US2012111723A1PendingUtilityA1

Methodology for recycling ru and ru-alloy deposition targets & targets made of recycled ru and ru-based alloy powders

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Assignee: YI WUWENPriority: Oct 29, 2007Filed: Jan 13, 2012Published: May 10, 2012
Est. expiryOct 29, 2027(~1.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Wuwen YiWilliam HeckmanBernd KunkelCarl DerringtonPatrick M. Griffin
C22B 59/00C22B 7/00C23C 14/34C22B 7/007Y02P10/20C22B 7/005C22B 11/02C23C 14/3414
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Claims

Abstract

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/cm 3 . 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.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A recycled deposition source comprising 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/cm 3 . 
     
     
         2 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the powder material is non-porous,   wherein the powder material is not agglomerated,   wherein the recycled deposition source comprises less than about 500 ppm of iron (Fe) and less than about 500 ppm of oxygen,   wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled Ru or RuCr deposition source,   wherein 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, respectively,   wherein the recycled Ru or RuCr deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a Ru or RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru or RuCr powder material, respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the powder material is non-porous. 
     
     
         4 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the powder material is not agglomerated. 
     
     
         5 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the recycled deposition source comprises less than about 500 ppm of iron (Fe) and less than about 500 ppm of oxygen. 
     
     
         6 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled Ru deposition source, wherein the recycled Ru deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a Ru deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru powder material, wherein the recycled Ru deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a Ru deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru powder material. 
     
     
         7 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled ruthenium-chromium (RuCr) deposition source, wherein the recycled RuCr deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin RuCr powder material, wherein the recycled RuCr deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin RuCr powder material. 
     
     
         8 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the recycled deposition source is in the form of a sputtering target. 
     
     
         9 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 2 , wherein the recycled deposition source is in the form of a sputtering target. 
     
     
         10 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 3 , wherein the recycled deposition source is in the form of a sputtering target. 
     
     
         11 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 4 , wherein the recycled deposition source is in the form of a sputtering target. 
     
     
         12 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 3 , wherein the powder material is not agglomerated. 
     
     
         13 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 3 , wherein the powder material is not agglomerated, wherein the recycled deposition source comprises less than about 500 ppm of Fe and less than about 500 ppm of oxygen. 
     
     
         14 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 12 , wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled Ru deposition source, wherein the recycled Ru deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a Ru deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru powder material, wherein the recycled Ru deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a Ru deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru powder material. 
     
     
         15 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 12 , wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled ruthenium-chromium (RuCr) deposition source, wherein the recycled RuCr deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin RuCr powder material, wherein the recycled RuCr deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin RuCr powder material. 
     
     
         16 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 13 , wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled Ru deposition source, wherein the recycled Ru deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a Ru deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru powder material, wherein the recycled Ru deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a Ru deposition source fabricated from virgin Ru powder material. 
     
     
         17 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 13 , wherein the recycled deposition source is a recycled ruthenium-chromium (RuCr) deposition source, wherein the recycled RuCr deposition source has a density comparable to a density of a RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin RuCr powder material, wherein the recycled RuCr deposition source has a hardness greater than a hardness of a RuCr deposition source fabricated from virgin RuCr powder material. 
     
     
         18 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 1 , wherein the recycled deposition source comprises less than about 500 ppm of oxygen, wherein the recycled deposition source is formed using a method comprising: providing a solid body of Ru or Ru-based alloy material; segmenting the solid body to form a particulate material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the particulate material; reducing particle sizes of the particulate material to form a reduced powder material; removing contaminants, including Fe, from the reduced powder material; reducing oxygen content of the reduced powder material to form a purified powder material; and removing particles greater than a predetermined size from the purified powder material. 
     
     
         19 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 17 , wherein the recycled deposition source comprises less than about 500 ppm of Fe, wherein the solid body is in the form of a spent deposition source. 
     
     
         20 . The recycled deposition source of  claim 18 , wherein the spent deposition source comprises a sputtering target, and
 wherein the Ru-based alloy material comprises Cr.

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