Lithium Nickel Cobalt Oxide (LiNi(1-x)CoxO2) Sputtering Targets
Purity: 99.9%, Size: 2”, Thickness: 0.125”
Sputtering is a proven technology capable of depositing thin films from a wide variety of materials onto substrates of diverse shapes and sizes.
The sputtering process is repeatable and can be scaled up from small research and development projects. The process using sputter targets can be adapted for production batches involving medium to large substrate areas. Chemical reactions may occur on the target surface, in-flight, or on the substrate depending on the process parameters. Although sputter deposition involves many variables and is therefore complex, it provides experts significant control over film growth and microstructure.
Applications of Sputtering Targets
Sputtering targets are used for film deposition. Deposition performed with sputter targets is a method of creating thin films by sputtering, which involves eroding material from a “target” source and depositing it onto a “substrate,” such as a silicon wafer.
Semiconductor sputtering targets are used to etch the target, particularly when a high degree of etching anisotropy is required and selectivity is not a major concern.
Sputter targets are also used for analytical purposes by gradually removing target material. One example is secondary ion spectroscopy (SIMS), where the target sample is sputtered at a constant rate. As sputtering proceeds, the concentration and identity of ejected atoms are measured using mass spectrometry. With the assistance of the sputtering target, the composition of the material can be determined, and even extremely low levels of impurities can be detected.
Sputtering also has applications in space. It is one of the processes involved in space weathering, which alters the physical and chemical properties of airless bodies such as asteroids and the Moon.
Lithium Cobalt Oxide Overview
Lithium cobalt oxide is a chemical compound with the formula LiCoO2. It is a dark blue or bluish-gray crystalline solid commonly used in the positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries.
Battery Applications of LiCoO2 Sputtering Targets
Batteries with very small sizes are of significant interest as portable microelectronic devices and sensors continue to shrink. Thin film batteries can serve as power sources for low-power electronic devices, including portable electronics and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), which require very low power and current levels and can therefore be powered by thin film batteries.
In battery applications, a magnetron sputter system can be used. Thin film lithium is generally deposited using conventional sputtering target techniques. A LiCoO2 sputtering target assembly—consisting of the LiCoO2 target bonded to a backing plate—is used to deposit the thin film lithium.
To produce Li thin films, a D.C. (direct current) magnetron sputter system is employed. The LiCoO2 sputtering target forms part of a cathode assembly, which, together with an anode, is placed in an evacuated chamber filled with an inert gas, preferably argon. Magnets are positioned above the LiCoO2 sputtering target, and a switch connects the target backing plate to a D.C. voltage source. A substrate support is positioned below the LiCoO2 sputtering target within the chamber.
During operation, a high-voltage electrical field is applied across the cathode and anode. The inert gas is ionized by collisions with electrons ejected from the cathode. Positively charged gas ions are attracted to the cathode, and upon impacting the target surface, they dislodge target material. The dislodged material traverses the evacuated chamber and deposits as a LiCoO2 thin film onto the desired substrate, typically located near the anode.
