Rotary Ceramic ITO Sputtering Targets for Large Area TCO Coating Deposition: Cost Effective and Quality Boosting

摘要

Rotary magnetrons offer many advantages, both in terms of coating quality improvements as in terms of production cost. Although the sputtering targets needed for such magnetrons are normally much more expensive than their planar counterparts, the total cost of ownership of sintered rotary ceramic ITO-targets turns out to be considerably lower than for planar ceramic targets. This is due to higher process yield (less arcing, reduced particles and pinholes), higher target utilization and better collection efficiency, lower energy and labour costs, higher system up time. Unfortunately, many manufacturers just take the target cost per kilogram into account when they make technological comparisons. This work will prove that a more in depth cost analysis is needed using the example of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO-coating) as is used in TFT-LCD's (colour filter ITO) or flexible thin film PV cells. In the latter application, this TCO is typically responsible for more than 5% of the front end production cost and its characteristics contribute considerably to the cell efficiency. Hence it is worthwhile focussing on this component of the thin film cell.