of the back plate;

[0018] (10) The protection unit has a protection portion side surface, and the sputtering plate has a sputtering side surface. The sputtering side surface and the protection portion side surface face each other or directly contact each other and have complementary shapes.

[0019] In one embodiment, the protection unit includes a first protection portion and a second protection portion, and the first protection portion or the second protection portion satisfies at least one structural feature selected from the following (1) to (3):

[0020] (1) The first protection portion is exposed from the sputtering plate, and the second protection portion carries the sputtering plate and overlaps with the sputtering plate;

[0021] (2) The first protection portion is connected to the second protection portion;

[0022] (3) The first protection portion has a convex portion, the convex portion protrudes from the back plate and is parallel to the sputtering plate, or the height of the convex portion is lower than the height of the sputtering plate.

[0023] In one embodiment, a fixing member is further included to fix the protection unit to the back plate, wherein the fixing member includes a screw, a bolt, or an adhesive.

[0024] In one embodiment, an intermediate protection unit is further included, wherein the intermediate protection unit includes a first protection portion and a second protection portion, and the intermediate protection unit satisfies at least one structural feature selected from the following (1) to (7):

[0025] (1) The intermediate protection unit is placed between the two protection units;

[0026] (2) the first protection portion is exposed from the sputtering plate, and the second protection portion carries the sputtering plate and overlaps with the sputtering plate;

[0027] (3) The first protection portion is connected to the second protection portion;

[0028] (4) the first protection portion has a convex portion, the convex portion protrudes from the back plate and is parallel to the sputtering plate, or the height of the convex portion is lower than the height of the sputtering plate;

[0029] (5) The width of the second protection portion is equal to or slightly larger than the width of the sputtering plate;

[0030] (6) The length of the intermediate protection unit accounts for 3% to 100% of the length of the back plate;

[0031] (7) The intermediate protection unit is detachably disposed on the back plate.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for using a sputtering target is provided, which includes the following steps: The sputtering target is provided, wherein the protection unit is detachably disposed on a backing plate.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method further includes moving the protection unit out of the back plate after the protection unit is consumed by sputtering.

[0034] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0035] The technical solution of the present invention prevents the back plate from being damaged by sputtering during the sputtering process through the protection unit and the intermediate protection unit, so as to further extend the service life of the back plate, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. The method of replacing the protection unit is simple and fast, which can improve the process efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figures 1A to 1D A method for using a sputtering target according to the concept of a first embodiment is shown.

[0037] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C A method for using a sputtering target according to the concept of the second embodiment is shown.

[0038] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D A method for using a sputtering target according to the concept of a third embodiment is shown.

[0039] Wherein, the reference numerals are:

[0040] 308, 408: Back panel

[0041] 308A, 408A: Notch

[0042] 308S, 326S, 408S, 526S: Top surface

[0043] 118: Sputtering plate

[0044] 118E: Splash plate edge

[0045] 118W: Sputtering plate side

[0046] 118S: Sputtered surface

[0047] 320, 420, 520: Sputtering targets

[0048] 326, 426: Protection unit

[0049] 330, 430, 530: First protection unit

[0050] 332, 532: Second Protection Department

[0051] 526: Intermediate protection unit

[0052] 540: Protection unit storage space

[0053] 430U, 530U: convex part

[0054] 430W: Side of protection part

[0055] W, W1, W2, W3: Width

[0056] L, L1, L2, L3: Width

[0057] H, H', H", H1, H2, H3: Height DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] The following are some examples for illustration. It should be noted that the present invention does not show all possible embodiments, and other embodiments not proposed in the present invention may also be applicable. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are not drawn in proportion to the actual product. Therefore, the description and the illustrations are only used to describe the embodiments, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, the descriptions in the embodiments, such as detailed structures, process steps and material applications, etc., are only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. The steps and structural details of the embodiments can be changed and modified according to the actual application process requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following is an illustration of the same / similar elements represented by the same / similar symbols.

[0059] Figures 1A to 1D A method for using a sputtering target according to the concept of a first embodiment is shown.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 1A The back plate 308 provided has at least one notch 308A, and the notch 308A is recessed from the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308 toward the inside. Figure 1A As shown, two notches 308A may be provided, and the two notches 308A are separated from each other.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 1B and Figure 1C, at least one protection unit 326 is arranged in the recess 308A of the back plate 308, and then the sputtering plate 118 is arranged on the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308 and the protection unit 326. In one embodiment, the sputtering plate edges 118E on opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118 correspond to and contact the protection unit 326 in the recess 308A. The size of the recess 308A can be substantially equal to or slightly larger than the size of the protection unit 326. The width W1 of the protection unit 326 (e.g., 90 mm to 190 mm) must be determined in accordance with the width of the back plate 308 and the sputtering plate 118, and is not greater than the width W of the back plate 308 and 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, so the width W1 of the protection unit 326 is between 180 mm and 190 mm. Therefore, the width W1 of the protection unit 326 accounts for about 47% to 100% of the width W of the back plate. In one embodiment, the width W1 of the protection unit 326 is the same as the width W of the back plate 308.

[0062] The material of the sputtering plate 118 may be determined based on the material of the thin film to be deposited on the substrate, such as a metal or an oxide. The material 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 a metal such as aluminum, titanium or copper, and the material of the sputtering plate 118 is a 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.

[0063] The material of the protection unit 326 may be the same as 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, aluminum, or other suitable materials.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 1D As shown, the length L of the protection unit 326 is approximately 90-150 mm, and the length L1 of the back plate 308 is approximately 3000 mm. Therefore, the length L of the protection unit 326 accounts for approximately 3% to 5% of the length L1 of the back plate 308; the height H of the protection unit 326 is approximately 0.1-4 mm, for example, 2 mm, and the height H1 of the back plate 308 is approximately 10-20 mm, for example, 16 mm. Therefore, the height H of the protection unit 326 accounts for approximately 0.5% to 20%, for example, 12.5%, of the height H1 of the back plate 308, that is, the protection unit 326 will not penetrate the entire back plate 308, nor will it contact the lower surface 308B of the back plate 308 that does not support the sputtering plate 118, wherein the lower surface 308B is parallel and opposite to the upper surface 308S.

[0065] As shown, the two protection units 326 may be separated from each other by the back plate 308. In one embodiment, the protection unit 326 may be fixed to the back plate 308 using a fixing member (not shown). The fixing member may include, but is not limited to, screws, plugs, adhesives (e.g., metal adhesives, solder, etc.), etc. 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 total area of ​​the upper surfaces 326S of the two protection units 326 exposed from the notch 308A accounts for approximately 3-10% of the total area of ​​the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308, for example, 6%. The total volume of the two protection units 326 accounts for approximately 0.5-3% of the total volume of the back plate 308, for example, 0.75%.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 1C and Figure 1D ,in Figure 1D is along Figure 1C The cross-sectional view is shown along line EF. The sputtering plate 118 may be fixed to the backing plate 308 by a bonding member (not shown), thereby completing the assembly of the sputtering target 320 .

[0067] 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 sputtering plate 118 are disposed on the upper back plate.

[0068] In one embodiment, a cooling pipeline or a magnetic material may be selectively disposed in the back plate 308 .

[0069] In an embodiment, the protection unit 326 may be disposed in an area where the back plate 308 may be impacted when the sputtering target 320 is subjected to a sputtering process in the sputtering chamber, for example, disposed in the sputtering plate edge 118E adjacent to opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118, so as to prevent the back plate 308 from being damaged by the impact. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118 may overlap with a portion 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, wherein the first protection portion 330 is exposed outside the sputtering plate 118, and the second protection portion 332 carries the sputtering plate 118 and overlaps with the sputtering plate 118. From the top view, the first protection portion 330 of the protection unit 326 is exposed outside the sputtering plate 118 from the sputtering plate edge 118E of the sputtering plate 118, and the second protection portion 332 contacts the sputtering plate 118 and is covered by the sputtering plate 118. In an embodiment, the protection unit 326 can be used to prevent the backing plate 308 disposed thereunder from being damaged by the sputtering impact during the sputtering process.

[0070] In an embodiment, the sputtering target 320 can be disassembled. The disassembly method includes removing the sputtering plate 118 from the backing plate 308. The protection unit 326 can also be removed from the backing plate 308. In an embodiment, after the protection unit 326 is damaged by the impact during the sputtering process, only the protection unit 426 can be replaced directly without reworking the backing plate 308, such as grinding the concave part with sandpaper and filling it, and without replacing the entire backing plate 308, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the method of replacing the protection unit 326 is simple and fast, which can improve the process efficiency. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C A method for using a sputtering target according to the concept of the second embodiment is shown.

[0071] Please refer to Figure 2A , configure the protection unit 426 to the recess 308A of the back plate 308. The structure of the back plate 308 and the method of configuring the protection unit 426 can be similarly referred to Figure 1A and Figure 1B In this embodiment, the protection unit 426 includes a first protection portion 430 and a second protection portion 332 , which is different from the first embodiment in that the first protection portion 430 has a protrusion 430U protruding from the upper surface 308S of the back plate 308 and the second protection portion 332 .

[0072] Please refer to Figure 2B and Figure 2C ,in Figure 2C is along Figure 2B The cross-sectional view is shown along the GH line shown. The sputtering plate 118 is configured on the back plate 308 and the protection unit 426, and the sputtering plate 118 can be fixed to the back plate 308 using a joint (not shown), thereby assembling the sputtering target 420. In one embodiment, the height H' of the protrusion 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 protrusion 430U of the first protection portion 430 of the protection unit 426 has a protection portion side 430W. The sputtering plate side 118W and the protection portion side 430W face each other or directly contact each other, and can have complementary shapes. In this embodiment, the height of the sputtering plate side 118W is approximately 20 mm, and the height of the protection portion side 430W is approximately 0.1-2 mm, for example, 2 mm. The protrusion 430U protrudes from the back plate 308 to assist in positioning the two opposite sides of the sputtering plate 118, and to reduce the damage of the back plate 308 caused by the impact during the sputtering process, and is easy to replace, thereby extending the service life of the back plate 308. In this embodiment, the height H' of the protrusion 430U is further limited to a safe ratio of less than 10% of the height H2 of the sputtering plate 118, so as to avoid the collision between the protrusion 430U and the jig located above the sputtering plate 118 during the sputtering process.

[0073] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D A method for using a sputtering target according to the concept of a third embodiment is shown.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 3A In this embodiment, the back plate 408 has a recess 408A, and the recess 408A is recessed inward from the upper surface 408S of the back plate 408.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 3B and Figure 3C ,in Figure 3C is along Figure 3B The structure of the back plate 408 and the method of configuring the protection unit 426 can be similarly referred to in Figures 1A to 2A The disclosed contents are not repeated here. In this embodiment, at least one intermediate protection unit 526 is further arranged between the two protection units 426, that is, one intermediate protection unit 526 connects the two protection units 426. In this embodiment, the width W3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 is not greater than the width W of the back plate 408 and is not less than the width W2 of the sputtering plate 118 (such as Figure 3D ), the protection unit 526 includes a first protection portion 530 and a second protection portion 532, wherein the first protection portion 530 has a protrusion 530U, the protrusion 530U protrudes from the upper surface 408S of the back plate 408, and the height H" of the protrusions 530U of the two first protection portions 530 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. In one embodiment, the height of the sputtering plate side 118W is approximately 20 mm, and the height H" of the protrusion 530U is 0.1-2 mm, for example, 2 mm.

[0076] In one embodiment, the height H” of the protrusions 530U of the two first protection portions 530 is respectively equal to the height H′ of the protrusions 430U of the adjacent protection units 426, and the height H3 of the second protection portion 532 of the protection unit 526 is also equal to the height H of the protection unit 426, so that the protection unit 426 and the middle protection unit 526 jointly define the protection portion accommodating space 540.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 3B , 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 protrusion 530U of the first protection portion 530 can abut against the side surface of the sputtering plate 118 .

[0078] Please refer to Figure 3D, the sputtering plate 118 is configured 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. The sputtering plate 118 can be fixed to the back plate 408 by a jointer (not shown), thereby completing the assembly of the sputtering target 520, 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 protrusions 430U and 530U can be used to assist the sputtering plate 118 in being positioned in the protection portion accommodating space 540, and the second protection portions 332 and 532 can substantially correspond to the bottom of the sputtering plate 118.

[0079] In one embodiment, the number of intermediate protection units 526 or the length L3 of the intermediate protection units 526 is determined by 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 is approximately 2650 mm, the length L1 of the back plate 408 is approximately 3000 mm, and the length L3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 is approximately 90 mm to 3000 mm. The number of intermediate protection units 526 can also be appropriately increased or decreased depending on the length L3 of the intermediate protection unit 526.

[0080] In one embodiment, the length L3 of the intermediate protection unit 526 is approximately 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 is approximately 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 prevent the back plate 408 from being damaged by sputtering during the sputtering process, thereby further extending the service life of the back plate 408. The method of installing and replacing the intermediate protection unit 526 is as simple and fast as the previous embodiment.

[0081] It should be particularly noted that the middle protection unit 526 and the protection units 426 on both sides thereof may also be integrally formed to define the protection portion accommodating space 540, and the length of the integrally formed protection unit (not shown) is between the length L1 of the back plate 408 and the length L2 of the sputtering plate 118, which is approximately 2650 mm-3000 mm, i.e., not greater than the length L1 of the back plate 408. The length of the integrally formed protection unit (not shown) is approximately 88% to 100%, for example, 90%, of the length L1 of the back plate 408.

[0082] Therefore, the sputtering target according to the concept of the present invention can also be arbitrarily adjusted in structure design according to actual needs. For example, the protection unit can be appropriately adjusted and configured according to the distribution of the back plate that may be consumed by sputtering when the sputtering target is actually in the sputtering chamber. As shown in the third embodiment above, the number of intermediate protection units can be 3, 4, or more, and can be appropriately adjusted according to the length of the back plate or sputtering plate, or configured at other positions of the sputtering plate, or have other shapes and sizes.

[0083] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, technicians familiar with the field may make various corresponding changes and deformations based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and deformations should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sputtering target, characterized in that: The sputtering target includes: a back plate; a sputtering plate disposed on an upper surface of the backing plate and having a sputtering plate edge; A protection unit is disposed in at least one recess of the back plate and adjacent to the edge of the sputtering plate, wherein an upper surface of the protection unit is flush with the upper surface of the back plate and contacts the sputtering plate; the protection unit includes a first protection portion and a second protection portion, the first protection portion is exposed from the sputtering plate, and the second protection portion carries the sputtering plate and overlaps with the sputtering plate; wherein the protection unit is removably disposed in the at least one recess of the back plate.

2. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein The back plate has two notches, the two notches respectively correspond to the opposite sides of the sputtering plate, and the two notches are both provided with the protection unit.

3. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein The sputtering plate is made of metal or oxide, or the back plate is made of metal.

4. The sputtering target according to claim 1, 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 0.1 mm and 4 mm; (3) The width of the protection unit is between 90 mm and 190 mm; (4) The length of the protection unit is between 90 mm and 3000 mm; (5) The width of the protection unit is not less than the width of the sputtering plate and not greater than the width of the back plate; (6) The length of the protection unit is not greater than the length of the back plate; (7) The height of the protection unit accounts for 0.5% to 20% of the height of the back plate; (8) The width of the protection unit accounts for 47% to 100% of the width of the back plate; (9) The length of the protection unit accounts for 3% to 100% of the length of the back plate; (10) The protection unit has a protection portion side surface, and the sputtering plate has a sputtering plate side surface. The sputtering plate side surface and the protection portion side surface face each other or directly contact each other and have complementary shapes.

5. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein: The first protection portion or the second protection portion satisfies at least one structural feature selected from the following (1) to (2): (1) The first protection portion is connected to the second protection portion; (2) The first protection portion has a convex portion, the convex portion protrudes from the back plate and is parallel to the sputtering plate, or the height of the convex portion is lower than the height of the sputtering plate.

6. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein: The invention further comprises a fixing member for fixing the protection unit to the back plate, wherein the fixing member comprises a screw, a bolt, or an adhesive.

7. A method for using a sputtering target, characterized in that: The invention comprises setting a protection unit in a recess of a back plate, and then setting a sputtering plate on an upper surface of the back plate, wherein the protection unit is adjacent to a sputtering plate edge of the sputtering plate, and the protection unit is removably set in the recess of the back plate; the protection unit comprises a first protection part and a second protection part, the first protection part is exposed from the sputtering plate, and the second protection part carries the sputtering plate and overlaps with the sputtering plate.

8. The method for using the sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein: The method further includes moving the protection unit out of the back plate after the protection unit is consumed by sputtering.

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