阅读说明：本技术 氧化物烧结体及溅射靶 (Oxide sintered body and sputtering target ) 是由 西山功兵 田尾幸树 于 2018-04-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种氧化物烧结体,其中,金属元素包括In、Ga、Zn及Sn,且所述氧化物烧结体包含Ga2In6Sn2O16、ZnGa2O4及InGaZnO4,当将相对于氧化物烧结体中所含的除氧以外的全部金属元素而言的In、Ga、Zn及Sn的含量的比例(原子％)分别设为[In]、[Ga]、[Zn]及[Sn]时,满足式(1)～式(3)。[Ga]≧37原子％…(1)、[Sn]≦15原子％…(2)、[Ga]/([In]+[Zn])≧0.7…(3)。根据本发明,即便在添加有大量Ga的In-Ga-Zn-Sn系氧化物烧结体中,也可抑制接合时的破裂的发生。(The present invention relates to an oxide sintered body In which metal elements include In, Ga, Zn, and Sn, the oxide sintered body contains Ga2In6Sn2O16, ZnGa2O4, and InGaZnO4, and when the proportions (atomic%) of the In, Ga, Zn, and Sn contents with respect to all metal elements contained In the oxide sintered body except oxygen are [ In ], [ Ga ], [ Zn ], and [ Sn ], respectively, the oxide sintered body satisfies formulas (1) to (3). [ Ga ] > 37 atomic% … (1), [ Sn ] ≦ 15 atomic% … (2), [ Ga ]/([ In ] + [ Zn ]) > 0.7 … (3). According to the present invention, even In an In-Ga-Zn-Sn oxide sintered body containing a large amount of Ga, cracking at the time of bonding can be suppressed.)

1. An oxide sintered body In which metal elements are composed of In, Ga, Zn and Sn, and which contains Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄The oxide sintered body is characterized in that:

when the proportions (atomic%) of the In, Ga, Zn, and Sn contents with respect to all the metal elements other than oxygen contained In the oxide sintered body are [ In ], [ Ga ], [ Zn ], and [ Sn ], respectively, the following formulas (1) to (3) are satisfied.

[ Ga ] > 37 atom% … (1)

[ Sn ] ≦ 15 at% … (2)

[Ga]/([In]+[Zn])≧0.7…(3)。

2. The oxidation according to claim 1A sintered body of a material, characterized in that the Ga is present when the oxide sintered body is subjected to X-ray diffraction₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆The ZnGa₂O₄And said InGaZnO₄Satisfies the following formula (4).

[Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]+[ZnGa₂O₄]+[InGaZnO₄]≧0.9…(4)

Wherein [ Ga ]₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]＝I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)), and [ ZnGa ]₂O₄]＝I(ZnGa₂O₄)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)), and [ InGaZnO ]₄]＝I(InGaZnO₄)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)).

In the formula, I (Ga)₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)、I(ZnGa₂O₄) And I (InGaZnO)₄) Ga determined by X-ray diffraction₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄Diffraction peak intensity of the phase; in addition, I (other crystalline phase) is other than Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄Other than the diffraction peak intensity of the crystal phase determined by X-ray diffraction.

3. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an average crystal grain diameter of the oxide sintered body is 10 μm or less.

4. The oxide sintered body according to claim 3, wherein the average crystal grain size is 7 μm or less.

5. The oxide sintered body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein [ Sn ] satisfies 2 atom% ≦ Sn ].

6. A sputtering target obtained by using the oxide sintered body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: the specific resistance is 1 omega cm or less.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an oxide sintered body and a sputtering target used for forming an oxide semiconductor Thin film of a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) used in a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic Electroluminescence (EL) display by a sputtering method.

Background

Amorphous (amorphous) oxide semiconductors used in TFTs have high carrier mobility and a large optical band gap (band gap) compared with general-purpose amorphous silicon (a-Si), and can be formed at low temperatures. Therefore, it is expected to be applied to next-generation displays requiring large-sized, high-resolution, and high-speed driving, resin substrates having low heat resistance, and the like. As a composition of an Oxide semiconductor suitable for these applications, an In-containing amorphous Oxide semiconductor has been proposed, and for example, a product using an In-Ga-Zn Oxide (IGZO) semiconductor is put to practical use. In addition, for the purpose of imparting different characteristics such as high mobility, In-Ga-Zn-Sn-based oxide semiconductors containing Sn, In-Ga-Sn-based oxide semiconductors, and the like have been noted.

In forming the oxide semiconductor thin film, a sputtering method of sputtering a sputtering target (hereinafter, may be referred to as "target") made of the same material as the thin film is preferably used. The sputtering target is used in a state where the oxide sintered body is joined to the support plate (backing plate), but the oxide sintered body may be broken in a step of joining the oxide sintered body to the support plate.

The following technique is disclosed: in the oxide semiconductor containing SnThe Sn-derived crystal phase can be generated, but the control of the crystal phase serves to suppress the occurrence of cracking of the oxide sintered body in the step of joining the oxide sintered body to the support plate. For example, patent document 1 discloses a method of producing a semiconductor device by including Ga at a predetermined ratio₃InSn₅O₁₆Phase to suppress Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆An In-Ga-Sn oxide semiconductor In which phase grains are grown.

Patent document 2 discloses a technique of: in the case of an In-Ga-Zn-Sn oxide sintered body to which Ga is added, In order to suppress the formation of a Ga-In-Ga-Zn-Sn oxide sintered body from InGaO which is a main component of an IGZO oxide₃(ZnO)_m(m is an integer of 1-20) and causes abnormal discharge, and the obtained film has defects, so as to adjust the contents of In, Ga, Zn and Sn, and adjust Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、Ga_2.4In_5.6Sn₂O₁₆Or (Ga, In)₂O₃Any of them is a main component.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In addition, In order to improve the resistance to optical stress (photoresistance) (small variation In threshold value of the transistor due to optical stress) In the oxide semiconductor thin film of the TFT using the In-Ga-Zn-Sn-based oxide sintered body, a large amount of Ga needs to be added. However, the system in which a large amount of Ga is added has the following problems: from InGaO as hereinbefore described₃(ZnO)_mThe compound represented is likely to grow abnormally and the crystal grain size of the compound is coarsened, whereby the oxide sintered body is particularly likely to crack in the step of joining the obtained oxide sintered body to the support plate.

The present invention has been made In view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an oxide sintered body In which cracking at the time of bonding can be suppressed even In an In-Ga-Zn-Sn-based oxide sintered body containing a large amount of Ga, and a sputtering target using the oxide sintered body.

Means for solving the problems

As a result of extensive studies, the present inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by providing a sintered oxide body used for a sputtering target with a specific composition and a specific crystal phase, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is [1] below.

[1]An oxide sintered body In which metal elements include In, Ga, Zn and Sn, and which contains Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄The oxide sintered body is characterized in that: the proportions (atomic%) of the contents of In, Ga, Zn and Sn with respect to all metal elements other than oxygen contained In the oxide sintered body are each set to [ In ]]、[Ga]、[Zn]And [ Sn]When the ratio is within the above range, the following formulas (1) to (3) are satisfied.

[ Ga ] > 37 atom% … (1)

[ Sn ] ≦ 15 at% … (2)

[Ga]/([In]+[Zn])≧0.7…(3)

Further, preferred embodiments of the present invention are [2] to [6] below.

[2]According to [1] above]The oxide sintered body is characterized in that: when the oxide sintered body is subjected to X-ray diffraction, the Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆The ZnGa₂O₄And said InGaZnO₄Satisfies the following formula (4).

[Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]+[ZnGa₂O₄]+[InGaZnO₄]≧0.9…(4)

Wherein [ Ga ]₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]＝I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)), [ ZnGa-₂O₄]＝I(ZnGa₂O₄)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)), [ InGaZnO ]₄]＝I(InGaZnO₄)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)).

In the formula, I (Ga)₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)、I(ZnGa₂O₄) And I (InGaZnO)₄) Ga determined by X-ray diffraction₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄Diffraction peak intensity of the phase. In addition, I (other crystalline phase) is other than Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄Other than the diffraction peak intensity of the crystal phase determined by X-ray diffraction.

[3] The oxide sintered body according to the above [1] or [2], characterized in that: the average crystal grain diameter of the oxide sintered body is less than 10 μm.

[4] The oxide sintered body according to [3], characterized in that: the average crystal grain size is 7 μm or less.

[5] The oxide sintered body according to any one of [1] to [4], characterized in that: the [ Sn ] satisfies 2 atom% ≦ Sn ].

[6] A sputtering target obtained by using the oxide sintered body according to any one of [1] to [5], characterized in that: the specific resistance is 1 omega cm or less.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an oxide sintered body In which occurrence of cracking at the time of bonding can be suppressed even In an In-Ga-Zn-Sn-based oxide sintered body to which a large amount of Ga is added, and a sputtering target using the oxide sintered body.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a graph (graph) showing the X-ray diffraction result of the oxide sintered body of the present invention in example 2 (X-ray diffraction chart (chart)).

Fig. 2A is a graph showing the results of Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) test (elemental mapping) of the oxide sintered body of the present invention in example 2.

Fig. 2B is a graph showing the EPMA test results (elemental mapping) of the oxide sintered body of the present invention in example 2.

Detailed Description

The present inventors have made extensive studies to provide an oxide sintered body for a sputtering target which can realize stable film formation for a long period of time by suppressing abnormal discharge during sputtering and cracking of a sputtering target material and which is suitable for forming an oxide semiconductor film having improved light stress resistance.

As a result, it has been found that by appropriately controlling the content of each metal element contained In an oxide sintered body In which the metal elements include In, Ga, Zn, and Sn, an oxide sintered body including a predetermined crystal phase can be obtained, and cracking of the oxide sintered body can be suppressed while excellent light stress resistance is ensured.

Specifically, it was ascertained that: (a) by adding a large amount (37 at% or more) of Ga, excellent light stress resistance can be ensured; (b) ga is added In a predetermined amount or more (0.7 or more) and Sn is added In a predetermined amount or less (15 atomic% or less) to the total amount of In and Zn, whereby Ga contained In the oxide sintered body₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄In (3), Sn can be preferentially dissolved in Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆And Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆The growth of particles of (2) is suppressed and a structure for preventing the junction crack can be obtained, thereby completing the present invention.

First, the oxide sintered body of the present invention will be described in detail.

In the oxide sintered body of the present invention, the metal elements include In, Ga, Zn, and Sn, and the oxide sintered body contains Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄When the proportions (atomic%) of the In, Ga, Zn, and Sn contents with respect to all metal elements other than oxygen contained In the oxide sintered body are set to [ In ], respectively]、[Ga]、[Zn]And [ Sn]When the ratio is within the above range, the following formulas (1) to (3) are satisfied.

[ Ga ] > 37 atom% … (1)

[ Sn ] ≦ 15 at% … (2)

[Ga]/([In]+[Zn])≧0.7…(3)

Here, in order to form an oxide sintered body which has excellent light stress resistance and can suppress cracking of the oxide sintered body in the joining step, it is necessary to appropriately control the content of each metal element contained in the oxide sintered body.

Specifically, control is performed in the following manner: when the proportions (atomic%) of the In, Ga, Zn, and Sn contents with respect to all the metal elements other than oxygen contained In the oxide sintered body are [ In ], [ Ga ], [ Zn ], and [ Sn ], respectively, the following formulas (1) to (3) are satisfied.

[ Ga ] > 37 atom% … (1)

[ Sn ] ≦ 15 at% … (2)

[Ga]/([In]+[Zn])≧0.7…(3)

The formula (1) specifies the Ga ratio among all the metal elements ([ Ga ] ═ Ga/(In + Ga + Zn + Sn)). Ga has an effect of improving stress resistance, particularly reliability against light + negative bias stress, in addition to reducing oxygen deficiency and stabilizing the amorphous structure of the oxide semiconductor thin film.

If [ Ga ] is too low, it becomes difficult to obtain an effect of improving the reliability against light + negative bias stress in the oxide semiconductor thin film formed by sputtering. Therefore, [ Ga ] is 37 atomic% or more, preferably 40 atomic% or more, more preferably 42 atomic% or more, and still more preferably 45 atomic% or more.

In addition, if [ Ga ] is too high, mobility is lowered. Therefore, [ Ga ] is preferably 65 atomic% or less, more preferably 60 atomic% or less.

The formula (2) specifies the Sn ratio ([ Sn ] ═ Sn/(In + Ga + Zn + Sn)) among all the metal elements. Sn generally has an effect of improving the chemical resistance of the oxide semiconductor thin film, such as wet etching.

If [ Sn ]]Too high, Ga cannot be completely suppressed₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆The growth of crystal grains of (2), and in addition, Ga is easily induced₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆As a result of formation of other Sn-containing crystal phases, cracks may be generated starting from the generated crystal phases, which may cause cracking during bonding. Thus, [ Sn ]]Is 15 atomic% or less, preferably 12 atomic% or less, and more preferably 10 atomic% or less.

In addition, if [ Sn ]]If the amount is too low, it is difficult to obtain a solution in which Sn is preferentially dissolved in Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Ga (III) in (III)₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Inhibiting effect of particle growth in the phase. Thus, [ Sn ]]Is 1 atomic% or more, preferably 2 atomic% or more, more preferably 3 atomic% or more, and still more preferably 5 atomic% or more.

The formula (3) specifies the Ga ratio In all the metal elements with respect to the total of the In ratio In all the metal elements and the Zn ratio In all the metal elements.

If [ Ga ]]/([In]+[Zn]) If the amount is too low, Ga cannot be completely suppressed₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆The growth of crystal grains of (2), and in addition, Ga is easily induced₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆As a result of formation of other Sn-containing crystal phases, cracks may be generated starting from the generated crystal phases, which may cause cracking during bonding. Thus, [ Ga ]]/([In]+[Zn]) Is 0.7 or more, preferably 0.8 or more.

Further, there is no particular disadvantage caused by excessively high [ Ga ]/([ In ] + [ Zn ]), but from the viewpoint of the resistivity of the oxide sintered body, 0.99 or less is set.

Then, when the oxide sintered body of the present invention is subjected to X-ray diffractionDetected Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄To be explained.

Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄Each of the oxides is formed by bonding at least a part of In, Ga, Zn, and O constituting the oxide sintered body of the present invention. Furthermore, Sn contained in the oxide sintered body is preferentially dissolved in Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆And ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄Contains almost no Sn.

As described above, Ga contained in the oxide sintered body₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄In (1), Sn is preferentially dissolved in Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆From Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆The growth of the particles of (2) is suppressed, thereby obtaining a structure that prevents the junction from breaking. Further, since Sn is preferentially melted, there is no generation of other crystal phases such as SnO which cause abnormal discharge, and stable film formation is realized, and Ga which is locally precipitated can be removed₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄The other crystal phases are starting points of cracks and are suppressed from breaking when bonding occurs.

In order to further enhance the crack-inhibiting effect at the time of bonding, it is preferable to make the average crystal grain diameter of the crystal grains of the oxide sintered body finer. Specifically, the average crystal grain size of crystal grains observed by a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) on a fracture surface of the oxide sintered body (arbitrary position of the surface of the fracture surface obtained by cutting the oxide sintered body in the thickness direction at the arbitrary position) is preferably 10 μm or less, whereby the breakage of the oxide sintered body can be further suppressed.

The average crystal grain diameter of the crystal grains of the oxide sintered body is more preferably 8 μm or less, still more preferably 7 μm or less, and still more preferably 6 μm or less. On the other hand, the lower limit of the average crystal grain size is not particularly limited, and a preferable lower limit of the average crystal grain size is about 0.05 μm in terms of the balance between the miniaturization of the average crystal grain size and the production cost.

In the present invention, it is further preferable that the grain size distribution be appropriately controlled in addition to the average crystal grain size of the crystal grains of the oxide sintered body. Specifically, coarse crystal grains having a crystal grain size of more than 15 μm are preferably as small as possible because they cause breakage of the oxide sintered body at the time of bonding. Therefore, the area ratio of coarse crystal grains having a crystal grain size of more than 15 μm to the entire crystal grains is preferably 10% or less, more preferably 8% or less, further preferably 6% or less, and further more preferably 4% or less.

The relative density of the oxide sintered body of the present invention is preferably 90% or more. By increasing the relative density of the oxide sintered body, the crack-suppressing effect at the time of bonding can be further enhanced. The relative density of the oxide sintered body of the present invention is more preferably 95% or more, and still more preferably 98% or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 100%, but is preferably 99% in view of the production cost.

Furthermore, in order to further enhance the crack suppression effect at the time of bonding, Ga determined by X-ray diffraction is preferable₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄The peak intensity of the phase satisfies the following formula (4).

[Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]+[ZnGa₂O₄]+[InGaZnO₄]≧0.9…(4)

Wherein [ Ga ]₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]＝I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)). In addition, [ ZnGa ]₂O₄]＝I(ZnGa₂O₄)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄)+I(other crystalline phases)). In addition, [ InGaZnO ]₄]＝I(InGaZnO₄)/(I(Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)+I(ZnGa₂O₄)+I(InGaZnO₄) + I (other crystalline phase)).

In the formula, I (Ga)₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆)、I(ZnGa₂O₄) And I (InGaZnO)₄) Ga determined by X-ray diffraction₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄Diffraction peak intensity of the phase. In addition, I (other crystalline phase) is other than Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄Other than the diffraction peak intensity of the crystal phase determined by X-ray diffraction. "I" means a measured value of X-ray diffraction intensity.

Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆、ZnGa₂O₄And InGaZnO₄The compound phase of (1) has a crystal structure (corresponding to Ga) 7011, 00-038-1240 and 01-070-3625, respectively, which are recorded in an Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD) card, with respect to diffraction peaks obtained by X-ray diffraction of a sintered oxide body₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄Phase) (see table 2).

In the present invention, when the oxide sintered body is subjected to X-ray diffraction, it is preferable that Ga is contained at a predetermined ratio₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄The sum of the phases. Ga₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄The diffraction peak intensity ratio of the phase becomes small, that is, the ratio of these compounds to the entire oxide sintered body becomes small, and as a result, the ratio of the crystal phase precipitated other than these compounds becomes high.

In this case, Ga is removed by partial precipitation₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆Phase, ZnGa₂O₄Phase and InGaZnO₄Since a crack is generated starting from a crystal phase other than the phase and may cause a crack at the time of bonding, [ Ga ]₂In₆Sn₂O₁₆]+[ZnGa₂O₄]+[InGaZnO₄]Preferably 0.9 or more, more preferably 0.95 or more, and still more preferably 0.99 or more.

Next, a preferred method for producing the oxide sintered body of the present invention will be described.

The oxide sintered body of the present invention is obtained by mixing indium oxide, gallium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide and calcining, and a sputtering target can be produced by processing the oxide sintered body. Specifically, powder of the oxides may be subjected to (a) mixing and pulverizing → (b) drying and granulation → (c) preforming → (d) degreasing → (e) atmospheric sintering, and the obtained oxide sintered body may be subjected to (f) processing → (g) bonding, thereby obtaining a sputtering target.

In the above-described step, as described in detail below, in the present invention, as long as the conditions for selecting indium oxide, gallium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide as the raw material powder, or the conditions for atmospheric sintering ((e)) are appropriately controlled, the other steps are not particularly limited, and the steps generally used may be appropriately selected. The respective steps will be described below, but the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto.

First, indium oxide powder, gallium oxide powder, zinc oxide powder, and tin oxide powder are blended in a predetermined ratio, mixed, and pulverized. The purity of each raw material powder used is preferably about 99.99% or more. The reason is that if a trace amount of the impurity element is present, the semiconductor characteristics of the oxide semiconductor film may be impaired. The blending ratio of each raw material powder is preferably controlled so that the ratio of the contents of indium, gallium, zinc, and tin to all metal elements other than oxygen contained in the oxide sintered body falls within the above range.

(a) The mixing and pulverization are preferably performed by using a ball mill and putting the raw material powder together with water. The balls or beads used in these steps are preferably made of nylon, alumina, zirconia, or the like. In this case, the dispersing material or the binder for ensuring the easiness of the subsequent molding step may be mixed for the purpose of uniform mixing.

Then, the mixed powder obtained in the above step is preferably subjected to (b) drying and granulation by, for example, a spray dryer or the like.

After drying and granulation, (c) preforming is performed. In the molding, the dried and granulated powder is filled in a mold having a predetermined size, and is pressed by the mold to perform the preform. The preforming is performed for the purpose of improving handling property when set in a sintering furnace, and therefore, 0.5tonf/cm is applied²～1.0tonf/cm²Pressing left and right sides to obtain the formed body.

Thereafter, the molded article was formed by Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) (full mold). In order to increase the relative density of the oxide sintered body, it is preferable to control the pressure at the time of molding to about 1tonf/cm²The above.

When the dispersing material or the binder is added to the mixed powder, it is desirable to heat the molded body and degrease the molded body (d) in order to remove the dispersing material or the binder. The heating condition is not particularly limited as long as the purpose of degreasing is achieved, and for example, the degreasing may be carried out by keeping the degreasing at about 500 ℃ for about 5 hours in the air.

After degreasing, the molded body is set in a mold of a desired shape, and is sintered by (e) atmospheric sintering.

In the invention, the sintering temperature is as follows: 1300 ℃ to 1600 ℃ and the holding time at said temperature: sintering is carried out for 1to 50 hours. Further, the maintenance at 1100 to 1300 ℃ for 1to 10 hours at a time is preferably included. By setting these temperature ranges and holding times, compound phases satisfying the above formulas (1) to (3) can be obtained.

Further, if the sintering temperature is low, densification cannot be sufficiently performed, and the material strength is reduced. On the other hand, if the sintering temperature is too high, crystal grains become coarse, and the average grain size of the crystal grains cannot be controlled within a predetermined range, resulting in a decrease in material strength. Therefore, the sintering temperature is 1300 ℃ or higher, preferably 1350 ℃ or higher, more preferably 1400 ℃ or higher, and preferably 1600 ℃ or lower, preferably 1550 ℃ or lower.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the average temperature increase rate up to the sintering temperature after the molding is set to 100 ℃/hr or less. If the average temperature rise rate exceeds 100 ℃/hr, abnormal growth of crystal grains is likely to occur. In addition, the relative density may not be sufficiently increased.

In the sintering step, the sintering atmosphere is preferably an oxygen atmosphere (for example, an atmospheric atmosphere) or an atmosphere under oxygen pressure. In order to suppress evaporation of zinc oxide having a high vapor pressure, the pressure of the ambient gas is preferably set to atmospheric pressure.

After the oxide sintered body is obtained in the above manner, if (f) processing → (g) bonding is performed by a conventional method, a sputtering target of the present invention can be obtained. The method of processing the oxide sintered body is not particularly limited, and may be any method as long as it is processed into a shape suitable for various applications.

The processed oxide sintered body is joined to the support plate by a joining material, whereby a sputtering target can be produced. The kind of the material of the support plate is not particularly limited, and pure copper or a copper alloy having excellent thermal conductivity is preferable. The type of the bonding material is not particularly limited, and various known bonding materials having conductivity can be used, and examples thereof include In-based solder and Sn-based solder.

The joining method is not particularly limited, and for example, the oxide sintered body and the support plate may be heated to a temperature at which the joining material is melted, for example, about 140 to 220 ℃, the melted joining material may be applied to the joining surface of the support plate, the joining surfaces may be joined together, and the both may be pressure-bonded and then cooled.

The sputtering target obtained by using the oxide sintered body of the present invention is free from cracking due to impact at the time of bonding operation, stress generated by thermal history, or the like, and has very good specific resistance, preferably 1 Ω · cm or less, more preferably 10 Ω · cm or less^-1Omega cm or less, and more preferably 10^-2Omega cm or less.

When the sputtering target of the present invention is used, film formation can be achieved in which abnormal discharge during sputtering and cracking of the sputtering target material are further suppressed, and physical vapor deposition (sputtering method) using the sputtering target can be efficiently performed in a production line of a display device. In addition, the obtained oxide semiconductor thin film also exhibits good TFT characteristics.