IP Library Granted Patent US 9,670,577
Granted Patent B2
US 9,670,577 · App. 15/117,529 · Granted Jun 6, 2017

Oxide sintered body, sputtering target, and oxide semiconductor thin film obtained using sputtering target

Inventors: Tokuyuki Nakayama (Ome, JP); Eiichiro Nishimura (Ome, JP); Fumihiko Matsumura (Ome, JP); Masashi Iwara (Ome, JP)
Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
C23C14/3414C04B35/01C04B35/453C04B35/6261C23C14/08C23C14/086C23C14/5806H01L21/02554H01L21/02631H01L29/78693C04B2235/3284C04B2235/3286C04B2235/604C04B2235/6562C04B2235/6565C04B2235/6567C04B2235/6583C04B2235/6585C04B2235/6586C04B2235/76C04B2235/762C04B2235/77C04B2235/80C04B2235/96H01L21/02565
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,670,577
App. No.
15/117,529
Granted
Jun 6, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An oxide sintered body which, when made into an oxide semiconductor thin film by sputtering, can achieve low carrier density and high carrier mobility, and a sputtering target using said oxide sintered body are provided. This oxide sintered body contains indium, gallium and zinc as oxides. The gallium content is 0.20 or more and 0.49 or less in terms of Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio, and the zinc content is 0.0001 or more and less than 0.08 in terms of Zn/(In+Ga+Zn) atomic ratio. This amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film is formed with the oxide sintered body as a sputtering target, and can achieve a carrier density of 4.0×10 18 cm −3 or less and a carrier mobility of 10 cm 2 /V*s or greater.

Claims (15)

1. An oxide sintered body comprising indium, gallium, and zinc as oxides, wherein

a gallium content is 0.20 or more and 0.49 or less in terms of Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio, and

a zinc content is 0.0001 or more and less than 0.08 in terms of Zn/(In+Ga+Zn) atomic ratio,

wherein the oxide sintered body comprises an In 2 O 3 phase having a bixbyite-type structure and a formed phase other than the In 2 O 3 phase, the formed phase being selected from the group consisting of: a GaInO 3 phase having a β-Ga 2 O 3 -type structure; a GaInO 3 phase having a β-Ga 2 O 3 -type structure and a (Ga, In) 2 O 3 phase; a GaInO 3 phase having a β-Ga 2 O 3 -type structure and an In 2 Ga 2 ZnO 7 phase having an Yb 2 Fe 3 O 7 -type structure; a (Ga, In) 2 O 3 phase and an In 2 Ga 2 ZnO 7 phase having an Yb 2 Fe 3 O 7 -type structure; and a GaInO 3 phase having a β-Ga 2 O 3 -type structure, a (Ga, In) 2 O 3 phase, and an In 2 Ga 2 ZnO 7 phase having an Yb 2 Fe 3 O 7 -type structure.

2. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , wherein the zinc content is 0.01 or more and 0.05 or less in terms of Zn/(In+Ga+Zn) atomic ratio.

3. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , wherein the gallium content is 0.20 or more and 0.40 or less in terms of Ga/(In+Ga) atomic ratio.

4. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide sintered body is substantially free of positive divalent elements other than zinc and positive trivalent to positive hexavalent elements other than indium and gallium.

5. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 , wherein an X-ray diffraction peak intensity ratio of the GaInO 3 phase having a β-Ga 2 O 3 -type structure defined by formula 1 below is in the range of 3% or more and 58% or less:

100 ×I [GaInO 3 phase(−111)]/{ I [In 2 O 3 phase(400)]+ I [GaInO 3 phase(−111)]}[%]   Formula 1

(wherein I [In 2 O 3 phase (400)] represents a (400) peak intensity of the In 2 O 3 phase having a bixbyite-type structure, and I [GaInO 3 phase (−111)] represents a (−111) peak intensity of the complex oxide β-GaInO 3 phase having a β-Ga 2 O 3 -type structure).

6. A sputtering target obtained by machining the oxide sintered body according to claim 1 .

7. An amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film obtained by film deposition on a substrate by sputtering using the sputtering target according to claim 6 , followed by heating.

8. The oxide semiconductor thin film according to claim 7 , wherein the oxide semiconductor thin film has a carrier density of less than 4.0×10 18 cm −3 and a carrier mobility of 10 cm 2 /V·s or more.

9. The oxide semiconductor thin film according to claim 8 , wherein the oxide semiconductor thin film has a carrier density of 3.0×10 18 cm −3 or less.

10. The oxide semiconductor thin film according to claim 8 , wherein the oxide semiconductor thin film has a carrier mobility of 15 cm 2 /V·s or more.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 31, 2026
From: MITSUI MINING AND SMELTING COMPANY, LIMITED
To: MITSUI KINZOKU COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 075357/0342 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2019
From: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
To: MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO. LTD.
Reel/Frame 048039/0101 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2016
From: NAKAYAMA, TOKUYUKI; NISHIMURA, EIICHIRO; MATSUMURA, FUMIHIKO; IWARA, MASASHI
To: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 040222/0385 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2014-037022 · Feb 27, 2014 · national
JP 2014-163148 · Aug 8, 2014 · national
JP 2014-263621 · Dec 25, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160348229A1 · Dec 1, 2016