Since grains of different orientations sputter at different rates (in tantalum, a fast-sputtering orientation sputters at about twice the rate of a slow-sputtering orientation), control of texture in plate for sputtering targets is very important, particularly when the film to be deposited must be of very uniform thickness. In response to this situation, a method is proposed to describe the texture, and particularly the degree of non-uniformity of the texture, quantitatively. The data-gathering is by "electron-beam back-scattered diffraction", or EBSD, and the mathematics are simple, as the intent is to use the method in industry, for Quality Control purposes. The principles used may also have applications other than sputtering targets.
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