Abstract: A class of alloys is provided that form metallic glass upon cooling below the glass transition temperature Tg at a rate below 100° K/sec. The alloys have a high value of temperature difference (DT) between the crystallization temperature (Tx) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the intermetallic alloy. Such alloys comprise zirconium in the range of 70 to 80 weight percent, beryllium in the range of 0.8 to 5 weight percent, copper in the range of 1 to 15 weight percent, nickel in the range of 1 to 15 weight percent, aluminum in the range of 1 to 5 weight percent and niobium in the range of 0.5 to 3 weight percent, or narrower ranges depending on other alloying elements and the critical cooling rate and value of DT desired. Furthermore, methods are provided for making such metallic glasses.

Abstract: A class of alloys is provided that form metallic glass upon cooling below the glass transition temperature Tg at a rate below 100° K/sec. The alloys have a high value of temperature difference (DT) between the crystallization temperature (Tx) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the intermetallic alloy. Such alloys comprise zirconium in the range of 70 to 80 weight percent, beryllium in the range of 0.8 to 5 weight percent, copper in the range of 1 to 15 weight percent, nickel in the range of 1 to 15 weight percent, aluminum in the range of 1 to 5 weight percent and niobium in the range of 0.5 to 3 weight percent, or narrower ranges depending on other alloying elements and the critical cooling rate and value of DT desired. Furthermore, methods are provided for making such metallic glasses.

Abstract: A recycled deposition source is ruthenium (Ru) or Ru-based alloy material in the form of a powder material having a size not greater than a 325 mesh size and having an average tap density greater than about 5 gm/cm3. The power material may be non-porous and not agglomerated The recycled deposition source may have less than about 500 ppm of iron and less than about 500 ppm of oxygen. The recycled deposition source may be a recycled Ru or RuCr deposition source, where the recycled Ru or RuCr deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a Ru or RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru or RuCr powder material, and has a hardness greater than a hardness of a Ru or RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru or RuCr powder material. The recycled deposition source may be in the form of a sputtering target.

Abstract: A method of recycling ruthenium (Ru) and Ru-based alloys comprises steps of: providing a solid body of Ru or a Ru-based alloy; segmenting the body to form a particulate material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the particulate material; reducing the sizes of the particulate material to form a powder material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the powder material; reducing oxygen content of the powder material to below a predetermined level to form a purified powder material; and removing particles greater than a predetermined size from the purified powder material. The purified powder material may be utilized for forming deposition sources, e.g., sputtering targets.

Abstract: A method of recycling ruthenium (Ru) and Ru-based alloys comprises steps of: providing a solid body of Ru or a Ru-based alloy; segmenting the body to form a particulate material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the particulate material; reducing the sizes of the particulate material to form a powder material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the powder material; reducing oxygen content of the powder material to below a predetermined level to form a purified powder material; and removing particles greater than a predetermined size from the purified powder material. The purified powder material may be utilized for forming deposition sources, e.g., sputtering targets.

Abstract: A method of making a homogeneous granulated metal-based powder, comprises steps of: providing preselected amounts of at least one metal element or metal alloy, at least one ceramic compound, and/or at least one non-metallic element; forming a homogeneous slurry/suspension or wet mixture comprising the preselected amounts of metal element(s) and/or metal alloys, ceramic compound(s), and/or non-metallic element(s), a liquid phase comprising at least one liquid, and at least one binder material; drying the slurry/suspension or mixture to remove at least a portion of the liquid phase and form a powder mixture comprising partially or completely dried granules; and subjecting the granules to a thermal de-binder process for effecting: additional removal of any remaining liquid phase, if necessary; removal of the at least one binder material; reduction of carbon content; reduction of oxygen on the surfaces or interior of the metal or metal alloy phases in the granules; and optional partial sintering for strengthening

Abstract: A method of making a NiPt alloy having an ultra-high purity of at least about 4N5 and suitable for use as a sputtering target, comprises steps of: heating predetermined amounts of lesser purity Ni and Pt at an elevated temperature in a crucible to form a NiPt alloy melt, the crucible being composed of a material which is inert to the melt at the elevated temperature; and transferring the melt to a mold having a cavity with a surface coated with a release agent which does not contaminate the melt with impurity elements. The resultant NiPt alloy has a very low concentration of impurity elements and is subjected to cross-directional hot rolling for reducing thickness and grain size.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a sputtering target assembly comprises steps of mixing/blending selected amounts of powders of at least one noble or near-noble Group VIII metal at least one Group IVB, VB, or VIB refractory metal; forming the mixed/blended powder into a green compact having increased density; forming a full density compact from the green compact; cutting a target plate slice from the full density compact; diffusion bonding a backing plate to a surface of the target plate slice to form a target/backing plate assembly; and machining the target/backing plate assembly to a selected final dimension. The disclosed method is particularly useful for fabricating large diameter Ru—Ta alloy targets utilized in semiconductor metallization processing.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing sputtering targets from powder materials, comprising steps of: providing at least one raw powder material; forming the at least one raw powder material into a green body with density greater than about 40 % of theoretical maximum density; treating the green body with microwaves to form a sintered body with density greater than about 97% of theoretical maximum density; and forming a sputtering target from the sintered body. The methodology is especially useful in the fabrication of targets comprising dielectric and cermet materials.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for controlling magnetic leakage flux in a sputtering target containing magnetic and non-magnetic elements. The method relates to selecting a particle size of at least one non-magnetic phase in a microstructure, where the particle size of the non-magnetic phase is greater than or equal to one micron. The non-magnetic phase is combined with at least one magnetic phase in the microstructure, where the magnetic phase is greater than or equal to 10 atomic percent and is greater than one micron in size. The selected particle size of the non-magnetic phase decreases the diffusion between the magnetic and non-magnetic phases in the microstructure, and may increase the pass through flux (PTF) of the sputtering target. The magnetic phase and non-magnetic phases may be combined in the microstructure by hot isostatic pressing, sintering, spark plasma sintering, or vacuum hot pressing.

Abstract: A sputter target is provided with a first elemental phase of a first material, the first material being either cobalt or tungsten, a first intermetallic phase including the first material and a second material, the second material being either tungsten or cobalt and different from the first material, the first material in a greater atomic percentage than the second material, and a second intermetallic phase including the second material and the first material, the second material in a greater atomic percentage than the first material. The sputter target includes 20-80 at. % cobalt, and has a density greater than 99% of a theoretical maximum density thereof. The sputter target is fabricated by selecting a cobalt powder and a tungsten powder having the same particle size distribution, blending the cobalt powder and the tungsten powder to form a blended powder, canning the blended powder, hot pressing the blended powder to form a solid, and machining the solid to form a sputter target.

Abstract: A method of making Re and Re-based materials comprises steps of: providing a Re powder starting material or a Re powder starting material and at least one additional powder material; subjecting at least the Re powder to a first degassing treatment for reducing the oxygen content thereof; increasing the density of the degassed Re powder or a mixture of the degassed Re powder and the at least one additional powder material to form a green billet; subjecting the billet to a second degassing treatment to further reduce the oxygen content; and consolidating the billet to form a consolidated material with greater than about 95% of theoretical density and low oxygen content below about 200 ppm for Re and below about 500 ppm for Re-based materials formed from the mixture, excluding oxygen from non-metallic compounds and ceramics. Materials so produced are useful in the manufacture of deposition sources such as sputtering targets.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sputter target the method including the step of preparing a plurality of raw materials into a composition corresponding to alloy system, the plurality of raw materials comprising pure elements or master alloys. The method also includes the step of heating the plurality of raw materials under vacuum or under a partial pressure of argon (Ar) to a fully liquid state to form a molten alloy corresponding to the alloy system, solidifying the molten alloy to form an ingot, and reheating the ingot to a fully liquid state to form a diffuse molten alloy. The method further includes the steps of rapidly solidifying the diffuse molten alloy into a homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, admixing pure elemental powders to the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, consolidating the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material into a fully dense homogeneous material, hot rolling the fully dense homogeneous material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sputter target the method including the step of preparing a plurality of raw materials into a composition corresponding to alloy system, the plurality of raw materials comprising pure elements or master alloys. The method also includes the step of heating the plurality of raw materials under vacuum or under a partial pressure of argon (Ar) to a fully liquid state to form a molten alloy corresponding to the alloy system, solidifying the molten alloy to form an ingot, and reheating the ingot to a fully liquid state to form a diffuse molten alloy. The method further includes the steps of rapidly solidifying the diffuse molten alloy into a homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, admixing pure elemental powders to the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, consolidating the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material into a fully dense homogeneous material, hot rolling the fully dense homogeneous material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sputter target the method including the step of preparing a plurality of raw materials into a composition corresponding to alloy system, the plurality of raw materials comprising pure elements or master alloys. The method also includes the step of heating the plurality of raw materials under vacuum or under a partial pressure of argon (Ar) to a fully liquid state to form a molten alloy corresponding to the alloy system, solidifying the molten alloy to form an ingot, and reheating the ingot to a fully liquid state to form a diffuse molten alloy. The method further includes the steps of rapidly solidifying the diffuse molten alloy into a homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, admixing pure elemental powders to the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, consolidating the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material into a fully dense homogeneous material, hot rolling the fully dense homogeneous material.

Abstract: A sputter target includes a metal alloy having a target surface, a rear surface and a thickness between the target and rear surfaces. The target surface and rear surface are outer surfaces of the metal alloy. The metal alloy has a thickness direction substantially along the thickness. The target surface is substantially normal to the thickness direction. The metal alloy has a single substantially homogenous microstructural zone across substantially the entire thickness. The metal alloy further includes dendrites. The dendrites at the target surface are oriented along substantially one direction, and the dendrites at a center plane of the metal alloy are oriented along substantially the same one direction. A sputter target may include a metal alloy which is a cobalt (Co) based, and may have a [0001] hexagonal close-packing (HCP) direction oriented substantially normal to the target surface.

Abstract: A cobalt-chromium-boron-platinum sputtering target alloy having multiple phases. The alloy can include Cr, B, Ta, Nb, C, Mo, Ti, V, W, Zr, Zn, Cu, Hf, O, Si or N. The alloy is prepared by mixing Pt powder with a cobalt-chromium-boron master alloy, ball milling the powders and HIP'ing to densify the powder into the alloy.

Abstract: Spent sputtering targets are refurbished by filling the depleted region of the target with new sputter material using a hot isostatic pressing or HIP'ing technique.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sputter target the method including the step of preparing a plurality of raw materials into a composition corresponding to alloy system, the plurality of raw materials comprising pure elements or master alloys. The method also includes the step of heating the plurality of raw materials under vacuum or under a partial pressure of argon (Ar) to a fully liquid state to form a molten alloy corresponding to the alloy system, solidifying the molten alloy to form an ingot, and reheating the ingot to a fully liquid state to form a diffuse molten alloy. The method further includes the steps of rapidly solidifying the diffuse molten alloy into a homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, admixing pure elemental powders to the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material, consolidating the homogeneous pre-alloyed powder material into a fully dense homogeneous material, hot rolling the fully dense homogeneous material.

Abstract: A sputter target, where the sputter target is comprised of Co, greater than 0 and as much as 24 atomic percent Cr, greater than 0 and as much as 20 atomic percent Pt, greater than 0 and as much as 20 atomic percent B, and greater than 0 and as much as 10 atomic percent X1, where X1 is an element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Ce, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, In, La, Lu, Mo, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tl, W, and Yb. The sputter target is further comprised of X2, wherein X2 is selected from the group consisting of W, Y, Mn, and Mo. Moreover, the sputter target is further comprised of 0 to 7 atomic percent X3, wherein X3 is an element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Ru, Rh, Pd, Hf, Ta, and Ir. The thin film sputtered by the sputter target has a coercivity value between 1000 Oersted and 4000 Oersted.