Abstract: A method of forming a high strength copper alloy. The method comprises heating a copper material including from about 2 wt. % to about 20 wt. % manganese by weight of the copper material to a temperature above 400° C., allowing the copper material to cool to a temperature from about 325° C. to about 350° C. to form a cooled copper material, and extruding the cooled copper material with equal channel angular extrusion to form a cooled copper manganese alloy.

Abstract: A method of forming a monolithic backing plate comprising using additive manufacturing to form a three dimensional structure of continuous material including forming a substantially planar first side in a first plane, forming a plurality of flow barriers joined to the first side, the plurality of flow barriers having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the first plane; forming a plurality of flow channels defined between the plurality of flow barriers; and forming a substantially planar second side in the first plane, and uniformly solidifying the material such that the backing plate comprises a uniform, continuous material structure throughout the first side, the plurality of flow barriers, and the second side.

Abstract: A sputtering target comprising a forged aluminum material having an average grain size between about 15 and 55 microns. The aluminum material has at least one of the following: a homogeneous texture with minimal texture banding as measured by banding factor B below about 0.01; a texture gradient H of less than 0.2; or either weak (200) texture or near random texture characterized by maximum intensity of inverse pole figure less than 3 times random in multiple directions.

Abstract: The current disclosure includes a method of forming a high strength backing plate for use with a sputtering target comprising solutionizing a first metal material; subjecting the first metal material to equal channel angular extrusion; and aging the first metal material.

Abstract: A sputter trap formed on at least a portion of a sputtering chamber component has a plurality of particles and a particle size distribution plot with at least two different distributions. A method of forming a sputter trap having a particle size distribution plot with at least two different distributions is also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming a high strength aluminum alloy. The method comprises subjecting an aluminum material containing at least one of magnesium, manganese, silicon, copper, and zinc at a concentration of at least 0.1% by weight to an equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process. The method produces a high strength aluminum alloy having an average grain size from about 0.2 ?m to about 0.8 ?m and a yield strength from about 300 MPa to about 650 MPa.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming a high strength aluminum alloy. The method comprises heating an aluminum material to a solutionizing temperature for a solutionizing time such that the magnesium and zinc are dispersed throughout the extruded aluminum material to form a solutionized aluminum material. The method includes quenching the solutionized aluminum material to form a quenched aluminum material. The method also includes aging the quenched aluminum material to form an aluminum alloy, then subjecting the aluminum alloy to an ECAE process to form a high strength aluminum alloy.

Abstract: A method of forming a high strength aluminum alloy. The method comprises heating an aluminum material including scandium to a solutionizing temperature of the aluminum material such that scandium is dispersed throughout the aluminum material to form an aluminum alloy. The method further comprises extruding the aluminum alloy with equal channel angular extrusion to form a high strength aluminum alloy, such that the high strength aluminum alloy has a yield strength greater than about 40 ksi after being at a temperature from about 300° C. to about 400° C. for at least one hour.

Abstract: A sputtering target assembly includes a sputtering target having a rear surface, a backing plate having a front surface, and an interlayer disposed between the target and the backing plate. The interlayer includes a first interlayer portion disposed proximate the target material rear surface, and a second interlayer portion disposed proximate the backing plate front surface. The first interlayer portion is formed of a first mixture containing a first material and a second material and having a higher concentration of the first material than the second material, and the second interlayer portion is formed of a second mixture containing the first material and the second material and having a higher concentration of the second material than the first material. A method of making is also provided.

Abstract: A sputtering target assembly for use in a vapor deposition apparatus, the sputtering target assembly comprising a sputtering surface; a sidewall extending from the sputtering surface at an angle to the sputtering surface; a particle trap formed of a roughness located along the sidewall and extending radially from the sputtering surface, wherein the roughness of the particle trap has a macrostructure and a microstructure.

Abstract: The invention encompasses a method of forming a metallic article. An ingot of metallic material is provided, and such ingot has an initial thickness. The ingot is subjected to hot forging. The product of the hot forging is quenched to fix an average grain size of less than 250 microns within the metallic material. The quenched material can be formed into a three dimensional physical vapor deposition target. The invention also includes a method of forming a cast ingot. In particular aspects, the cast ingot is a high-purity copper material. The invention also includes physical vapor deposition targets, and magnetron plasma sputter reactor assemblies.

Abstract: The invention includes a method of detecting impurities in a metal-containing article. A portion of metal material is removed from a metal article and is solubilized in an acid or base-comprising liquid to produce a liquid sample. The liquid sample is subjected to an incident laser beam and light scattered from the sample is detected. The invention includes a method of analyzing a physical vapor deposition target material. A portion of target material is removed from the target and is rinsed with an acid-comprising solution. The portion of target material is dissolved to produce a liquid sample. The sample is subjected to an incident laser beam and scatter of the laser beam is detected to determine the number of particles present in the sample within a particular size range.

Abstract: The invention includes a copper-comprising sputtering target. The target is monolithic or bonded and contains at least 99.99% copper by weight and has an average grain size of from 1 micron to 50 microns. The copper-comprising target has a yield strength of greater than or equal to about 15 ksi and a Brinell hardness (HB) of greater than about 40. The invention includes copper alloy monolithic and bonded sputtering targets consisting essentially of less than or equal to about 99.99% copper by weight and a total amount of alloying element(s) of at least 100 ppm and less than 10% by weight. The targets have an average grain size of from less than 1 micron to 50 microns and have a grain size non-uniformity of less than about 15% standard deviation (1-sigma) throughout the target. The invention additionally includes methods of producing bonded and monolithic copper and copper alloy targets.

Abstract: The invention includes a copper-comprising sputtering target. The target is monolithic or bonded and contains at least 99.99% copper by weight and has an average grain size of from 1 micron to 50 microns. The copper-comprising target has a yield strength of greater than or equal to about 15 ksi and a Brinell hardness (HB) of greater than about 40. The invention includes copper alloy monolithic and bonded sputtering targets consisting essentially of less than or equal to about 99.99% copper by weight and a total amount of alloying element(s) of at least 100 ppm and less than 10% by weight. The targets have an average grain size of from less than 1 micron to 50 microns and have a grain size non-uniformity of less than about 15% standard deviation (1-sigma) throughout the target. The invention additionally includes methods of producing bonded and monolithic copper and copper alloy targets.

Abstract: The invention includes a target construction having a sputtering region and a flange region laterally outward relative to the sputtering region. The flange region has a front surface disposed on a front face of the construction and a back surface opposing the front surface. An o-ring groove is disposed within the flange region. The o-ring groove has a planar base surface which has a first width and has an orifice disposed along the front surface of the flange. The orifice has a second width as measured parallel relative to the base surface. The second width is greater than the first width. The flange surfaces can additionally be protected from rubbing by a layer of protective material.

Abstract: The invention includes physical vapor deposition targets formed of copper material and having an average grain size of less than 50 microns and an absence of course-grain areas throughout the target. The invention encompasses a physical vapor deposition target, of a copper material and having an average grain size of less than 50 microns with a grain size standard deviation of fess than 5% (1??) throughout the target. The copper material is selected from copper alloys and high-purity copper material containing greater than or equal to 99.9999% copper, by weight. The invention includes methods of forming copper physical vapor deposition targets. An as-cast copper material is subjected to a multistage processing. Each stage of the multistage processing includes a heating event, a hot-forging event, and a water quenching event. After the multistage processing the copper material is roiled to produce a target blank.

Abstract: A sputtering target is described herein, which includes: a) a surface material, and b) a core material coupled to the surface material, wherein at least one of the surface material or the core material has less than 100 ppm defect volume. Methods for producing sputtering targets are described that include: a) providing at least one sputtering target material, b) melting the at least one sputtering target material to provide a molten material, c) degassing the molten material, d) pouring the molten material into a target mold. In some embodiments, pouring the molten material into a target mold comprises under-pouring or under-skimming the molten material from the crucible into the target mold. Sputtering targets and related apparatus formed by and utilizing these methods are also described herein. In addition, uses of these sputtering targets are described herein.

Abstract: The invention includes a copper-comprising sputtering target. The target is monolithic or bonded and contains at least 99.99% copper by weight and has an average grain size of from 1 micron to 50 microns. The copper-comprising target has a yield strength of greater than or equal to about 15 ksi and a Brinell hardness (HB) of greater than about 40. The invention includes copper alloy monolithic and bonded sputtering targets consisting essentially of less than or equal to about 99.99% copper by weight and a total amount of alloying element(s) of at least 100 ppm and less than 10% by weight. The targets have an average grain size of from less than 1 micron to 50 microns and have a grain size non-uniformity of less than about 15% standard deviation (1-sigma) throughout the target. The invention additionally includes methods of producing bonded and monolithic copper and copper alloy targets.

Abstract: A sputtering target is described herein that comprises: a) a target surface component comprising a target material; b) a core backing component having a coupling surface and a back surface, wherein the coupling surface is coupled to the target surface component; and c) at least one surface area feature coupled to or located in the back surface of the core backing component, wherein the surface area feature increases the resistance, resistivity or a combination thereof of the core backing component.

Abstract: Sputtering targets having reduced burn-in times are described herein that include: a) a machine-finished surface material having an average grain size, and b) a core material having an average grain size, wherein the machine-finished surface material has an average surface roughness (Ra) equal to or less than about the average grain size of at least one of the surface material or the core material. Sputtering targets having reduced burn-in times are described herein that include: a surface material, and a core material, wherein at least one of the surface material or the core material comprises a relatively band-free crystallographic orientation.