Sputtering target comprising Al—Te—Cu—Zr alloy, and method for producing same

Abstract

An AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target, comprising 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al, wherein a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in a structure of the target. An object of the present invention is to provide an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target capable of effectively reducing particle generation, nodule formation and the like upon sputtering and further capable of reducing oxygen contained in the target.

Claims

1. An AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target, comprising 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al, wherein a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in a structure of the target.

2. The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 1, wherein an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase are present in the structure of the target.

3. The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 1, having a mean grain size of 10 m or less.

4. The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 1, having a purity of 3N or more and an oxygen content of 3000 wt. ppm or less.

5. The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 1, comprising one or more elements selected from Si, C, Ti, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, lanthanoid elements, Ge, Zn, Co, Ni, Fe, Mg, Ga, S and Se.

6. The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 1, having a relative density of 90% or more.

7. A method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target comprising 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al, wherein a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in a structure of the target, the method comprising the steps of: dissolving a Cu raw material and a Te raw material to produce a CuTe alloy ingot; pulverizing the CuTe alloy ingot; then hot-pressing the pulverized CuTe powder and a Zr raw material powder to produce a CuTeZr alloy; then pulverizing the CuTeZr alloy; hot-pressing the pulverized CuTeZr powder and an Al raw material powder to produce a CuTeZrAl alloy.

8. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder and the Zr raw material powder are hot-pressed at a temperature of 300 C. to 400 C. to produce the CuTeZr alloy.

9. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder and the Zr raw material powder are hot-pressed at a temperature of 400 C. to 600 C. to produce the CuTeZr alloy.

10. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein during the step of pulverizing the CuTeZr alloy, the alloy is pulverized under an inert atmosphere or under vacuum.

11. A method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target comprising 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al, wherein a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in a structure of the target, the method comprising the steps of: dissolving a Cu raw material and a Te raw material to produce a CuTe alloy ingot; pulverizing the CuTe alloy ingot; then hot-pressing the pulverized CuTe powder, a Zr raw material powder and an Al raw material powder to produce the CuTeZrAl alloy.

12. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 11, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder, the Zr raw material powder and the Al raw material powder are hot-pressed at a temperature of 300 C. to 600 C. to produce the CuTeZrAl alloy.

13. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 11, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder has a mean grain size of 0.1 to 10 m, the Zr raw material powder has a mean grain size of 0.1 to 10 m, and the Al raw material powder has a mean grain size of 0.1 to 10 m.

14. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 11, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder is subjected to hydrogen reduction.

15. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 11, wherein during the step of pulverizing the CuTe alloy, the alloy is pulverized under an inert atmosphere or under vacuum.

16. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder has a mean grain size of 0.1 to 10 m, the Zr raw material powder has a mean grain size of 0.1 to 10 m, and the Al raw material powder has a mean grain size of 0.1 to 10 m.

17. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein the pulverized CuTe powder is subjected to hydrogen reduction.

18. The method of manufacturing an AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to claim 7, wherein during the step of pulverizing the CuTe alloy, the alloy is pulverized under an inert atmosphere or under vacuum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows element mappings obtained from FE-EPMA of a sintered compact according to Example 1.

(2) FIG. 2 shows element mappings obtained from FE-EPMA of a sintered compact according to Example 2.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing FE-EPMA observation spots in a sputtering target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to the present invention comprises 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al. Their composition ranges are each selected so as to obtain the characteristics of a variable resistance recording material. The alloy target according to the present invention contains Al, Te, Cu and Zr as main components, and may also contain other components in order to improve various properties as a recording material.

(5) The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to the present invention is characterized by that a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in the structure thereof. The Te, Cu and CuTe phases may readily be sputtered, resulting in accelerated deposition rates. The absence of these phases thus enables uniform deposition rates throughout the entire target. Further, the absence of the very reactive CuTe phase as described above enables easy handling. The phrase a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present as used herein means that the area percentage of each phase is less than 5% as observed in a 2000 field of an EPMA mapping image. Considering the possibility of segregation, EPMA observations are also performed at multiple positions as shown in FIG. 3. At least half or more of them are required to show an area percentage of less than 5% for each phase.

(6) The sputtering target according to the present invention preferably has an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase present in the structure thereof. Such reduced difference in sputtering rates between the constituent phases of a target can allow more uniform deposition rates, thereby significantly reducing the development of particles and nodules. Note that the presence of them can be determined by observing the structure by EPMA.

(7) The sputtering target according to the present invention preferably has a mean grain size of 10 m or less. For a composite material comprising those phases with different deposition rates, a decreased crystal grain size can reduce the unevenness on the surface of a sputtering target, and thus can reduce the development of nodules. Note that the crystal grain size of a sputtering target can significantly be varied depending on adjustment of the grain size of raw powders as well as conditions for pulverizing an alloy ingot, conditions for hot-pressing and the like as described below.

(8) Further, the sputtering target according to the present invention preferably has an oxygen content of 3000 wt. ppm or less. Reduction in the oxygen content can suppress particle generation due to oxygen, further improving the properties of a device such as a variable resistance memory. Moreover, the sputtering target more preferably has a purity of 3N (99.9%) or more because the presence of impurity elements may deteriorate device properties.

(9) The sputtering target according to the present invention contains Al, Te, Cu and Zr as main components, and may also contain other components in order to module the properties of a device such as a variable resistance memory. For example, one or more elements selected from Si, C, Ti, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, lanthanoid elements, Ge, Zn, Co, Ni, Fe, Mg, Ga, S and Se may be added. These additives can improve device performance when they are added preferably in a range of 0.1 wt % to 5.0 wt %.

(10) The sputtering target according to the present invention preferably has a relative density of 90% or more. Use of such a high-density target can provide good sputtering. The relative density as used in the present invention will be calculated by the following formula.
Relative density={(Density of sintered compact)/(Theoretical density)}100
wherein the density of a sintered compact is derived from the volume and measured weight thereof, the volume being obtained by measuring the dimensions of the sintered compact with calipers, and the theoretical density is calculated, as described below, by multiplying the individual density of each raw material with its mixing mass ratio, and summing the resulting values.
Theoretical density={(Theoretical density of each raw materialmixing ratio)+(Theoretical density of each raw materialmixing ratio)+ . . . }

(11) The AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to the present invention can be produced, for example, by the following method.

(12) (Synthesis of CuTe)

(13) First, a Cu raw material and a Te raw material are prepared. These materials are then weighed out to obtain a desired composition ratio. Then, these raw materials are charged into a quartz ampule and vacuum-sealed. A synthesis process is then performed in an oscillating synthesis furnace. The dissolution temperature is preferably 1000 to 1300 C. so that Cu and Te are thoroughly dissolved. After dissolution, they are cooled in a furnace. The structure of the resulting sintered compact comprises a CuTe phase and a Te phase. Note that, although CuTeZr may be synthesized in one step, a stepwise synthesis is preferred in which CuTe is first prepared, and Zr is then added in order to synthesize CuTeZr. This is because a high vapor pressure of Te may result in a composition deviation.

(14) Then, the synthesized CuTe sintered compact is pulverized. Pulverization can be performed with a common device such as a stamp mill, a ball mill, a vibration mill, a pin mill, a hammer mill and a jet mill. In order to effectively prevent oxidation of a pulverized powder, the process is preferably performed under vacuum or under an inert atmosphere. When the process can not be performed under vacuum or under an inert atmosphere, hydrogen reduction can subsequently be performed to reduce the content of oxygen. The CuTe powder pulverized in this way may be then screened with a sieve to achieve a grain size of 0.1 to 10 m.

(15) (Synthesis of CuTeZr)

(16) The CuTe powder and a Zr powder are mixed in a desired composition ratio, and sintered by hot press for synthesis of CuTeZr. The sintering temperature may be 300 to 400 C. for solid phase synthesis, and 400 to 600 C. (provided that 400 C. is not included) for liquid phase synthesis. The grain size of the Zr powder is preferably 0.1 to 10 m for promoting a reaction of Te with Zr. Then, the synthesized CuTeZr sintered compact is pulverized. Pulverization may be performed with a common device as described above. CuTeZr is preferably processed under vacuum or under an inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation of the pulverized powder because the oxygen content of CuTeZr can not be reduced effectively by hydrogen reduction. The structure of the sintered compact obtained in this way comprises a CuTe phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, the pulverized CuTeZr powder can be screened with a sieve to achieve 0.1 to 10 m.

Synthesis of CuTeZrAl

(17) The CuTeZr powder and an Al powder are mixed in a desired composition ratio, and sintered by hot press for synthesis of CuTeZrAl. The sintering temperature is preferably 300 to 600 C. for perfoiming a synthesis reaction of CuTeZr with Al. The grain size of the Al powder is preferably 0.1 to 10 m for promoting a reaction with CuTeZr. A sintered compact with a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase can be obtained in a way as described above.

(18) Alternatively, a CuTe powder, a Zr powder and an Al powder may be mixed in a desired composition ratio, and sintered by hot press at a temperature of 300 to 600 C. for synthesis of CuTeZrAl. Once CuTeZr is synthesized, oxygen can not be reduced by hydrogen reduction as described above. Therefore, synthesis of CuTeZr can be coupled with synthesis of CuTeZrAl to effectively suppress oxygen contamination as well as simplify the process. Even a sintered compact obtained in this way can show a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase.

(19) (Addition of Other Components)

(20) The aforementioned additive elements for improving device performance are preferably added at the following steps. Ge, Ga, S, Se and Zn have low melting points to allow easy synthesis, and also have relatively low activity. Therefore they are preferably added when Cu and Te are dissolved. For C, Ti, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, lanthanoid elements and Mg, synthesis is difficult due to their high melting points, and deoxygenation is also difficult due to their high activity. Therefore they are preferably added when a Zr powder and an Al powder are mixed with a CuTe powder. Others such as Si, Co, Ni and Fe may appropriately be added at any of the above steps.

(21) A CuTeZrAl sintered compact synthesized according to the above method or a sintered compact comprising other components as additives can be subjected to machining such as cutting and polishing, if desired, to produce a sputtering target with a predetermined shape. In the manner as described above, the AlTeCuZr alloy sputtering target according to the present invention having the aforementioned features can be produced.

EXAMPLES

(22) Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. Note that these Examples are presented merely for illustrative purposes. The present invention shall not be limited to these in any sense. That is, the present invention shall be limited only by the claims and encompass various modifications other than those described in Examples which fall within the scope of the present invention.

Example 1

(23) A Cu raw material with a purity of 4N and a Te raw material with a purity of 5N were weighed out to give a composition of Cu:Te=30:70 (at %). A Cu wire rod and a Te shot sized for a synthesis ampule were selected as raw materials. Then, the raw materials were charged into a high-purity quartz ampule and vacuum-sealed to prevent oxidation and contamination from the environment during dissolution. An ampule with an inner diameter of 80 mm and a length of 200 mm was selected and used so as to obtain a homogeneous temperature distribution and a uniformly mixed molten metal. Then, dissolution was performed to obtain an alloy. The temperature was maintained at 1000 C. for 4 hours to ensure that Cu and Te are thoroughly reacted and dissolved. During this process, a molten metal was allowed to oscillate at a frequency of 30 Hz for homogenization. After dissolution was completed, the content was cooled slowly to room temperature in the furnace to produce a cast ingot. A highly pure CuTe ingot with a purity of 4N was obtained in a way as described above.

(24) Subsequently, the ingot was pulverized with a stamp mill under ambient air. During pulverization with a stamp mill, a clean hammer and pot were used to prevent contamination from the parts of the mill. For efficient stamp-mill pulverization, the total charge per pot was set to 400 g, and pulverization was performed at a frequency of 60 Hz for 1 hour. Classification was then performed with a 90-m sieve, and only a through-sieve fraction was collected. Note that the on-sieve fraction was charged into the next batch in the process, and the entire portion was subjected to the above treatments afterwards. The resulting powder was subjected to hydrogen reduction treatment for further reduction of oxygen. Hydrogen reduction was performed under conditions where the reduction temperature was 325 C., the holding time was 6 hours, and the hydrogen flow rate was 5 liters/minute. These conditions were selected in order to achieve sufficiently reduced oxygen and to prevent significantly proceeded necking. The oxygen content of the CuTe powder was able to be reduced to 80 wt. ppm from 680 wt. ppm.

(25) Then, a CuTe powder with a maximum grain size of 90 m and a Zr powder with a maximum grain size of 10 m were weighed out to give a composition of CuTe:Zr=83.3:16.7 (at %). The resulting raw material powder was charged into a graphite die with a diameter of 480 mm, and hot-pressed to produce a sintered compact. Sintering conditions were such that the sintering temperature was 325 C. (solid phase reaction), the pressing pressure was 300 kgf/cm.sup.2, and the holding time was 4 hours, and then sintering was further performed at a sintering temperature of 400 C. (solid phase reaction), a pressing pressure of 300 kgf/cm.sup.2 and a holding time of 4 hours. Note that all sintering treatments were performed under vacuum atmosphere. EPMA mapping images of the resulting sintered compact are shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 demonstrates that the sintered compact had a structure comprising a TeZr phase and a Zr phase.

(26) Then, this sintered compact was pulverized with a stamp mill under an Ar atmosphere where oxygen is present at 10 ppm or less. The same pulverization conditions as in the pulverization of the CuTe ingot were used. Classification was then performed with a 90-m sieve, and only a through-sieve fraction was collected. Note that the on-sieve fraction was charged into the next batch in the process, and the entire portion was subjected to the above treatments afterwards. The resulting CuTeZr powder with a maximum grain size of 90 m and an atomized Al powder with a purity of 4N and a mean grain size of 3 m were weighed out to give a composition of Al:Te:Cu:Zr=40:35:15:10 (at %). The resulting raw material powder was charged into a graphite die with a diameter of 480 mm, and hot-pressed to produce a sintered compact. Sintering conditions were a sintering temperature of 400 C., a pressing pressure of 300 kgf/cm.sup.2, a holding time of 4 hours, and an argon atmosphere. EPMA mapping images of the resulting sintered compact are shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 demonstrates that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase.

(27) An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 3000 wt. ppm, a relative density of 90% and a mean grain size of 8 m was obtained in a way as described above. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that micro-arcing due to nodules and oxides was significantly reduced, and the rate of particle generation was very low with the number of particles (0.2 m or more) being 20 or less.

Example 2

(28) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 1 except that the temperature (maximum) when sintering a mixture of a CuTe powder and a Zr powder was changed to 500 C. (liquid phase reaction) from 400 C. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2900 wt. ppm, a relative density of 93% and a mean grain size of 9 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed under similar conditions as in Example 1. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 18.

Example 3

(29) The CuTe powder with a grain size of 90 m or less which was produced in Example 1 was further pulverized with a jet mill. The maximum grain size after pulverization was 5 m, and the content of oxygen was 680 wt. ppm. Then, hydrogen reduction was performed under the same conditions as in Example 1 to obtain a low-oxygen powder with an oxygen concentration of 80 wt. ppm. The resulting CuTe powder with a maximum grain size of 5 m and an oxygen concentration of 80 wt. ppm, an Al powder with a maximum grain size of 10 m and an oxygen concentration of 5100 wt. ppm and a Zr powder with a maximum grain size of 10 m and an oxygen concentration of 8000 wt. ppm were weighed out and mixed to give the same composition as in Example 1. The resulting raw material powder was charged into a graphite die with a diameter of 480 mm, and hot-pressed to produce a sintered compact. As in Example 1, the sintering conditions were such that the sintering temperature was 325 C., the pressing pressure was 300 kgf/cm.sup.2, and the holding time was 4 hours, and then sintering was further performed at a sintering temperature of 400 C., a pressing pressure of 300 kgf/cm.sup.2 and a holding time of 4 hours under argon atmosphere. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 1900 wt. ppm, a relative density of 94% and a mean grain size of 7 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 25.

Example 4

(30) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 1 except that the composition ratio of Al, Te, Cu and Zr was changed as shown in Table 1. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2700 wt. ppm, a relative density of 90% and a mean grain size of 8 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 20.

Example 5

(31) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 2 except that the composition ratio of Al, Te, Cu and Zr was changed as shown in Table 1. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2400 wt. ppm, a relative density of 93% and a mean grain size of 9 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 18.

Example 6

(32) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 3 except that Ga as an additive element was added in dissolution of Cu and Te to give a composition shown in Table 1. An AlTeCuZr alloy (containing Ga) sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2800 wt. ppm, a relative density of 92% and a mean grain size of 6 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a CuGa phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 39.

Example 7

(33) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 3 except that S as an additive element was added in dissolution of Cu and Te to give a composition shown in Table 1. An AlTeCuZr alloy (containing S) sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2800 wt. ppm, a relative density of 90% and a mean grain size of 6 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a CuS phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 21.

Example 8

(34) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 3 except that a Ti powder as an additive element was added in sintering of a CuTe powder, a Zr powder and an Al powder to give a composition shown in Table 1. At this time, the Ti powder had a maximum grain size of 10 m and an oxygen concentration of 7900 wt. ppm. An AlTeCuZr alloy (containing Ti) sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2600 wt. ppm, a relative density of 95% and a mean grain size of 8 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase, a Ti phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 27.

Example 9

(35) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 3 except that Ge as an addictive element was added in dissolution of Cu and Te to give a composition as shown in Table 1, and a C powder as an additive element was further added in sintering of a CuGeTe powder, a Zr powder and an Al powder to give a composition as shown in Table 1. At this time, the Ti powder had a maximum grain size of 2 m and an oxygen concentration of 3100 wt. ppm. An AlTeCuZr alloy (containing Ge and C) sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2700 wt. ppm, a relative density of 91% and a mean grain size of 9 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a C phase, a CuAl phase, a GeTe phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 16.

Example 10

(36) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 3 except that Se as an addictive element was added in dissolution of Cu and Te to give a composition as shown in Table 1, and an Si powder as an additive element was further added in sintering of a CuGeTe powder, an Al powder and a Zr powder to give a composition as shown in Table 1. At this time, the Si powder had a maximum grain size of 2 m and an oxygen concentration of 1600 wt. ppm. An AlTeCuZr alloy (containing Se and Si) sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2900 wt. ppm, a relative density of 91% and a mean grain size of 7 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, an Si phase, an SeTeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as extremely low as 33.

Comparative Example 1

(37) A Cu powder with a mean grain size of 40 m and an oxygen concentration of 100 wt. ppm, a Te powder with a mean grain size of 30 m and an oxygen concentration of 100 wt. ppm, a Zr powder with a mean grain size of 40 m and an oxygen concentration of 8000 wt. ppm and an Al powder with a mean grain size of 40 m and an oxygen concentration of 100 wt. ppm were weighed out and mixed to give the same composition as in Example 1. The resulting raw material powder was charged into a graphite die with a diameter of 480 mm, and hot-pressed to produce a sintered compact. Sintering conditions were such that the sintering temperature was 370 C., and the pressing pressure was 300 kgf/cm.sup.2, and the holding time was 4 hours, and sintering was performed under an argon atmosphere. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2600 wt. ppm, a relative density of 95% and a mean grain size of 7 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a Cu phase, a CuTe phase, a CuTeZr phase, a TeZr phase and Zr. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was significantly increased as large as 468.

Comparative Example 2

(38) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 1 except that the sintering temperature (maximum) when sintering a mixture of a CuTeZr powder and an Al powder was changed to 370 C. from 400 C. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 3600 wt. ppm, a relative density of 83% and a mean grain size of 9 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was increased as large as 221.

Comparative Example 3

(39) A CuTeZr sintered compact was allowed to stand for 30 minutes under the ambient air after pulverized under an Ar atmosphere having 10 ppm or less of oxygen. Results showed that the oxygen concentration was increased to 820 wt. ppm from 450 wt. ppm. A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 1 except that this CuTeZr powder was used as a raw material powder. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 3600 wt. ppm, a relative density of 95% and a mean grain size of 8 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was increased as large as 309.

Comparative Example 4

(40) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 1 except that the composition ratio of Al, Te, Cu and Zr was changed as shown in Table 1. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 3000 wt. ppm, a relative density of 90% and a mean grain size of 8 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as low as 54. However, the above composition failed to provide satisfactory device properties.

Comparative Example 5

(41) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 1 except that the composition ratio of Al, Te, Cu and Zr was changed as shown in Table 1. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2600 wt. ppm, a relative density of 92% and a mean grain size of 5 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was as low as 35. However, the above composition failed to provide satisfactory device properties.

Comparative Example 6

(42) A sintered compact was produced under similar conditions as in Example 6 except that the CuGaTe powder, the Zr powder and the Al powder as raw material powders had a maximum grain size of 150 m. An AlTeCuZr alloy sintered compact with a purity of 3N or more, an oxygen concentration of 2700 wt. ppm, a relative density of 93% and a mean grain size of 15 m was obtained in a way as described above. Observation showed that the sintered compact had a structure comprising an Al phase, a CuAl phase, a TeZr phase and a Zr phase. Then, this sintered compact was machined to produce a sputtering target, with which sputtering was performed. Results showed that the number of particles (0.2 m or more) was increased as large as 134.

(43) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Process CuTeZr Synthesis Composition of Target Temperature Evaluation Al/at % Te/at % Cu/at % Zr/at % Others/at % ( C.) top Target Material Purity Example 1 40 35 15 10 400 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 2 40 35 15 10 500 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 3 40 35 15 10 400 C. Al + CuTe + Zr 3N Example 4 60 20 5 15 400 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 5 35 40 20 5 500 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 6 40 30 15 10 Ga/5 400 C. Al + CuTeZrGa 3N Example 7 40 30 15 10 S/5 400 C. Al + CuTeZrS 3N Example 8 40 35 15 5 Ti/5 400 C. Al + CuTeZr + Ti 3N Example 9 40 30 15 5 Ge/5, C/5 400 C. Al + CuTeZrGe + C 3N Example 10 40 30 15 5 Se/5, Si/5 400 C. Al + CuTeZrSe + Si 3N Comparative 40 35 15 10 370 C. Al + Cu + Te + Zr 3N Example 1 Comparative 40 35 15 10 400 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 2 Comparative 40 35 15 10 400 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 3 Comparative 65 10 5 20 400 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 4 Comparative 30 45 22 3 400 C. Al + CuTeZr 3N Example 5 Comparative 40 30 15 10 Ga/5 400 C. Al + CuTeZrGa 3N Example 6 Evaluation Effect Relative Mean Grain Number of Density Oxygen Size Particles (%) Concentration/ppm Phase (m) (0.2 um) Example 1 90 3000 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 8 20 Example 2 93 2900 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 9 18 Example 3 94 1900 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 7 25 Example 4 90 2700 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 8 20 Example 5 93 2400 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 9 18 Example 6 92 2800 Al, CuAl, CuGa, TeZr, Zr 6 39 Example 7 90 2800 Al, CuAl, CuS, TeZr, Zr 5 21 Example 8 95 2600 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Ti, Zr 8 27 Example 9 91 2700 Al, C, CuAl, GeTe, TeZr, Zr 9 16 Example 10 91 2900 Al, CuAl, Si, SeTeZr, Zr 7 33 Comparative 95 2600 Al, Cu, CuTe, CuTeZr, TeZr, Zr 7 468 Example 1 Comparative 83 2500 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 9 221 Example 2 Comparative 95 3600 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 8 309 Example 3 Comparative 90 3000 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 8 54 (Poor Example 4 propterties) Comparative 92 2600 Al, CuAl, TeZr, Zr 5 35 (Poor Example 5 propterties) Comparative 93 2700 Al, CuAl, CuGa, TeZr, Zr 15 134 Example 6

(44) Advantageously, the sputtering target of AlTeCuZr based alloy sintered compact according to the present invention has a small number of constituent phases in the structure thereof, and thus a uniform deposition rate can be obtained. The target also has a fine crystal grain size and a reduced oxygen content, and thus the development of particles and nodules due to these can be reduced. Therefore, the present invention is useful for stably supplying a thin film comprising an AlTe based alloy which is a high-quality variable resistance recording material.