Method of preparing indium oxide/tin oxide target for cathodic sputtering

• US 6,187,253 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Incorporated (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Leybold Materials
• Inventors: Vahlstrom, Shawn, Gehman, Bruce, Dauth, Wolfgang, Kutzner, Martin, Schlott, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): DERRINGTON, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US08/963,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 264/604, 264/674, 264/653, 264/654, 264/658, 264/663, 501/134
• US Class Current: 264/604
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/457 based on tin oxides or stannates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6455 Hot isostatic pressing
• 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

An indium oxide/tin oxide powder with 5-15 wt. % tin oxide is subjected to an annealing treatment at T≧1, 000° C. and is then partially reduced and subjected to hot isostatic pressing to produce a sputtering target with a density of at least 95% of the theoretical density and a thermal conductivity of at least 14 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an indium oxide/tin oxide sputtering target comprising:

providing a powder consisting essentially of co-precipitated In₂O₃ and SnO₂, said mixture containing 5-15% by wt. SnO₂;

annealing said mixture at a temperature of from 1350°

C. to 1650°

C. so that solid solutions of In₂O₃ and SnO₂ are formed and that the grain size is in the range of 2 to 50 microns;

partially reducing the annealed powder, and

compacting the partially reduced annealed powder with hot isostatic pressing at a temperature above 800°

C.