Sputtering target and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9660127-B2
Application number	US-201214111520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2012
Priority date	Apr 29, 2011
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

Provided are a sputtering target that is capable of forming a Cu—Ga film, which has an added Ga concentration of 1 to 40 at % and into which Na is well added, by a sputtering method and a method for producing the sputtering target. The sputtering target has a component composition that contains 1 to 40 at % of Ga, 0.05 to 2 at % of Na as metal element components other than F, S and Se, and the balance composed of Cu and unavoidable impurities. The sputtering target contains Na in at least one form selected from among sodium fluoride, sodium sulfide, and sodium selenide, and has a content of oxygen of from 100 to 1,000 ppm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sputtering target having a component composition that contains 1 to 40 at % of Ga, 0.05 to 2 at % of Na as metal element components, and the balance composed of Cu and unavoidable impurities, wherein the sputtering target contains Na in at least one form selected from among sodium fluoride, sodium sulfide, and sodium selenide and the content of oxygen is from 100 to 1,000 ppm.

2. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the sputtering target has a structure in which at least one selected from among a NaF compound phase, a Na 2 S compound phase, and a Na 2 Se compound phase is dispersed in a target material and the average particle diameter of the NaF compound phase, the Na 2 S compound phase, and the Na 2 Se compound phase is 5 μm or less.

3. The sputtering target according to claim 1 , wherein the average crystal particle size of a metal phase in the target material after sintering is from 10 to 100 μm.

4. A method for producing the sputtering target according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
drying at least one selected from among a NaF compound powder, a Na 2 S compound powder, and a Na 2 Se compound powder at a temperature of 120° C. or higher; and
sintering a formed product consisting of a mixed powder of at least one selected from among the dried NaF compound powder, the dried Na 2 S compound powder, and the dried Na 2 Se compound powder, and a Cu—Ga alloy powder, or a formed product consisting of a mixed powder of at least one selected from among the dried NaF compound powder, the dried Na 2 S compound powder, and the dried Na 2 Se compound powder, a Cu—Ga alloy powder, and a Cu powder in a vacuum, in an inert gas atmosphere, or in a reducing atmosphere.

5. A method for producing the sputtering target according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
drying at least one selected from among a NaF compound powder, a Na 2 S compound powder, and a Na 2 Se compound powder at a temperature of 120° C. or higher; and
hot pressing a mixed powder of at least one selected from among the dried NaF compound powder, the dried Na 2 S compound powder, the dried Na 2 Se compound powder, and a Cu—Ga alloy powder, or a mixed powder of at least one selected from among the dried NaF compound powder, the dried Na 2 S compound powder, and the dried Na 2 Se compound powder, a Cu—Ga alloy powder, and a Cu powder in a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere.

6. A method for producing the sputtering target according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
drying at least one selected from among a NaF compound powder, a Na 2 S compound powder, and a Na 2 Se compound powder at a temperature of 120° C. or higher; and
sintering a mixed powder of at least one selected from among the dried NaF compound powder, the dried Na 2 S compound powder, the dried Na 2 Se compound powder, and a Cu—Ga alloy powder, or a mixed powder of at least one selected from among the dried NaF compound powder, the dried Na 2 S compound powder, and the dried Na 2 Se compound powder, a Cu—Ga alloy powder, and a Cu powder by hot isostatic pressing.

7. The method for producing a sputtering target according to claim 4 , wherein the formed product is sintered at a temperature of 700 to 950° C.

8. The method for producing a sputtering target according to claim 5 , wherein the hot pressing is performed at a temperature of 500 to 900° C.

9. The method for producing a sputtering target according to claim 6 , wherein the hot isostatic pressing is performed at a temperature of 500 to 900° C.

Assignees

• Zhang Shoubin
• Shoji Masahiro
• Mitsubishi Materials Corp
• Solar Frontier Kk

Inventors

• Zhang Shoubin
• Shoji Masahiro

Classifications

• Y02P70/521

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B22F2201/01

  Reducing atmosphere · CPC title

• B22F3/15 Primary

  Hot isostatic pressing · CPC title

• Y02E10/541

  CuInSe2 material PV cells · CPC title

• C22C1/0425

  Copper-based alloys · CPC title