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Title: Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1531507
;

Ge/Si and other nonsilicon film heterostructures are formed by hydrogen-induced exfoliation of the Ge film which is wafer bonded to a cheaper substrate, such as Si. A thin, single-crystal layer of Ge is transferred to Si substrate. The bond at the interface of the Ge/Si heterostructures is covalent to ensure good thermal contact, mechanical strength, and to enable the formation of an ohmic contact between the Si substrate and Ge layers. To accomplish this type of bond, hydrophobic wafer bonding is used, because as the invention demonstrates the hydrogen-surface-terminating species that facilitate van der Waals bonding evolves at temperatures above 600° C. into covalent bonding in hydrophobically bound Ge/Si layer transferred systems.

Research Organization:
California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
ACQ-1-30619-13
Assignee:
California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)
Patent Number(s):
7,019,339
Application Number:
10/125,133
OSTI ID:
1531507
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2002-04-17
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Method and structure for fabricating bonded substrate structures using thermal processing to remove oxygen species patent October 2009
Wafer bonded virtual substrate and method for forming the same patent July 2007
Method and structure for fabricating multiple tiled regions onto a plate using a controlled cleaving process patent March 2011
Techniques for forming thin films by implantation with reduced channeling patent December 2012
Multi-junction solar cells and methods of making same using layer transfer and bonding techniques patent December 2010
Bonded intermediate substrate and method of making same patent June 2010
Bonded intermediate substrate and method of making same patent January 2012
Bonded semiconductor substrate patent July 2010
Controlled process and resulting device patent August 2010
Method for manufacturing devices on a multi-layered substrate utilizing a stiffening backing substrate patent August 2010
Method to form a photovoltaic cell comprising a thin lamina patent August 2012
Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device patent February 2014
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Substrate cleaving under controlled stress conditions patent May 2017
Manufacturing strained silicon substrates using a backing material patent September 2008
Creation and translation of low-relief texture for a photovoltaic cell patent October 2013
Germanium film optical device patent January 2012
Substrate cleaving under controlled stress conditions patent May 2016
Method and structure for fabricating solar cells using a layer transfer process patent July 2010
Method and structure for fabricating multiple tiled regions onto a plate using a controlled cleaving process patent September 2011
Photovoltaic device and method for manufacturing the same patent September 2014
Method and structure for fabricating multiple tiled regions onto a plate using a controlled cleaving process patent December 2011
Method to form a photovoltaic cell comprising a thin lamina patent November 2010
Substrate cleaving under controlled stress conditions patent March 2015
Methods for making substrates and substrates formed therefrom patent May 2011
Method and structure for fabricating solar cells using a thick layer transfer process patent October 2010
Controlled process and resulting device patent December 2010
Substrate stiffness method and resulting devices for layer transfer process patent August 2012
Method and system for continuous large-area scanning implantation process patent April 2012

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