Effect of Aluminum Target Manufacturing Process on the Structural and Electrical Properties of Thin Film for DC Magnetron Sputtering

This study compares the properties of aluminum targets manufactured through casting, rolling, and extrusion processes, examining thin films produced via DC magnetron sputtering using each target. Despite minimal differences in density, electrical conductivity, and resistivity among the targets, the extrusion target exhibited higher internal deformation energy than the casting and rolling targets. Thin films fabricated from each target showed similar grain sizes and deposition rates. However, thin films produced using the extrusion target demonstrated a higher frequency of hillock formations and displayed resistivity values approximately 1.5 µΩ-cm higher than those produced with other targets.