Sputter target based on titanium dioxide

• US 20030038028A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Materials Technology GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Heraeus Holding GMBH
• Inventors: Weigert, Martin, Simons, Christoph, Schultheis, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,431,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/298.13
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An electrically conductive titanium dioxide sputter target with an electrical resistivity of less than 5 Ω-cm, which contains as an additive at least one doping agent or a mixture of doping assents in an amount of less than 5 mole %. The doping agent or agents are selected from the group including indium oxide, zinc oxide, bismuth oxide, aluminun oxide, gallium oxide, antimony oxide, and zirconium oxide. This treatment renders the titanium dioxide sputter target suitable for use in a direct-current sputtering process without any negative effects on the properties of the coating.

Claims

1. An electrically conducting sputter target comprising:

titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with an electrical resistivity of less than 5 Ω

-cm; and

at least one doping agent or a mixture of doping agents added to the TiO₂ in an amount of less than 5 mole %, the doping agent or agents being selected from the group consisting of indium oxide (In₂O₃), zinc oxide (ZnO), bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃), and zirconium oxide (ZrO₂).

2. A sputter target in accordance with claim 1, wherein the doping agent is present in an amount of 0.05 to 1.0 mole %.

3. A sputter target in accordance with claim 1, wherein indium oxide (In₂O₃) is the doping agent.

4. A method for producing a titanium dioxide coating on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically conducting sputter target including titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with an electrical resistivity of less than 5 Ω

-cm, and at least one doping agent or a mixture of doping agents added to the TiO₂ in an amount of less than 5 mole %, the doping agent or agents being selected from the group consisting of indium oxide (In₂O₃), zinc oxide (ZnO), bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃), and zirconium oxide (ZrO₂); and

coating the substrate by direct-current sputtering.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the coating step includes sputtering with planar magnetron cathodes.

6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the coating step includes sputtering with tubular magnetron cathodes.

7. A process for producing a sputter target, the process comprising of the steps of:

mixing titanium dioxide having an electrical resistivity of less than 5 Ω

-cm with a doping agent or a mixture of doping agents selected from the group consisting of indium oxide (In₂O₃), zinc oxide (ZnO), bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃), antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃), and zirconium oxide (ZrO₂);

cold-pressuring the mixture; and

sintering the cold-pressed mixture.