Patent ID: 8864954
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: C23C,H01J,H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of depositing a lithium-containing film on a battery substrate in a sputtering chamber, the method comprising: (a) measuring an electrical conductivity at multiple points across a surface of each sputtering target of a plurality of sputtering targets, the sputtering targets comprising (i) a front surface of a sputtering member composed of lithium cobalt oxide or lithium nickel cobalt oxide, and (ii) a back surface, wherein the electrical conductivity measurements are made across the front and back surfaces by two probe or four-point-probe tests, and selecting at least one pair of sputtering targets (i) that each comprise an average electrical conductivity of at least about 5×10 (b) providing in the sputtering chamber, the at least one pair of selected sputtering targets and a substrate carrier holding at least one battery substrate; (c) maintaining a pressure of a sputtering gas in the sputtering chamber; and (d) energizing the sputtering gas by applying to the pair of sputtering targets, an AC electrical power at a frequency of from about 10 to about 100 kHz.