Sputtering target and method for producing same

• US 5,435,826 A
• Filed: 11/23/1993
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Inventors: kikuchi, Hiromi, Sakakibara, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, NGOCLAN THI
• Application Number:
  US08/155,813
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 252/518, 75/232, 501/134, 264/56
• US Class Current: 75/232
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/01 based on oxide ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy

Abstract

A sputtering target having a relative density of 90% or more and a single-phase structure for forming a indium-tin oxide layer of low resistance is produced by pressing a composite powder of indium oxide and tin oxide having an average diameter of 0.1 μm or less and a tin content controlled to 1.5-6 weight %; and sintering the pressed composite powder at 1500°-1700° C. in an oxygen atmosphere pressurized at 1-10 atm.

Claims

1. A sputtering target for forming an indium-tin oxide layer, comprising a sintered body substantially composed of indium, tin and oxygen, and a single-phase structure, wherein a relative density of said target is 93% or more, a relative resistance of said target is 1×

10^-3 Ω

.cm or less, and the tin content in said target is 1.5-6 weight %.

2. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein said tin exists as a dopant between an In₂ O₃ lattice.

3. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein said sintered body contains a phase other than an In₂ O₃ phase in a proportion of 10% or less at an area ratio.

4. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein said sintered body is produced by

pressing a composite powder of indium oxide and tin oxide having an average diameter of 0.1 μ

m or less and a tin content controlled to 1.5-6 weight %; and

sintering said pressed composite powder at 1500°

-1700°

C. in an oxygen atmosphere pressurized at 3-8 atm.

5. The sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein said sintered body is produced by

mixing a composite powder of indium oxide and tin oxide having an average diameter of 0.1 μ

m and a tin content controlled to 1.5-6 weight % with at least one of indium oxide powder having an average diameter of 0.1 μ

m or less and tin oxide powder having an average diameter of 0.1 μ

m or less;

pressing said resultant mixed powder; and

sintering said pressed body at 1500°

-1700°

C. in an oxygen atmosphere pressurized at 3-8 atm.