Dual-Skirt Sputtering Target for Lower Precious Metal Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sputtering targets with outer skirts made of the same high-purity precious metal as the target insert are costly and prone to film contamination due to ion beam contact, leading to increased costs and impurities in the deposited film.
Innovation Solution
A sputtering target design featuring a primary skirt made of high-purity precious metal and a secondary skirt made of a less expensive metal, bonded together to secure the target insert while minimizing contamination and reducing overall precious metal content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the outer skirt is made of high-purity precious metal to prevent film contamination, then the film purity is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The skirt is divided into two distinct parts: an inner skirt made of high-purity precious metal that faces the ion beam and protects the target insert, and an outer skirt made of less expensive material that provides structural support. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall precious metal usage while maintaining film purity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the skirt structure are assigned different material qualities based on their functional requirements. The inner skirt region exposed to the ion beam uses high-purity precious metal to prevent contamination, while the outer skirt region not exposed to the beam uses lower-cost material for structural support, optimizing both performance and cost.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the outer skirt is made of the same precious metal as the target insert to prevent contamination, then the film composition is improved, but the overall cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The skirt structure is segmented into an inner skirt made of precious metal and an outer skirt made of less expensive material. This allows the precious metal to be used only where necessary for composition stability, while reducing overall precious metal consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The skirt is constructed as a composite structure combining two different materials: high-purity precious metal for the inner portion and lower-cost material for the outer portion. This composite approach maintains film composition stability where needed while reducing overall material cost.
3Reliability
If the ion beam contacts the skirt to secure the target insert, then the target positioning is improved, but film contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The skirt is divided into an inner skirt that interfaces with the ion beam for secure target positioning and an outer skirt that provides additional structural support. The inner skirt is specifically designed to be exposed to the ion beam, ensuring reliable positioning while containing contamination to a minimal area.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner skirt made of precious metal acts as a sacrificial component that may become contaminated or eroded during operation. This allows the target insert to be securely positioned and maintained while the inner skirt absorbs the harmful effects, protecting the overall system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The dual-skirt configuration effectively secures the target insert, reduces film contamination, and lowers overall precious metal usage, maintaining deposition rate and film uniformity across the substrate.
Implementation Method 1
One type of sputtering is ion beam bombardment sputtering, in which a high energy source of ions is directed toward a target source (target insert). The force of the bombardment of ions imparts sufficient energy to the atoms of the target source to cause the energized atoms to leave the target source (sputter), form a particle flux, and deposit a thin film on a substrate.
Implementation Method 2
The primary skirt is bonded, e.g., via soldering or diffusion bonding, to the secondary skirt.
Data Source
AI summary
A sputtering target comprising a target insert comprising a target metal compound and a skirt structure including a primary skirt and a secondary skirt. The primary skirt is disposed adjacent least a portion of a secondary skirt and comprises a first metal compound. The secondary skirt comprises a second metal compound that is different from the first metal compound.