Oxide sintered body, sputtering target using it, and oxide film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015295116-A1
Application number	US-201314443201-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Oct 15, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

To provide an oxide sintered body for a sputtering target, which is capable of adding specific elements to from an n-type semiconductor layer to a p-type semiconductor layer surface of a compound thin-film solar cell.
An oxide sintered body which contains zinc (Zn) and at least one type of element (X) (excluding a case where magnesium is added alone) that has an ionization potential Ip of 4.5 eV≦Ip≦8.0 eV and an atomic radius d of 1.20 Å≦d≦2.50 Å and which has a composition ratio (atomic ratio) of 0.0001≦X/(Zn+X)≦0.20 and a sintered density of at least 95%.

First claim

1 . An oxide sintered body which contains zinc (Zn) and at least one type of element (X) (excluding a case where magnesium is added alone) that has an ionization potential Ip of 4.5 eV≦Ip≦8.0 eV and an atomic radius d of 1.20 Å≦d≦2.50 Å and which has a composition ratio (atomic ratio) of 0.0001≦X/(Zn+X)≦0.20 and a sintered density of at least 95%.

2 . The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , wherein the element X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Li, Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Ho, Hf, Ta, W and Bi (excluding a case where magnesium is added alone).

3 . The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , which contains zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg) and element X (X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Li, Ca, Sc, Ti, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Ho, Hf, Ta, W and Bi) in the following composition ratios (atomic ratios):
0.0001≦X/(Zn+Mg+X)≦0.01
0.0002≦(Mg+X)/(Zn+Mg+X)≦0.20.

4 . The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , which contains zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg) and element X (X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sc, Ti, Y, Zr, Nb, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Ho, Hf, Ta, W and Bi) in the following composition ratios (atomic ratios):
0.0001≦X/(Zn+Mg+X)≦0.01
0.0002≦(Mg+X)/(Zn+Mg+X)≦0.20.

5 . The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , which contains zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg) and element X (X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu and Ho) in the following composition ratios (atomic ratios):
0.0001≦X/(Zn+Mg+X)≦0.01
0.0002≦(Mg+X)/(Zn+Mg+X)≦0.20.

6 . A sputtering target using the sintered body as defined in claim 1 .

7 . An oxide thin film obtainable by using the sputtering target as defined in claim 6 .

8 . A photoelectric conversion element which is a solar cell having a light-absorbing layer being a p-type semiconductor, and a n-type semiconductor layer, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is the oxide thin film as defined in claim 7 .

9 . A method for producing the photoelectric conversion element as defined in claim 8 , which comprises forming the n-type semiconductor layer by using, as a sputtering target, an oxide sintered body which contains zinc (Zn) and at least one type of element (X) (excluding a case where magnesium is added alone) that has an ionization potential Ip of 4.5 eV<Ip<8.0 eV and an atomic radius d of 1.20 Å<d<2.50 Å and which has a composition ratio (atomic ratio) of 0.0001<X/(Zn+X)<0.20 and a sintered density of at least 95%.

Assignees

• Tosoh Corp

Inventors

• Akiike Ryo
• Kuramochi Hideto
• Tamano Kimiaki

Classifications

• C04B2235/3203

  Lithium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B2235/3208

  Calcium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof, e.g. lime · CPC title

• C04B2235/3225

  Yttrium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B2235/3227

  Lanthanum oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B2235/3215

  Barium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title