Ion-beam treatment to prepare surfaces of p-CdTe films

Patent · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:873954

Gessert, Timothy A ^[1]

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1. Conifer, CO

A method of making a low-resistance electrical contact between a p-CdTe layer and outer contact layers by ion beam processing comprising: a) placing a CdS/CdTe device into a chamber and evacuating the chamber; b) orienting the p-CdTe side of the CdS/CdTe layer so that it faces apparatus capable of generating Ar atoms and ions of preferred energy and directionality; c) introducing Ar and igniting the area of apparatus capable of generating Ar atoms and ions of preferred energy and directionality in a manner so that during ion exposure, the source-to-substrate distance is maintained such that it is less than the mean-free path or diffusion length of the Ar atoms and ions at the vacuum pressure; d) allowing exposure of the p-CdTe side of the device to said ion beam for a period less than about 5 minutes; and e) imparting movement to the substrate to control the real uniformity of the ion-beam exposure on the p-CdTe side of the device.

• Research Organization: Midwest Research Institute
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• Assignee: Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
• Patent Number(s): US 6281035
• OSTI ID: 873954
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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/438/
allowing
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diffusion length
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