Sputtering Targets

Aluminium Sputtering Target's primary market is sputtering targets used to make interconnects for integrated circuits. For some applications, the impurities uranium and thorium are reduced to less than 1 ppbw to avoid “soft errors” associated with α particle emission. The crystallization process achieves segregation coefficients which are close to theoretical at normal yields, and this, coupled with the scale of the units, allows practical production of this material. The silicon purification process involves crystallization of Si from molten aluminum alloys containing about 30% silicon.

Aluminium Sputtering Target crystallites from this process are further treated to remove residual Al and an extreme purity ingot is obtained. This material is considered suitable for single crystal or ribbon type photovoltaic cells and for certain IC applications, including highly doped substrates used for epitaxial growth. In the production of both extreme purity Al and Si, impurities are rejected to the remaining melt as the crystals form and some separation is achieved by draining this downgraded melt from the unit.

Aluminium Sputtering Target Crystallographic texture in sputtering targets determines the emission trajectory of the sputtered atoms and significantly influences the film thickness uniformity chracteristics of the sputtering source. The target operating temperature is varied independent of the sputtering system operating power by changing the target cooling conditions. Increasing the amount of cold work in the target prior to sputtering or increasing the target operating temperature increases the propensity for the target to undergo recrystallization.