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Lanthanum Zirconate Sputtering Target

Lanthanum Zirconate Sputtering Target, La₂Zr₂O₇

Introduction to Lanthanum Zirconate (La₂Zr₂O₇) Sputtering Target

The Lanthanum Zirconate (La₂Zr₂O₇) Sputtering Target is a high-performance ceramic material widely applied in thin-film deposition for research and industrial applications. As a member of the pyrochlore family, La₂Zr₂O₇ is renowned for its outstanding thermal stability, low thermal conductivity, and excellent resistance to chemical corrosion. These properties make it a preferred choice for industries requiring advanced protective and functional oxide films.

Material Structure and Properties

  • Crystal Structure: La₂Zr₂O₇ typically crystallizes in a pyrochlore-type structure with the general formula A₂B₂O₇, where La³⁺ occupies the A-site and Zr⁴⁺ the B-site. This ordered lattice contributes to unique thermal and electronic properties.

  • High Melting Point: With a melting temperature exceeding 2300 °C, it provides excellent resistance to high-temperature environments.

  • Low Thermal Conductivity: La₂Zr₂O₇ is a known thermal barrier material, with extremely low thermal conductivity (~1.5 W/m·K at 1000 °C).

  • Chemical Stability: The zirconate framework resists oxidation, corrosion, and degradation in both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres.

Key Features of La₂Zr₂O₇ Sputtering Target

  • Excellent Thermal Barrier Function: Provides superior heat resistance, making it valuable in energy and aerospace applications.

  • Stable Phase Structure: Maintains structural integrity even under long-term high-temperature exposure.

  • High Density Targets: Fabricated with density >95% of theoretical, ensuring smooth and uniform sputtering films.

  • Wide Compatibility: Suitable for RF and DC magnetron sputtering systems.

Applications

La₂Zr₂O₇ sputtering targets are used across multiple advanced technology fields:

  1. Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) – Widely studied as an alternative to Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) in aerospace turbine blades due to lower thermal conductivity and better phase stability.

  2. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) – Potential electrolyte or protective layer material, benefiting from ionic conductivity and stability.

  3. Nuclear Industry – Used in inert matrix fuels and protective coatings due to high radiation resistance.

  4. Optical and Electronic Films – For thin-film capacitors, dielectric layers, and optical coatings with controlled refractive index.

  5. Research & Development – Enables the study of advanced pyrochlore oxide films in energy storage, sensors, and environmental barrier systems.

Fabrication & Deposition

  • Target Manufacturing: Produced through high-temperature solid-state reaction and sintering, followed by hot pressing to achieve high density and mechanical strength.

  • Sputtering Methods: Suitable for RF magnetron sputtering, DC sputtering, and pulsed laser deposition (PLD).

  • Film Characteristics: Films deposited from La₂Zr₂O₇ targets exhibit excellent uniformity, strong adhesion, and stable phase structure across a range of substrates.

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La₂Zr₂O₇ target 99.95% ø50.8×3.18mm

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FAQ

It’s the source material (in solid form) used in sputter deposition to eject atoms or molecules that then form a thin film on a substrate.

Targets can be pure metals (e.g., gold, copper, aluminum), ceramics (e.g., Al₂O₃, SiO₂, TiO₂), alloys, or composites—chosen based on the film’s desired properties.

 

They are produced by processes such as melting/casting for metals or sintering (often with hot isostatic pressing) for ceramics and composite targets to ensure high density and purity.

 

In a vacuum chamber, a plasma (typically argon) bombards the target, ejecting atoms that travel and condense on a substrate, forming a thin film.

 

Key factors include the target’s purity, density, grain structure, and the sputtering yield (i.e. how many atoms are ejected per incident ion), as well as operating conditions like power density and gas pressure.

 

Operators monitor target erosion (often by measuring the depth of the eroded “race track”) or track total energy delivered (kilowatt-hours) until it reaches a threshold that can compromise film quality.

 

Fragile materials (such as many ceramics or certain oxides) and precious metals often require a backing plate to improve cooling, mechanical stability, and to allow thinner targets that reduce material costs.

 

DC sputtering is used for conductive targets, while RF sputtering is necessary for insulating targets (like many oxides) because it prevents charge buildup on the target’s surface.

 

In reactive sputtering, a reactive gas (e.g., oxygen or nitrogen) is introduced to form compound films on the substrate, but it may also “poison” the target surface if not carefully controlled.

 

Many manufacturers prefer to control raw material quality by sourcing their own powders; using external powders can risk impurities and inconsistent target properties.

 

Targets should be stored in clean, dry conditions (often in original packaging or re-wrapped in protective materials) and handled with gloves to avoid contamination, ensuring optimal performance during deposition.

Deposition rate depends on factors such as target material and composition, power density, working gas pressure, substrate distance, and the configuration of the sputtering system (e.g., magnetron design).

 
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