ZINC SULFIDE-BASED SINTERING MATERIAL, METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME AND SPUTTERING TARGET USING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a zinc sulfide-based sintered material, especially a sputtering target material used for forming a zinc sulfide-based thin film and further provide a sintered compact for a sputtering target for forming the thin film of a protective film on a recording layer of a phase-change type optical recording medium having an alloy recording layer containing Te or Sb. SOLUTION: This zinc sulfide-based sintering material consists essentially of zinc sulfide and contains niobium oxide. The sintering material is converted into a zinc sulfide-based sintered compact and is used for the sputtering target by regulating the content of niobium oxide to 10-50 wt.% expressed in terms of Nb2O5 and regulating the surface resistivity thereof to <=10 Ω/square surface. The target of the sintered compact can be utilized for DC sputtering having a high thin-film forming rate. The sintered compact is obtained by preparing a mixture of a zinc sulfide powder having 0.5-20 μm average particle diameter with a niobium oxide powder having <=5 μm average particle diameter, hot pressing the resultant mixture at 800-1,100 temperature and providing the sintered compact of a desired shape.