The ruthenium sputtering target is a gray target composed of high-purity ruthenium. Ruthenium is a chemical element with the symbol Ru and atomic number44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to most other chemicals. Ruthenium is usually found as a minor component of platinum ores; Most ruthenium products are used in wear-resistant electrical contacts and thick-film resistors.
Ruthenium sputtering targets are used for depositing Ru thin film, which is a important intermediate film in the structure of perpendicular magnetic recording multi-layer films. In the magnetic recording medium, it mainly plays a role in reducing the lattice mismatch stress between the upper and lower layers, increasing thermal stability and reducing noise.
As a functional film, ruthenium and ruthenium alloy thin films are widely used in the magnetic recording storage and semiconductor industries.