Indium Oxide

Indium Oxide sputtering target is a kind of Indium Oxide as the main component, solid block, with high purity, high chemical stability and good sputtering performance, able to deposit Indium Oxide thin film with high transparency and good electrical conductivity by sputtering in the process of physical vapour deposition, which is widely used in flat panel displays, solar batteries, touch panels and other fields of key materials.

Characteristics

Appearance: Usually yellow crystalline solid, white to light yellow powder in powder state.

Density: Theoretical density is about 7.18 g/cm³.

Melting point: about 2000 ºC

Boiling point: about 850 ºC

Chemical formula: In₂O₃, an oxide of indium, chemically stable, non-flammable, incompatible with acids.

Grain size: The size of grain size affects the quality and performance of the sputtered film. High-quality indium oxide sputtering targets need to have a uniform and small grain size, which is usually controlled within a certain range to meet the sputtering requirements, but the specific value may vary depending on the production process and manufacturer’s requirements.

Sputtering rate: The sputtering rate is related to the composition, density, purity and sputtering process parameters of the target material. Under suitable sputtering conditions, indium oxide sputtering targets have a certain sputtering rate to ensure efficient deposition of thin films.

Binding method: Due to the brittle nature and poor thermal conductivity of the ceramic compound target, it is often used to bind a backing target to improve its thermal conductivity and service life. Generally, high-purity indium is used as the solder and high-purity oxygen-free copper is used as the back target.

Power Density: The maximum power density varies with different application scenarios and equipments, generally the maximum power density is about 20 watts/square inch.

Applications

Flat panel display field:

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD): Indium oxide sputtering targets are key materials for the preparation of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) films, which are used as transparent electrodes in LCDs. These transparent electrodes can ensure high light transmittance while having good electrical conductivity, enabling the LCD panel to work properly and realise the display of images. For example, they are widely used in various sizes of LCD devices such as mobile phones, tablet PCs, and TVs.

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Display: Although OLED itself has self-luminous properties, in some OLED display panels, thin films prepared by indium oxide sputtering targets can be used to improve the performance of the electrodes, enhance the stability and life of the device, etc. For example, in the encapsulation layer of OLED screens, ITO films can play a role in blocking the intrusion of moisture and oxygen to protect organic light-emitting materials.

Solar cell field:

Thin-film solar cells: In copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells, indium oxide sputtering targets can be used to prepare transparent conductive films as electrodes for the cells. Such electrodes can efficiently collect the current generated by the solar cell and transmit it to external circuits, improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell.

Chalcogenide solar cells: Indium oxide thin films can be used as part of the electron transport layer or hole transport layer of chalcogenide solar cells to aid in the transport and separation of charges and enhance the performance of the cells.

Touch screen field:

Resistive touch screens: Indium oxide sputtering targets can be used to prepare conductive layers for resistive touch screens. When the screen is touched, the two conductive layers come into contact and an electric current passes through, thus detecting the touch position. Indium oxide conductive layer has good conductivity and light transmission, which can meet the performance requirements of resistive touch screen.

Capacitive touch screen: In capacitive touch screen, indium oxide film can be used to make electrodes or auxiliary electrodes to participate in the formation and change of capacitance to achieve the touch sensing function.

Optical coating field:

Anti-reflection film: In optical lenses, camera lenses and other optical components, anti-reflection films can be prepared by sputtering indium oxide thin films to reduce the reflection of light and increase the transmittance of optical components, thus improving the performance of the optical system. For example, it is widely used in high-end camera lenses, telescopes, microscopes and other optical devices.

Transparent heat-reflective film: Transparent heat-reflective films prepared from indium oxide sputtering targets can reflect a portion of infrared rays while maintaining high light transmittance, providing a heat-insulating effect. This kind of film can be applied in the field of architectural glass, automotive glass, etc., to reduce the absorption of heat inside the room or car, and reduce energy consumption.

Semiconductor field:

Electrode materials for semiconductor devices: Indium oxide film can be used as electrode materials for semiconductor devices, such as field effect transistors (FETs) and diodes. Their good conductivity and compatibility with semiconductor materials ensure effective charge transfer between the electrode and the semiconductor.

Insulating layer for integrated circuits: In some special integrated circuit structures, indium oxide films can be used as an insulating layer to isolate different parts of the circuit and ensure the normal operation of the circuit.

Gas sensors: Indium oxide-based gas sensors can detect a variety of gases, such as oxygen, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Indium oxide thin film prepared by sputtering method has a large specific surface area and good gas adsorption performance, which can quickly and accurately detect changes in the concentration of gases, and is widely used in the fields of environmental monitoring, industrial production, and smart home.