Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-16
2004-06-01
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S009000, C700S020000, C700S097000, C700S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745092
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a useful system applied to production processes for sputtering targets with process of reuse of backing plates. Particularly, the present invention relates to a product management system for sputtering targets, and a host computer and a program for the system capable of smoothly transmitting and receiving various information via the data communications between a target customer and manufacturer to improve the production efficiency of the sputtering targets.
BACKGROUND ART
As a method for forming a thin film on a substrate, there is a sputtering method. The sputtering method is the one that thin film material which is called a sputtering target is collided with ions, such as Ar
+
, to sputter the target surface, and the sputtered particles from the target are deposited on the substrate disposed on a predetermined position, so that the thin film is formed on the substrate.
The sputtering target ST, as shown in
FIG. 7
, comprises a base which is called a backing plate BP and the target material TA adhered to the backing plate BP. The target material TA is, for example, produced by forming raw material powders for the target, and then sintering the formed product. After the sputtering target ST is used for the sputtering and the target material TA of the sputtering target ST is eroded away near the backing plate BP surface, the target material TA remained on the backing plate BP is removed from the sputtering target ST. Then, the backing plate BP is reprocessed, and a new target material TA is adhered to the reprocessed backing plate BP for reusing the backing plate BP.
In general, the backing plate is made of pure copper or cupreous alloy, in rare cases, stainless steel.
Heretofore, the sputtering targets are renewed by the manufacturer of sputtering target (hereinafter, it is simply referred to as a manufacturer) which receives an order from the customer of sputtering target (hereinafter, it is simply referred to as a customer). The manufacturer starts the production of the sputtering targets only after the customer orders. The customer prepares the backing plates based on the number of the ordered sputtering targets, and sends them to the manufacturer. The manufacturer starts making the raw material powders of the target according to the order, and forms the target materials out of the raw material powders. Thereafter, the manufacturer adheres the target material to the backing plate to produce the sputtering target, and delivers the sputtering target as a final product to the customer.
The backing plate is repeatedly reusable. The sputtering target spent by the customer is sent to the manufacturer again, and the residual target material is removed from the backing plate. Thereafter, an adhering surface of the backing plate is cleaned (reprocess of the backing plate), and the reprocessed backing plate is reused as the base of the sputtering target again.
FIG.
6
(A) is an explanatory illustration showing a general production process of sputtering target.
At first, for example, hundred pieces of product target group delivered from the manufacturer to the customer are loaded onto a hundred of sputtering apparatus on the customer. Normally, the sputtering targets loaded onto the apparatus are completely spent within four or five weeks. The customer orders the sputtering targets for next time just before or after the complete consumption of the sputtering targets.
The manufacturer begins to arrange the raw materials for targets according to the order from the customer. The producing of raw material powders takes for the manufacturer about 6 weeks, and forming and sintering of the targets takes about three weeks under the present circumstances. In the meantime, the customer arranges sending of the spent sputtering targets, and then sends the spent sputtering targets in accordance with the time that the manufacturer has just formed and sintered the targets.
The manufacturer removes the residual target material from the spent sputtering target sent from the customer, and cleans the backing plate. Thus, the backing plate is reprocessed. The reprocessed backing plate is inspected whether it is reusable or not. When the reuse is possible, the newly formed target material is adhered to the backing plate. Then the product sputtering targets are sent to the customer. It takes about two weeks for the manufacturer from the reprocess of the backing plate to the adhering of target material. As described above, it takes at least about 11 weeks from the order of the sputtering targets by the customer to the delivery of the sputtering targets by the manufacturer in the general process of sputtering target production under the present circumstances.
On the other hand, as a result of the inspection, if it is judged that the reuse of the reprocessed backing plate is impossible, as shown in FIG.
6
(B), the customer or the manufacturer arranges other backing plates in about two weeks to one month. That is, spares or stocks of the backing plate are sent to the manufacturer, or if there is no spare, the backing plates are newly manufactured at this time. The delivery is delayed for the arrangement for other backing plates. It takes about 14 to 16 weeks from the order of the targets by the customer to the delivery by the manufacturer.
FIG. 5
is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the product management system on the manufacturer. A reference numeral
10
denotes a communication terminal device inputting or recording the order of the sputtering targets from the customer, and for example, provided on the sales division or the like on the manufacturer. A reference numeral
20
denotes a communication terminal device provided on each site (product management division, process and inspection section, forming section, raw material section, logistics section, or the like) of the factory. These communication terminal devices
10
and
20
are connected to an intranet server
30
and a DNS server
50
for LAN, so that the LAN within the company of manufacturer is configured. Further, a product management database server (for example, SQL server)
40
is connected to the LAN, so that the product management system in the manufacturer is configured. Thus, the information about the sputtering target product management, which is stored up in the SQL server
40
can be accessed or viewed with the respective communication terminal devices
10
and
20
. As described above, the information with the electronic data about the sputtering target product management is only transmitted and received within the manufacturer in the earlier technique. The order entry from the customer, the order placement to a raw material manufacturer or the like is carried out solely by transmitting and receiving the analog data by telephone, facsimile, mail or the like.
According to the above-described production method, it takes a long time from the order entry to the delivery of the sputtering target products. In addition, the apparatus for producing sputtering targets or other apparatus in the manufacturer cannot run efficiently from the delivery to the next order, while the customer cannot use the sputtering apparatus or the like from the complete consumption of the sputtering targets to the next delivery of the new sputtering targets. Thus, the operation rate of the apparatus in the manufacturer and customer are reduced, so that the production efficiency cannot be improved.
The backing plate, whether it is reusable or not is inspected and judged only after the spent sputtering target which is sent back from the customer is reprocessed, transformed into the backing plate. Thus, when defective backing plate with a curvature or a scratch or other defects on the adhering surface, which is not found till the residual target material is removed from the backing plate, is found, the response therefore takes a long time, so that there is a case that the delivery date is further delayed.
The customer can prepare a plurality of sputtering target groups. After the first target gro
Nakajima Koichi
Watatani Kenichi
Yajima Noriyuki
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Nikko Materials Co., Ltd.
Ortiz Carlos R.
Picard Leo
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