IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,389,135
Granted Patent B2
US 8,389,135 · App. 12/226,874 · Granted Mar 5, 2013

Oxide sintered body, target, transparent conductive film obtained by using the same, and transparent conductive substrate

Inventors: Tokuyuki Nakayama (Ichikawa, JP); Yoshiyuki Abe (Ichikawa, JP)
Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,389,135
App. No.
12/226,874
Granted
Mar 5, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An oxide sintered body having zinc oxide as a main component and containing magnesium, and a transparent conductive substrate are provided, and an oxide sintered body having zinc oxide and magnesium, wherein content of magnesium is from 0.02 to 0.30 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Mg); an oxide sintered body having zinc oxide, magnesium, gallium and/or aluminum, wherein content of gallium and/or aluminum is over 0 and equal to or lower than 0.09 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al), and content of magnesium is from 0.02 to 0.30 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg); a target obtained by processing these oxide sintered bodies; and a transparent conductive film formed on a substrate by a sputtering method or an ion plating method, by using this target.

Claims (26)

1. An oxide sintered body, characterized in that

the body comprises zinc oxide, magnesium, gallium and/or aluminum, and content of gallium and/or aluminum is over 0 and equal to or lower than 0.09 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al), that

content of magnesium is from 0.02 to 0.30 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg), and that

the body lacks a magnesium oxide phase.

2. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , characterized in that content of magnesium is from 0.05 to 0.18 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg).

3. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , characterized in that content of gallium and/or aluminum is from 0.01 to 0.08 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al).

4. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , characterized in that content of gallium and/or aluminum is from 0.035 to 0.08 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al), and content of magnesium is from 0.098 to 0.18 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg).

5. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , characterized in that peak intensity ratio by X-ray diffraction measurement represented by the following expression (A), is equal to or lower than 15%:

I[MgGa 2 O 4 (311)+MgAl 2 O 4 (311)]/I[ZnO(101)]×100 (%)  (A)

wherein I[MgGa 2 O 4 (311)+MgAl 2 O 4 (311)] represents a sum of (311) peak intensity of a complex oxide MgGa 2 O 4 phase having a rock salt structure of cubic crystal, and (311) peak intensity of a MgAl 2 O 4 phase, and I[ZnO(101)] represents (101) peak intensity of an zinc oxide phase having a wurtzite structure of hexagonal crystal.

6. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , characterized in that the specific resistance is equal to or lower than 5 kΩcm.

7. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , characterized in that the oxide sintered body is obtained by formation and sintering by using a hot press method.

8. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of raw material powders comprised in the oxide sintered body is equal to or smaller than 3 μm.

9. A target obtained by processing the oxide sintered body according to claim 1 .

10. The target according to claim 9 , characterized in that density thereof is equal to or higher than 5.0 g/cm 3 , and it is used in a sputtering method.

11. The target according to claim 9 , characterized in that the density thereof is from 3.5 to 4.5 g/cm 3 , and it is used in an ion plating method.

12. A transparent conductive film formed on a substrate by a sputtering method or an ion plating method, by using the target according to claim 9 .

13. The transparent conductive film according to claim 12 , characterized in that comprises zinc oxide, magnesium, gallium and/or aluminum, and content of gallium and/or aluminum is over 0 and equal to or lower than 0.09 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al), and content of magnesium is from 0.02 to 0.30 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg).

14. The transparent conductive film according to claim 13 , characterized in that content of magnesium is from 0.05 to 0.18 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg).

15. The transparent conductive film according to claim 13 , characterized in that content of gallium and/or aluminum is from 0.01 to 0.08 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al).

16. The transparent conductive film according to claim 13 , characterized in that content of gallium and/or aluminum is from 0.035 to 0.08 as atom number ratio of (Ga+Al)/(Zn+Ga+Al), and content of magnesium is from 0.098 to 0.18 as atom number ratio of Mg/(Zn+Ga+Al+Mg).

17. The transparent conductive film according to claim 12 , characterized in that comprises mainly a zinc oxide phase having a wurtzite structure of hexagonal crystal, and peak intensity ratio by X-ray diffraction measurement represented by the following expression (B) is equal to or more than 50%: I[ZnO(002)]/(I[ZnO(002)]+I[ZnO(100)])×100 (%) (B) (wherein I[ZnO(002)] represents (002) peak intensity of the zinc oxide phase having a wurtzite structure of hexagonal crystal, and l[ZnO(100)] represents (100) peak intensity of the zinc oxide phase having a wurtzite structure of hexagonal crystal).

18. The transparent conductive film according to claim 12 , characterized in that the zinc oxide phase having a rock salt structure of cubic crystal is not contained substantially.

19. A transparent conductive substrate, characterized in that provides a transparent substrate and the transparent conductive film according to claim 12 formed on one surface or both surfaces of said transparent substrate, and said transparent substrate is any of a glass plate, a quartz plate, a resin plate or a resin film whose one surface or both surfaces is covered with a gas barrier film, or a resin plate or a resin film inserted with a gas barrier film inside thereof.

20. The transparent conductive substrate according to claim 19 , characterized in that said gas barrier film is at least one selected from a silicon oxide film, a silicon oxynitride film, a magnesium aluminate film, a tin oxide film and a diamond-like carbon film.

21. The transparent conductive substrate according to claim 19 , characterized in that said resin plate or resin film is made of polyethyleneterephtharate, polyethersulfone, polyarylate, polycarbonate, or a laminated structure body whose surface is covered with an acrylic organic substance.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2008
From: NAKAYAMA, TOKUYUKI; ABE, YOSHIYUKI
To: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021786/0817 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2006-159266 · Jun 8, 2006 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090101493A1 · Apr 23, 2009