Effects of Al2O3 doping on the microstructural evolution and densification process of AZO targets

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) slurries with high solid content and low viscosity were prepared by milling, and a new pressure slip casting technology was used to produce green compacts. Based on the shrinkage data obtained from thermal expansion experiments, activation energies for the densification of AZO and ZnO at different heating rates were calculated by the master sintering curve (MSC) method, and activation energies for grain growth were separately calculated. The optimal sintering process of AZO targets was investigated by the two-step sintering method, and AZO targets with a relative density of 99.8% and a grain size of 3.89 μm were obtained.