Patent ID: 8398833

Claim:
A field-enhanced sputtering target comprising a sputtering material having a non-planar sputtering surface prior to erosion by use in a sputtering system, the non-planar sputtering surface having at least one field-enhanced, protruding convex curvature feature positioned at a location corresponding to at least one poorly eroding area of the non-planar sputtering surface, the at least one poorly eroding area defined as an area corresponding to a reference, protruding convex curvature feature of an erosion profile of a reference sputtering target following erosion by use in a sputtering system, the reference sputtering target comprising a sputtering material having an identical composition as the sputtering material of the field-enhanced sputtering target, the reference sputtering target further comprising a planar sputtering surface prior to erosion by use in a sputtering system.