SPUTTERING TARGET AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sputtering target which can increase light transmittance to the near-infrared wavelength region of a transparent conductive film deposited on a light absorption film by a sputtering process for increasing the power generation efficiency of a solar cell. SOLUTION: Metal zinc in an amount of 5 to 20 pts.wt. is added to 100 pts.wt. oxide which is obtained by adding 0.1 at% to 20 at% of one or more kinds of positive trivalent or higher elements to zinc and subjected to first sintering, second sintering is performed in the temperature range of 700 to 1,100°C, and prescribed working is performed to obtain a sputtering target. The sputtering target is composed of a mixed crystal structure where metal zinc is not solid-soluted into an oxide phase, and, by performing sputtering using the sputtering target, a transparent conductive film of a single oxide phase can be obtained, and light transmittance can be increased in the wavelength region of ≥600 nm. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT