Microscopic Examination of Cold Spray Cermet Sn+In2O3 Coatings for Sputtering Target Materials

Low-pressure cold spraying is a newly developed technology with high application potential. The aim of this study was to investigatepotential application of this technique for producing a new type of transparent conductive oxide films target. Cold sprayingtechnique allows the manufacture of target directly on the backing plate; therefore the proposed sputtering target has a form ofSn+In2O3coating sprayed onto copper substrate. The microstructure and properties of the feedstock powder prepared using threevarious methods as well as the deposited ones by low-pressure cold spraying coatings were evaluated, compared, and analysed.Produced cermet Sn+In2O3targets were employed in first magnetron sputtering process to deposit preliminary, thin, transparentconducting oxide films onto the glass substrates. The resistivityof obtained preliminary films was measured and allows believingthat fabrication of TCO (transparent conducting oxide) films using targets produced by cold spraying is possible in the future, afteroptimization of the deposition conditions