The technological development trend of Tantalum target materials is closely related to the development trend of thin film technology in the downstream application industry. With the advancement of thin film products or component technology in the application industry, the target technology of chromium targets should also change accordingly.

Microelectronics field: In all application industries, the semiconductor industry has stricter quality requirements for the target sputtering film Tantalum target. Now, 12-inch (300 socket) silicon wafers have been manufactured. However, the width of interconnect lines is decreasing. The price of chromium targets and wholesale manufacturers of chromium targets require large size, high purity, low segregation and fine grains for chromium targets. This requires the manufactured chromium targets to have a better microstructure. The crystal size and uniformity of the chromium target are considered to be the key factors affecting the film deposition rate. In addition, the purity of the thin film has a great relationship with the purity of the target material.

In the past, copper targets with a purity of 99.995% (4N5) could meet the price of Tantalum target and the needs of Tantalum target wholesale manufacturers for the 0.35pm process, but they could not meet the current 0.25um process requirements. For 0.18um technology or even 0.13m process, the required target purity must reach 5 or even 6N or higher. Compared with aluminum, copper has higher resistance to electromigration and lower resistivity.

Tantalum target conductor technology requires sub-micron wiring below 0.25um, but it brings other problems: the bonding strength between copper and organic dielectric materials is low. And it is easy to react, causing the copper interconnection of the chip to be corroded and disconnected during use. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to provide a barrier layer between the copper and the dielectric layer. The barrier layer material usually uses metals and their compounds with high melting point and high resistivity.
Tantalum target and Tantalum target manufacturers tell you that the thickness of the barrier layer is required to be less than 50nm, and the adhesion to copper and dielectric materials is good. The barrier layer materials of copper interconnects and aluminum interconnects are different. Need to develop new target materials. The target material of the copper interconnection barrier layer includes Ta, W, TaSi, WSi and so on. But both Ta and W are refractory metals. Production is relatively difficult. Nowadays, molybdenum, Tantalum target, etc. are being studied as alternative materials.