Synthesis and processing of a Cu-In-Ga-Se sputtering target

Formation of a homogeneous nanocrystalline CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se2 alloy was achieved by mechanical alloying of blended elemental Cu, In, Ga, and Se powders in a planetary ball mill. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy techniques were employed to follow the alloy formation during the milling process. It was observed that, depending upon the milling conditions, either a metastable cubic or a stable tetragonal phase was produced. The grain size of the mechanically alloyed powder was about 10 nm. The mechanically alloyed powder was consolidated to full density by hot isostatic pressing the powder at 750 degrees C and 100 MPa for 2 h. Irrespective of the nature of the phase in the starting powder, the hot isostatically pressed compact contained the well-recrystallized tetragonal CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se2 phase with a grain size of about 50 nm. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.