Sputtering Targets
High purity and homogeneous materials with 100% density may be produced with PM technology and Hot Isostatic Pressing, HIP. High quality targets allow significantly higher sputter rates and utilization rates.
Sputtering, or Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), is a process for depositing a thin uniform film of metal onto products ranging from architectural glass to integrated circuits to flat panel displays.
During the process, the target is bombarded with an ionized gas and ejects metallic atoms which then become deposited on the substrate to be coated. High quality targets allow significantly higher sputter utilization rates and in some cases HIP can be employed to achieve a secure bond between the target and the backing cooling plate without interface porosity. Sputtering targets can also consist of refractory materials, ceramics and other materials that cannot be made by melting techniques, but may be manufactured by powder metal and HIP.
Powder capsule technology combined with HIP opens a wide range of possibilities for size, design and chemical composition in target manufacturing. For example many smaller targets may be produced in one step. And higher sputtering rates may also be achieved by HIPping the cooling channel systems into the target material or the backing plate.
