Patent ID: 6852201

Claim:
Sputtering target for carrying out a PVD coating process where the sputtering target is sputtered by bombardment with gas atoms and/or ions such that a layer including metallic elements is deposited on a substrate, the sputtering target comprising a plate comprising a plurality of holes, said plate being formed of a material having a sputtering rate and including at least one of the metallic elements for depositing on the substrate for forming the layer, and a plurality of plugs, each said plug positioned in a respective one of said holes in said plate, said plugs being formed of a material including at least one metal for forming the layer, said material of said plugs having a sputtering rate that is different than said sputtering rate of said material of said plate, each said plug having a free surface that forms a single surface with a surface of said plate, wherein said free surface of each said plug is curved outwardly relative to said surface of said plate when the sputtering rate of the plate is greater than the sputtering rate of the plugs and curved inwardly relative to the surface of said plate when the sputtering rate of the plate is less than the sputtering rate of the plugs.