Method of making electrically conductive, IR transparent metal oxide films

Abstract

The invention disclosed is a process for fabrication of IR-transparent electrically conductive metal oxide, such as copper aluminum oxide (CuAlxOy), by reactive magnetron co-sputtering from high purity metal targets, such as Cu and Al targets, in an argon/oxygen g as mixture. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a process for making a metal oxide film having electrical conductivity and infrared transparency. Preferably, the substrate is placed in an environment having argon and oxygen. The process comprises applying between about 0.15 to 10.0% oxygen partial pressure to a substrate and DC-sputter depositing a first layer of conductive metal ions onto the substrate. The first layer has a physical thickness of from about 13 to 20 angstroms. Next, Co-sputter depositing a second layer of infrared transparent delafossite metal oxide onto the first layer with the second layer having a physical thickness of from about 1500 to 5000 angstroms, thereby forming a layer pair. The Co-sputter depositing is accomplished with various combinations of RF-sputter depositing, pulsed-DC-sputter depositing, and DC-sputter depositing. The infrared transparency has a wavelength from about 0.7 microns to about 30 microns. In a more preferred embodiment, the process further comprises rotating the substrate during the DC sputter depositing and the Co-sputter depositing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.