Sputter target made of a silicon alloy and process for producing a sputter target

Abstract

A sputter target produced from an alloy powder, the individual particles of which are composed of an Si—Al alloy. It is found that a high degree of homogeneity of the sputter target can be achieved in this way.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A sputter target composed essentially of silicon and aluminum and contains a larger fraction of silicon and a smaller fraction of aluminum, the sputter target being formed from a powdered silicon-aluminum alloy by at least one of a forming process and a compacting process.  
     
     
         2 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a melt consisting of silicon and aluminum is first produced, the melt is used to produce a powder with two-phase particles that consist of an alloy of the silicon and aluminum, and the powder is applied to a target support by a powder-metallurgical production process to produce the sputter target.  
     
     
         3 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 2 , the alloy powder that consists of the two phase particles is applied to the target support by a thermal spray process.  
     
     
         4 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the powder particles have a spheroidal shape.  
     
     
         5 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the powder is produced by gas atomization of a melt in the presence of air.  
     
     
         6 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the silicon-aluminum alloy powder and the sputter target produced from it have an aluminum content of 0.1 to 30 wt. %.  
     
     
         7 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 6 , the silicon-aluminum alloy powder has an aluminum content of 5-15 wt. %.  
     
     
         8 . A sputter target composed essentially of silicon and aluminum, the sputter target consisting of spheroidal silicon particles that form a silicon matrix in which the aluminum is finely or extremely finely distributed in the silicon particles.  
     
     
         9 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the silicon-aluminum alloy powder and the sputter target produced from it have an aluminum content of 0.1 to 30 wt. %.  
     
     
         10 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the silicon-aluminum alloy powder has an aluminum content of 5-15 wt. %.  
     
     
         11 . A sputter target in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the aluminum is incorporated in the silicon particles as finely or extremely finely distributed aluminum spots.  
     
     
         12 . A process for producing a sputter target that is composed essentially of silicon and aluminum and contains a larger fraction of silicon and a smaller fraction of aluminum, comprising the step of forming the sputter target from a powdered silicon-aluminum alloy by at least one of a forming process and a compacting process.  
     
     
         13 . A process in accordance with  claim 12 , including first producing a melt consisting of silicon and aluminum, producing a powder from the melt, which powder has two-phase particles consisting of an alloy of the silicon and aluminum, and applying the powder to a target support by a powder-metallurgical production process to form the sputter target.  
     
     
         14 . A process in accordance with  claim 13 , including producing the melt with 0.1 to 30 wt. % aluminum and a remainder silicon.  
     
     
         15 . A process in accordance with  claim 14 , including producing the melt with 5-15 wt. % aluminum and the remainder silicon.  
     
     
         16 . A process in accordance with any of  claim 13 , including applying the alloy powder that consists of the two-phase particles to the target support by thermal spraying.  
     
     
         17 . A process in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the powder particles have a spheroidal shape.  
     
     
         18 . A process in accordance with  claim 12 , including producing the powder by gas atomization of a melt in the presence of air.