Title: Metal-assisted etch combined with regularizing etch

Abstract

In an aspect of the disclosure, a process for forming nanostructuring on a silicon-containing substrate is provided. The process comprises (a) performing metal-assisted chemical etching on the substrate, (b) performing a clean, including partial or total removal of the metal used to assist the chemical etch, and (c) performing an isotropic or substantially isotropic chemical etch subsequently to the metal-assisted chemical etch of step (a). In an alternative aspect of the disclosure, the process comprises (a) performing metal-assisted chemical etching on the substrate, (b) cleaning the substrate, including removal of some or all of the assisting metal, and (c) performing a chemical etch which results in regularized openings in the silicon substrate.

Inventors:

Yim, Joanne; Miller, Jeffrey B.; Jura, Michael; Black, Marcie R.; Forziati, Joanne; Murphy, Brian P.; Magliozzi, Lauren

Issue Date:

2020-04-21

Research Org.:

Advanced Silicon Group, Inc., Lincoln, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1650801

Patent Number(s):

10629759

Application Number:

15/837,322

Assignee:

Advanced Silicon Group, Inc. (Lincoln, MA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

B82Y40/00 - Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L21/30604 - {Chemical etching}
H01L31/0236 - Special surface textures
H01L31/02366 - {of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate}
H01L31/1804 - {comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

Y02E10/50 - Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Y02E10/547 - Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

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DOE Contract Number:  

EE0005323

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 12/11/2017

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY