TARGET, PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND METHOD OF FORMING HIGHLY REFRACTIVE FILM

摘要

A target to be used in forming a transparent thin oxide film having a high refractive index by direct-current sputtering and a method of forming the film by using the target. Although it has been a practice to form a highly refractive film by direct-current sputtering wherein a metallic target is sputtered in an oxygenic atmosphere, this method is problematic owing to the extremely low speed of film formation. An alternative method therefor comprises using oxide ceramics as the target, but this method is also problematic in that the ceramics are nonconductive and hence direct-current sputtering is difficult. The invention method enables a highly refractive film to be produced rapidly by direct-current sputtering by using a target mainly comprising a metal oxide, MOx, wherein oxygen is contained in a stoichiometrically insufficient quantity and M represents at least one metal selected among Ti, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Zr and Hf.