Comparing Microstructures of ITO Sputtering Targets Prepared by Tin Doped Indium Oxide Powders and In2O3- SnO2 Mixed Powders

磁控溅射ITO靶材制备ITO透明导电薄膜作为平板显示、太阳能电池、气敏元件等电子器件的电极材料，需要ITO靶材具有高纯度、高均匀性、高密度、高导电性的特点。对比研究了ITO共沉淀粉与In2O3、SnO2单体混合粉同炉烧结ITO靶材的微观组织结构差异，如：晶粒尺寸分布、晶粒形貌、元素分布、烧结速率等。结果表明：单体混合粉的烧结速率要比共沉淀粉的烧结速率高，但是前者烧结ITO靶材的微观组织结构不及后者烧结的均匀性好。对比而言，共沉淀粉更容易获得结构组织均匀的ITO靶材，但前提是要合理的设计烧结工艺抑制烧结过程中In2O3的分解。研究结果将会对提高ITO靶材微观组织均匀性和减少靶材毒化，进而提高靶材生产效率提供有益的参考

Comparing Microstructures of ITO Sputtering Targets Prepared by Tin Doped Indium Oxide Powders and In2O3- SnO2 Mixed Powders

Indium Tin Oxide sputtering target (ITO) is widely used in the formation of electrically transparent thin films, which adopt direct current magnetron sputtering process for electrodes in flat panel displays, solar cells, gas sensors and so on. In order to improve ITO thin film property, ITO sputtering target requires high purity, homogeneous microstructure, high density and high electrical conductivity. In the present paper, ITO sputtering targets were fabricated using In2O3-SnO2 mixed powders and tin doped indium oxide powders. Meanwhile, their discrepancies in microstructure and sintering mechanism, especially grain size distribution, grain morphology, major element distribution and sintering rate, were studied. The results show that the sintering rate of the mixed powders is faster than that of the doped powders, but it is difficult to obtain homogeneous microstructure for the mixed powders. In contrast, it is easy to obtain the ITO sputtering target with homogeneous microstructure using the doped powders, under the condition that the decomposition of indium oxide is inhibited in process of sintering. These results are helpful to fabricate ITO sputtering target with good microstructure, while decrease nodulation and improve production efficiency