Magnetic sputter targets manufactured using directional solidification

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. The sputter target may be formed by directional solidification at near-equilibrium temperature conditions by withdrawing the metal alloy at a first rate through a temperature gradient. The sputter target is for forming one or more magnetic layers on a substrate for, among other purposes, data storage.

1 . A sputter target comprising: 
 a metal alloy having a target surface, a rear surface and a thickness between the target surface and the rear surface, the target surface and rear surface being outer surfaces of the metal alloy, the metal alloy having a single substantially homogenous microstructural zone across substantially the entire thickness.    
   
   
       2 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the sputter target is formed by solidification at near-equilibrium temperature conditions by withdrawing the metal alloy at a first rate through a temperature gradient.  
   
   
       3 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy includes a plurality of dendrites, and substantially all of the plurality of dendrites are preferentially oriented along a growth direction.  
   
   
       4 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy includes a first plurality of dendrites oriented substantially along a first dendrite direction at the target surface, a second plurality of dendrites oriented substantially along a second direction at a center plane of the metal alloy; and the first dendrite direction being substantially parallel to the second dendrite direction.  
   
   
       5 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy includes dendrites, wherein shapes of a substantial portion of the dendrites at the target surface are substantially similar to shapes of a substantial portion of the dendrites at a center plane of the metal alloy.  
   
   
       6 . The sputter target of  claim 5 , wherein the substantial portion of the dendrites at the target surface occupies an area of about  1 . 0  square millimeter or greater, and the substantial portion of the dendrites at the center plane of the metal alloy occupies an area of about 1.0 square millimeter or greater.  
   
   
       7 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy includes dendrites, wherein sizes of a substantial portion of the dendrites at the target surface are substantially similar to sizes of a substantial portion of the dendrites at a center plane of the metal alloy.  
   
   
       8 . The sputter target of  claim 7 , wherein the substantial portion of the dendrites at the target surface occupies an area of about 1.0 square millimeter or greater, and the substantial portion of the dendrites at the center plane of the metal alloy occupies an area of about 1.0 square millimeter or greater.  
   
   
       9 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy includes cobalt (Co), greater than 0 and as much as about 5 atomic percent tantalum (Ta), and greater than 0 and as much as about 5 atomic percent zirconium (Zr).  
   
   
       10 . The sputter target of  claim 1 , wherein the sputter target is for forming one or more magnetic layers on a substrate for data storage.  
   
   
       11 . A sputter target comprising: 
 a metal alloy having a target surface, a rear surface and a thickness between the target surface and the rear surface, the target surface and rear surface being outer surfaces of the metal alloy,    the metal alloy having dendrites, the dendrites at the target surface oriented along substantially one direction, the dendrites at a center plane of the metal alloy oriented along substantially the same one direction.    
   
   
       12 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy is formed by directional solidification.  
   
   
       13 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one of the following: cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe).  
   
   
       14 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy includes at least one of the following: cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), boron (B), copper (Cu), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), lanthanum (La), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W) and iridium (Ir).  
   
   
       15 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy includes cobalt (Co), greater than 0 and as much as about 5 atomic percent tantalum (Ta), and greater than 0 and as much as about 5 atomic percent zirconium (Zr).  
   
   
       16 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the dendrites are preferentially oriented along a growth direction.  
   
   
       17 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the sputter target is for forming one or more magnetic layers on a substrate for data storage.  
   
   
       18 . The sputter target of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy has a magnetic property.  
   
   
       19 . A sputter target comprising: 
 a metal alloy which is a cobalt (Co) based alloy, the metal alloy having a target surface, a rear surface and a thickness between the target surface and the rear surface, the target surface and rear surface being outer surfaces of the metal alloy, the target surface being substantially normal to the thickness direction, a [0001] hexagonal close-packing (HCP) direction of the metal alloy oriented substantially normal to the target surface.    
   
   
       20 . The sputter target of  claim 19 , wherein the sputter target is formed by directional solidification.  
   
   
       21 . The sputter target of  claim 19 , wherein a pass through flux of the sputter target is greater than about 10%.  
   
   
       22 . The sputter target of  claim 19 , wherein the [0001] hexagonal close-packing (HCP) direction of the metal alloy is oriented between 0° and 10° of a direction normal to the target surface.