Provided is a method of producing a target material with reduced particle generation during sputtering, which is a method of producing a sputtering target material whose material is an alloy M, including a sintering step of sintering a mixed powder obtained by mixing a first powder and a second powder. A material of the first powder is an alloy M1 in which the proportion of a B content is from 40 at. % to 60 at. %. A material of the second powder is an alloy M2 in which the proportion of a B content is from 20 at. % to 35 at. %. The proportion of a B content in the mixed powder is from 33 at. % to 50 at. %. A metallographic structure including a (CoFe).sub.2B phase and a (CoFe)B phase is formed in the sintering step. A boundary length per unit area Y (1/μm), which is obtained by measuring a boundary length between the (CoFe).sub.2B phase and the (CoFe)B phase using a scanning electron microscope, and a proportion X (at. %) of a B content of the alloy M satisfy the expression

Y<−0.0015×(X−42.5).sup.2+0.15.

A sputtering target and/or a coil disposed at a periphery of a plasma-generating region for confining plasma are provided. The target and/or coil has a surface to be eroded having a hydrogen content of 500 μL/cm.sup.2 or less. In dealing with reduction in hydrogen content of the surface of the target and/or coil, a process of producing the target and/or coil, in particular, conditions for heating the surface of the target and/or coil, which is believed to be a cause of hydrogen occlusion, are appropriately regulated. As a result, hydrogen occlusion at the surface of the target can be reduced, and the degree of vacuum during sputtering can be improved. Thus, a target and/or coil is provided that has a uniform and fine structure, makes plasma stable, and allows a film to be formed with excellent uniformity. A method of producing the target and/or the coil is also provided.

A sputtering target containing molybdenum and at least one metal from the group tantalum and niobium. The average content of tantalum and/or niobium is from 5 to 15 at % and the molybdenum content is greater than or equal to 80 at %. The sputtering target has at least a matrix with an average molybdenum content of greater than or equal to 92 at % and particles which are composed of a solid solution containing at least one metal from the group of tantalum and niobium, and molybdenum, with an average molybdenum content of greater than or equal to 15 at % and are embedded in the matrix. There is also described a method of producing a sputtering target.

The present invention relates to a sputtering target comprising Ni, W and, optionally, one or more further metal(s) X selected from the group of the refractory metals, Sn, Al and Si, which has a normalized peak intensity ratio
PIR=I.sub.Ni/I.sub.W.Math.(A.sub.W+A.sub.x)/A.sub.Ni of 0.40 or greater, wherein I.sub.Ni is the intensity of the (111) peak of Ni, I.sub.W is the intensity of the (110) peak of W, A.sub.w is the fraction of W in the target in atom %, A.sub.x is the total fraction of the one or more further metals selected from the group of the refractory metals, Sn, Al and Si in the target in atom %, A.sub.Ni is the fraction of Ni in the target in atom %, and wherein the intensities of the peaks are determined by X-ray powder diffraction using Cu-K.sub.alpha radiation.

Provided is an yttrium ingot from which an yttrium sputtering target that produces a reduced number of particles can be obtained, and an yttrium sputtering target that has high plasma resistance and a low resistance that enables realization of a high film deposition rate can be obtained.

An yttrium ingot, wherein the yttrium ingot has a fluorine atom content of less than or equal to 10 wt %; in an instance where the yttrium ingot constitutes a target, a sputtering surface of the target has a surface roughness of 10 nm or greater and 2 μm or less; in the yttrium ingot, the number of pores having a diameter of greater than or equal to 100 μm is fewer than or equal to 0.1/cm.sup.2; and the yttrium ingot has a relative density of greater than or equal to 96%.

A sputtering chamber component including a front surface, a back surface opposite the front surface, and a sputter trap formed on at least a portion of the back surface, and a coating of metallic particles formed on the sputter trap. The coating has a thickness from about 0.025 mm to about 2.54 mm (0.001 inches to about 0.1 inches) and is substantially free of impurities, and the particles of the coating are substantially diffused.

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system is provided. The PVD system includes a PVD chamber defining a PVD volume within which a target material of a target is deposited onto a wafer. The PVD system includes the target in the PVD chamber. The target is configured to overlie the wafer. An edge of the target extends from a first surface of the target to a second surface of the target, opposite the first surface of the target. A first portion of the edge of the target has a first surface roughness. The first portion of the edge of the target extends at most about 6 millimeters from the first surface of the target to a second portion of the edge of the target. The second portion of the edge of the target has a second surface roughness less than the first surface roughness.

The present invention relates to an oxide sintered material that can be used suitably as a sputtering target for forming an oxide semiconductor film using a sputtering method, a method of producing the oxide sintered material, a sputtering target including the oxide sintered material, and a method of producing a semiconductor device 10 including an oxide semiconductor film 14 formed using the oxide sintered material.

Provided is a sputtering target which can lower a heat treatment temperature for ordering a Fe—Pt magnetic phase and can suppress generation of particles during sputtering. The sputtering target is a nonmagnetic material-dispersed sputtering target containing Fe, Pt and Ge. The sputtering target includes at least one magnetic phase satisfying a composition represented by (Fe.sub.1-αPt.sub.α).sub.1-βGe.sub.β, as expressed in an atomic ratio for Fe, Pt and Ge, in which α and β represent numbers meeting 0.35≤α≤0.55 and 0.05≤β≤0.2, respectively. The magnetic phase has a ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) of 0.5 or less. The ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) is an average area ratio of Ge-based alloy phases containing a Ge concentration of 30% by mass or more (S.sub.Ge30mass %) to an area ratio of Ge (S.sub.Ge) calculated from the entire composition of the sputtering target, in element mapping by EPMA of a polished surface obtained by polishing a cross section perpendicular to a sputtering surface of the sputtering target.

There is provided a vacuum processing apparatus in which at least one of the processing units includes a lower member and an upper member mounted on the lower member to be attachable and detachable that configure the vacuum container, a turning shaft member which is attached to an outer circumferential part of the base plate between the work space and the vacuum container, and has a turning shaft that moves from above the base plate when the turning shaft is connected to the lower member and the lower member turns around the connected part, and a maintenance member including an arm which is disposed above the turning shaft member and turns in a horizontal direction as the upper member is suspended, and in which the lower member is configured to be fixable at the position at a predetermined angle within a range of an angle at which the lower member is capable of turning around the shaft, and to be vertically movable as the arm of the maintenance member fixes the position above a center portion of the lower member of which the position is fixed within a range of the angle at which the lower member is capable of turning, and the upper member is suspended.