Study on powder preparation of IGZO target and its effect on sintering

In this study, the powder preparation process of indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) and its effect on sintering were investigated to develop high-quality IGZO ceramic material as sputtering target. The effects of mechanical milling on the morphology, phase, size distribution and specific surface area of IGZO mixture particles were studied. Furthermore, the optimized powder states for sintered IGZO ceramics were analyzed. The results showed that the IGZO mixture particles were refined and the size difference between particles was significantly decreased after milling for 45 h. Moreover, the uniformity, size distribution and specific surface area of IGZO mixed powder were greatly improved. The pressed powders showed regular morphology, without any cracking or deformation. Three critical factors of powder treatment were identified which controlled the quality of the sintered IGZO target. Finally, using the optimized conditions, IGZO target was obtained with high density (relative density > 99%), regular shape, homogeneous microstructure (grain and element distribution) and controlled phases. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.