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

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

Abstract

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.

Inventors:: Atwater, Jr., Harry A.; Zahler, James M.

Issue Date:: 2006-03-28

Research Org.:: California Inst. of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1531507

Patent Number(s):: 7,019,339

Application Number:: 10/125,133

Assignee:: California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)

DOE Contract Number:: ACQ-1-30619-13

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2002-04-17

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 14 SOLAR ENERGY

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                    Atwater, Jr., Harry A., and Zahler, James M. Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby.  United States: N. p., 2006. 
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                    Atwater, Jr., Harry A., & Zahler, James M. Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby.  United States.

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                    Atwater, Jr., Harry A., and Zahler, James M. Tue .  
        "Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1531507.

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@article{osti_1531507,

  title        = {Method of using a germanium layer transfer to Si for photovoltaic applications and heterostructure made thereby},

  author       = {Atwater, Jr., Harry A. and Zahler, James M.},

  abstractNote = {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.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2006},

  month        = {3}

}

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