Patents by Inventor Wuwen Yi
Wuwen Yi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20120273097Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Chi tse Wu, Wuwen Yi, Frederick B. Hidden, Susan D. Strothers
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Publication number: 20120111723Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2012Publication date: May 10, 2012Applicant: HERAEUS INC.Inventors: Wuwen Yi, William Heckman, Bernd Kunkel, Carl Derrington, Patrick Griffin
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Patent number: 8118906Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2007Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Heraeus Inc.Inventors: Wuwen Yi, William Heckman, Bernd Kunkel, Carl Derrington, Patrick Griffin
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Patent number: 7767043Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2008Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Vladimir M. Segal, Wuwen Yi, Stephane Ferrasse, Chi tse Wu, Susan D. Strothers, Frank A. Alford, William B. Willett
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Publication number: 20100059147Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2008Publication date: March 11, 2010Inventors: Vladimir M. Segal, Wuwen Yi, Stephane Ferrasse, Chi tse Wu, Susan D. Strothers, Frank A. Alford, William B. Willett
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Publication number: 20090107837Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2007Publication date: April 30, 2009Applicant: HERAEUS INC.Inventors: Wuwen Yi, William Heckman, Bernd Kunkel, Carl Derrington, Patrick Griffin
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Publication number: 20090101496Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2008Publication date: April 23, 2009Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Susan D. Strothers
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Publication number: 20090078570Abstract: Target/backing plate constructions and methods of forming target/backing plate constructions are disclosed herein. The targets and backing plates can be bonded to one another through an appropriate interlayer. The targets can comprise one or more of titanium, tantalum, titanium zirconium, hafnium, niobium, vanadium, tungsten, copper or a combination thereof. The interlayer can comprise one or more of silver, copper, nickel, tin, titanium and indium. Target/backing plate constructions of the present invention can have bond strengths of at least 20 ksi and an average grain size within the target of less than 80 microns.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2008Publication date: March 26, 2009Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Ravi Rastogi, Jaeyeon Kim, Brett Clark, Susan D. Storhers, Michael Pinter, Janine K. Kardokus
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Publication number: 20090020192Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2008Publication date: January 22, 2009Inventors: Vladimir M. Segal, Wuwen Yi, Stephane Ferrasse, Chi tse Wu, Susan D. Strothers, Frank A. Alford, William B. Willett
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Publication number: 20090010792Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2007Publication date: January 8, 2009Applicant: HERAEUS INC.Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Bernd Kunkel, Carl Derrington, ShinHwa Li, Anand Deodutt
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Publication number: 20080197017Abstract: The Invention includes target/backing plate constructions and methods of forming target/backing plate constructions. The targets and backing plates can be bonded to one another through an appropriate interlayer. The targets can comprise one or more of aluminum, copper, tantalum and titanium. The interlayer can comprise one or more of silver, copper, nickel, tin, titanium and indium. Target/backing plate constructions of the present invention can have bond strengths of at least 20 ksi and an average grain size within the target of less than 80 microns.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2004Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Ravi Rastogi, Jaeyoon Kim, Brett M. Clark
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Publication number: 20070251818Abstract: 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 less 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 rolled to produce a target blank.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2006Publication date: November 1, 2007Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Susan Strothers
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Publication number: 20070039817Abstract: The invention includes a physical vapor deposition target containing copper and at least two additional elements selected from Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, Hg, In, Ir, Li, Mg, Mn, Nb, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Sb, Sc, Si, Sn, Ta, Te, Ti, V, W, Zn and Zr, a total amount of the at least two additional elements being from 100 ppm to 10 atomic %. The invention additionally includes thin films and interconnects which contain the mixture of copper and at least two added elements. The invention also includes forming a copper-containing target. A mixture of copper and two or more elements is formed. The mixture is cast by melting and is subsequently cooled to form a billet which is worked utilizing one or both of equal channel angular extrusion and thermomechanical processing to form a target.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2004Publication date: February 22, 2007Inventors: Brian Daniels, Michael Thomas, Susand Strothers, Wuwen Yi, Anil Bhanap, Eal Lee, Cara Hutchinson, Christie Hausman
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Publication number: 20060062686Abstract: A PVD target support member includes an alloy containing at least 90 wt % of a first metal and also containing a second metal and a third metal. The second metal increases electrical resistivity compared to an otherwise identical alloy lacking the second metal. The third metal increase tensile and/or yield strength compared to an otherwise identical alloy lacking the third metal. The alloy may exhibit a thermal stability during diffusion bonding to a target that meets or exceeds thermal stabilities of the otherwise identical alloy lacking the second metal and the otherwise identical alloy lacking the third metal. Another PVD target support member includes an alloy containing at least 90 wt % copper and also containing titanium and silver. The support member may be a backing plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2004Publication date: March 23, 2006Inventors: Michael Pinter, Janine Kardokus, Wuwen Yi
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Publication number: 20050269201Abstract: The invention encompasses a construction in which a PVD target is bonded to a backing plate. The target has a bonding surface utilized in forming the bond to the backing plate, and the backing plate has a bonding surface utilized in forming the bond to the target. One or more holes extend into the target through the target bonding surface and/or one or more holes extend into the backing through the backing plate bonding surface. The invention also includes methods of forming PVD target/backing plate constructions, and methods of utilizing holes extending into one or both of the target and the backing plate of the target/backing plate construction during ultrasound determination of a thickness of the target.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2005Publication date: December 8, 2005Inventors: Brett Clark, Wuwen Yi, Roberta Smits, Alan Brown
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Publication number: 20050178661Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming physical vapor deposition targets, and includes targets and target assemblies. The methods of forming the targets comprise hot-pressing or die forging of suitable materials to form a target blank. The target blank has a pair of opposing surfaces, with one of the opposing surfaces having a topography that is substantially an inverse of an expected wear profile. The target blank can be bonded to a backing plate to form a target assembly or can be utilized as a monolithic target.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2005Publication date: August 18, 2005Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Chi Wu, Diana Morales
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Publication number: 20040144643Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2004Publication date: July 29, 2004Inventors: Chi tse Wu, Wuwen Yi, Frederick B. Hidden, Susan D. Strothers
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Publication number: 20040072009Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2003Publication date: April 15, 2004Inventors: Vladimir M. Segal, Wuwen Yi, Stephane Ferrasse, Chi Tse Wu, Susan D. Strothers, Frank A. Alford, William B. Willett
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Patent number: 6713391Abstract: The invention includes a non-magnetic physical vapor deposition target. The target has at least 30 atom percent total of one or more of Co, Ni, Ta, Ti, Pt, Mo and W, and at least 10 atom percent silicon. The target also has one phase and not more than 1% of any additional phases other than said one phase. In another aspect, the invention includes a non-magnetic physical vapor deposition target consisting essentially of Co and/or Ni, silicon, and one phase.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2001Date of Patent: March 30, 2004Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Diana Morales, Chi Tse Wu, Ritesh P. Shah, Jeff A. Keller
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Publication number: 20040009087Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming physical vapor deposition targets, and includes targets and target assemblies. The methods of forming the targets comprise hot-pressing or die forging of suitable materials to form a target blank. The target blank has a pair of opposing surfaces, with one of the opposing surfaces having a topography that is substantially an inverse of an expected wear profile. The target blank can be bonded to a backing plate to form a target assembly or can be utilized as a monolithic target.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2003Publication date: January 15, 2004Inventors: Wuwen Yi, Chi tse Wu, Diana Morales