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Sputtering lithium-containing material with multiple targets

  • US 8,864,954 B2
  • Filed: 12/23/2011
  • Issued: 10/21/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of depositing a lithium-containing film on a battery substrate in a sputtering chamber, the method comprising:

  • (a) measuring an electrical conductivity at multiple points across a surface of each sputtering target of a plurality of sputtering targets, the sputtering targets comprising (i) a front surface of a sputtering member composed of lithium cobalt oxide or lithium nickel cobalt oxide, and (ii) a back surface, wherein the electrical conductivity measurements are made across the front and back surfaces by two probe or four-point-probe tests, and selecting at least one pair of sputtering targets (i) that each comprise an average electrical conductivity of at least about 5×

    10

    6


    cm

    1
    and (ii) such that the average electrical conductivity of each of the pair of sputtering targets varies from one another by less than about 10%;

    (b) providing in the sputtering chamber, the at least one pair of selected sputtering targets and a substrate carrier holding at least one battery substrate;

    (c) maintaining a pressure of a sputtering gas in the sputtering chamber; and

    (d) energizing the sputtering gas by applying to the pair of sputtering targets, an AC electrical power at a frequency of from about 10 to about 100 kHz.

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