PROCESS FOR PREPARING ZnAl TARGET MATERIAL AND ZnAl TARGET MATERIAL MADE THEREBY

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for preparing a ZnAl alloy target material by providing a mixture of zinc powder and aluminum powder and obtaining a ZnAl alloy by sintering the mixture of zinc powder and aluminum powder by using a spark plasma sintering process. The present invention also describes a ZnAl alloy target material prepared by the above-described process.

1 . A process for preparing a ZnAl alloy target material, wherein the process comprises the following two steps:
 (1) providing a mixture of zinc powder and aluminum powder; and   (2) spark plasma sintering the mixture of zinc powder and aluminum powder wherein the ZnAl alloy target material is prepared.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the mixture of zinc powder and aluminum powder further comprises:
 placing metallic Zn powder and Al powder into a ball mill pot for ball milling;   ball milling the powders; and   drying the powders at a temperature ranging from 20 to 90° C. and in vacuum for 0.5 to 24 hrs after the ball milling is completed.   
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the ball milling comprises low temperature ball milling or wet ball milling. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the ball milling is conducted at a rotation speed of 200 rpm to 1500 rpm for 1 to 48 hrs. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the content of Zn powder is from 80 to less than 100% and the content of Al powder is from 20 to greater than 0%. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the particle size of Zn powder and/or Al powder is from 100 to 1000 mesh. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the spark plasma sintering process is carried out as follows:
 placing the mixture of zinc powder and aluminum powder into a graphite or metal mold; placing the mold with the mixture into a spark plasma sintering furnace; and spark plasma sintering the mixture in a vacuum.   
     
     
         8 . A ZnAl target material for preparing a transparent conductive oxide film, wherein the ZnAl target material is prepared by the process according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . A ZnAl target material for preparing a transparent conductive oxide film, wherein the relative density of the ZnAl target material is greater than or equal to 96%, or its crystal grain size is less than or equal to 10 microns; or the relative density of the ZnAl target material is greater than or equal to 96% and its crystal grain size is less than or equal to 10 microns. 
     
     
         10 . The ZnAl target material according to  claim 9 , wherein the relative density is from 96 to 99.5% or the crystal grain size is from 0.1 to 10 microns. 
     
     
         11 . The ZnAl target material according to  claim 9 , wherein the ZnAl target material contains from 80% to less than 100% of Zn and from 20% to greater than 0% of Al. 
     
     
         12 . The ZnAl target material according to  claim 9 , wherein the chemical composition and microstructure of the ZnAl target material are uniformly distributed.