Applications of Sputtering Targets;
- Sputtering targets is used for film deposition. The deposition made by sputter targets is a method of depositing thin films by sputtering
that involves eroding material from a "target" source onto a "substrate" such as a silicon wafer.
- Semiconductor sputtering targets is used to etch the target. Sputter etching is chosen in cases where a high degree of etching anisotropy
is needed and selectivity is not a concern.
- Sputter targets is also used for analysis by etching away the target material.
One of the example occurs in secondary ion spectroscopy (SIMS), where the target sample is sputtered at a constant rate. As the target is sputtered,
the concentration and identity of sputtered atoms are measured using mass spectrometry. By helping of the sputtering target, the composition of the
target material can be determined and even extremely low concentrations of impurities are detected.
Sputtering target has also application area in space. Sputtering is one of the forms of space weathering, a process that changes the physical and
chemical properties of airless bodies, such as asteroids and the Moon.
Lanthanum nickel oxide with the chemical formula of LaNiO
3 is an important perovskite-type oxide with metallic conductivity.
Lanthanum nickel oxide is a ternary compound with unique chemical and physical properties. It shows an extended range of oxygen-deficient compositions,
an uncommon intrinsic n-type metallic conductance, a perovskite crystal structure and thermal and chemical stability. These characteristics make LNO a
technologically important perovskite oxide electrode in many potential applications such as ferroelectric thin film capacitors, solid oxide fuel cells, nonvolatile
ferroelectric random access memories and multilayer actuators.
Furthermore, LNO films have potential to be used as oxygen pressure and ethanol active sensing layers. Also, the reduced La–Ni mixed oxides are reported to
be good catalyst precursors to synthesized organic compounds and to grow large amounts of regular diameter distribution controlled carbon nanotubes.
Different chemical and physical thin film deposition techniques have been used to prepare LNO on various substrates. Chemical methods such as chemical vapor
deposition, metallo-organic chemical vapor deposition and chemical solution deposition have been used to prepare LNO films. Physical methods such as sputtering,
pulsed laser deposition and mist plasma evaporation have also been reported. Wet chemical solution deposition techniques provide simple and versatile alternative
methods for thin film preparation.
