Article coated with zirconium compound film, method for preparing the article and sputtering target for use in coating with the film

• US 20050191522A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Inaoka, Daisuke, Anzaki, Toshiaki, Kijima, Yoshifumi
• Application Number:
  US11/100,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20050191522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/698
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0641 Nitrides C23C14/0617 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy

Abstract

A method for forming a zirconium compound film on a substrate by a sputtering process using a zirconium target which contains a metal (such as tin or zinc) of which the sputtering yield in an argon atmosphere is more than twice that of zirconium in place of a conventional metallic zirconium target. An article coated with the zirconium compound film and a sputtering target used for coating the film are provided. It is desirable that the content of the metal be 1-45 at %, but a third metal can be added thereto.

Claims

1. An article coated with a zirconium compound film wherein a zirconium target containing a metal of which the sputtering yield in an argon atmosphere is more than twice that of zirconium used when the zirconium compound film is formed and deposited by a reactive sputtering process on a substrate.

2. The article coated according to claim 1, wherein the zirconium compound film has a photocatalytic function or an optical function.

3. The article coated with a zirconium compound film containing a metal of which the sputtering yield in an argon atmosphere is more than twice that of zirconium.

4. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to claim 3, wherein the content of the metal in the zirconium compound film is 1-45 at % in metal percentage.

5. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to claim 3, wherein the content of the metal in the zirconium compound film is 1-30 at % in metal percentage.

6. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to any one of claims 3 through 5, wherein the metal is a metal selected from a group consisting of tin, zinc and indium.

7. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to any one of claims 3 through 5, wherein the zirconium compound is a crystalline compound.

8. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to claim 7, wherein the zirconium compound is a crystalline compound of a monoclinic system.

9. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to any one of claims 3 through 5, wherein the zirconium compound is a zirconium oxide.

10. The article coated with a zirconium compound film, wherein a crystalline zirconium oxide film is provided between a substrate and the zirconium compound film according to any one of claims 3 through 5.

11. The article coated with a zirconium compound film according to any one of claims 3 through 5, wherein the substrate of the article coated with the zirconium compound film is a plate-shaped glass.

12. The article coated with a zirconium compound film having a photocatalytic function or an optical function, wherein a titanium compound film is provided on the zirconium compound film according to any one of claims 3 through 5.

13. The article coated with a zirconium compound film having the photocatalytic function or the optical function according to claim 12, wherein the titanium compound film is a titanium oxide film, a titanium nitride film or a titanium oxide-nitride film.