# US 9,040,441 B2 · Oxide sintered body and sputtering target > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,040,441 B2 - Document ID: US9040441B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/002,768 - Filed: 2012-03-01 - Published: 2013-12-26 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-02 - Assignees: Kobelco Research Institute, Inc. - Applicants: Hiroshi Goto; Yuki Iwasaki - Inventors: Hiroshi Goto; Yuki Iwasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040441B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/3414: {Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy} - C04B 35/453: based on zinc, tin, or bismuth oxides or solid solutions thereof with other oxides, e.g. zincates, stannates or bismuthates - C04B 35/457: based on tin oxides or stannates - C23C 14/08: Oxides (C23C14/10 takes precedence) - C23C 14/086: {of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth} - C04B 2235/3217: Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina - C04B 2235/3244: Zirconium oxides, zirconates, hafnium oxides, hafnates, or oxide-forming salts thereof - C04B 2235/3251: Niobium oxides, niobates, tantalum oxides, tantalates, or oxide-forming salts thereof - C04B 2235/3284: Zinc oxides, zincates, cadmium oxides, cadmiates, mercury oxides, mercurates or oxide forming salts thereof - C04B 2235/3286: Gallium oxides, gallates, indium oxides, indates, thallium oxides, thallates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. zinc gallate - C04B 2235/3293: Tin oxides, stannates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO] - H10P 14/22: using physical deposition, e.g. vacuum deposition or sputtering - H10P 14/3426: {Oxides} - H10P 14/3434: {being oxide semiconductor materials (Group IIB-VIA semiconductor materials H10P14/3424)} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Provided are an oxide sintered body and a sputtering target that are ideal for the production of an oxide semiconductor film for a display device. The oxide sintered body and sputtering target that are provided have both high conductivity and high relative density, are capable of forming an oxide semiconductor film having a high carrier mobility, and in particular, have excellent direct-current discharge stability in that long-term, stable discharge is possible, even when used by the direct-current sputtering method. The oxide sintered body of the invention is an oxide sintered body obtained by mixing and sintering zinc oxide, tin oxide, and an oxide of at least one metal (M metal) selected from the group consisting of Al, Hf, Ni, Si, Ga, In, and Ta. When the in-plane specific resistance and the specific resistance in the direction of depth are approximated by Gaussian distribution, the distribution coefficient σ of the specific resistance is 0.02 or less. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oxide sintered body obtained by mixing zinc oxide, tin oxide, and an oxide of at least one metal M selected from the group consisting of Al, Hf, Ni, Si, Ga, and Ta, and sintering the mixture, wherein, when an in-plane specific resistance and a specific resistance in a depth direction of the oxide sintered body are approximated by a Gaussian distribution, a distribution coefficient σ of the specific resistance is 0.02 or less. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oxide sintered body of claim 1, wherein, when a total amount of metal elements in the oxide sintered body is set to 1, and [Zn], [Sn], and [M metal] are contents, in atomic %, of Zn, Sn, and M metal, respectively, a ratio of [M metal]to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M metal], a ratio of [Zn] to [Zn]+[Sn], and a ratio of [Sn] to [Zn]+[Sn]respectively satisfy: [M metal]/([Zn]+[Sn]+[M metal])=0.01 to 0.30; [Zn]/([Zn]+[Sn]) =0.50 to 0.80; and [Sn]/([Zn]+[Sn]) =0.20 to 0.50. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oxide sintered body of claim 1, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10 Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A sputtering target comprising the oxide sintered body of claim 1, wherein, when an in-plane specific resistance and a specific resistance in a depth direction of the sputtering target are approximated by a Gaussian distribution, a distribution coefficient σ of the specific resistance is 0.02 or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sputtering target of claim 4, wherein, when a total amount of metal elements in the sputtering target is set to 1, and [Zn], [Sn], and [M metal] are contents, in atomic %, of Zn, Sn, and M metal, respectively, a ratio of [M metal]to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M metal], a ratio of [Zn] to [Zn]+[Sn], and a ratio of [Sn] to [Zn]+[Sn]respectively satisfy: [M metal]/([Zn]+[Sn]+[M metal])=0.01 to 0.30; [Zn]/([Zn]+[Sn]) =0.50 to 0.80; and [Sn]/([Zn]+[Sn])=0.20 to 0.50. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The sputtering target of claim 4, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The oxide sintered body of claim 2, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) A sputtering target comprising the oxide sintered body of claim 2, wherein, when an in-plane specific resistance and a specific resistance in a depth direction of the sputtering target are approximated by a Gaussian distribution, a distribution coefficient σ of the specific resistance is 0.02 or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) A sputtering target comprising the oxide sintered body of claim 3, wherein, when an in-plane specific resistance and a specific resistance in a depth direction of the sputtering target are approximated by a Gaussian distribution, a distribution coefficient σ of the specific resistance is 0.02 or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A sputtering target comprising the oxide sintered body of claim 7, wherein, when an in-plane specific resistance and a specific resistance in a depth direction of the sputtering target are approximated by a Gaussian distribution, a distribution coefficient σ of the specific resistance is 0.02 or less. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The sputtering target of claim 5, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10 Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The sputtering target of claim 8, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10 Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The sputtering target of claim 9, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10 Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The sputtering target of claim 10, having a relative density of 90% or more, and a specific resistance of 0.10 Ω·cm or less. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The oxide sintered body of claim 2, wherein the M metal is Ga, and the ratio of [M metal] to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M Metal] is not less than 0.10 and not more than 0.25. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The oxide sintered body of claim 2, wherein the M metal is Ga, and the ratio of [M metal] to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M Metal] is not less than 0.15 and not more than 0.25. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The oxide sintered body of claim 2, wherein the M metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Hf, Ni, Si, and Ta, and the ratio of [M metal] to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M Metal] is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.10. ### Claim 18 (depends on 5) The sputtering target of claim 5, wherein the M metal is Ga, and the ratio of [M metal] to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M Metal] is not less than 0.10 and not more than 0.25. ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The sputtering target of claim 5, wherein the M metal is Ga, and the ratio of [M metal] to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M Metal] is not less than 0.15 and not more than 0.25. ### Claim 20 (depends on 5) The sputtering target of claim 5, wherein the M metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Hf, Ni, Si, and Ta, and the ratio of [M metal] to [Zn]+[Sn]+[M Metal] is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.10.