Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition
Abstract
A method of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate is disclosed. The method sequentially comprises (a) providing the semiconductor material in a depositable state such as a vapor for deposition on the substrate; (b) depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while heating the substrate to a first temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a first film layer having a first grain size; (c) continually depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while cooling the substrate to a second temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a second film layer deposited on the first film layer and having a second grain size smaller than the first grain size; and (d) raising the substrate temperature, while either continuing or not continuing to deposit semiconductor material to form a third film layer, to thereby anneal the film layers into a single layer having favorable efficiency characteristics in photovoltaic applications. A preferred semiconductor material is cadmium telluride deposited on a glass/tin oxide substrate already having thereon a film layer of cadmium sulfide.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 570434
- Patent Number(s):
- 5712187
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-555,621
- Assignee:
- Midwest Research Inst., Kansas City, MO (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 27 Jan 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; SURFACE COATING; CADMIUM TELLURIDES; CADMIUM TELLURIDE SOLAR CELLS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; GRAIN SIZE; SUBSTRATES
Citation Formats
Li, X, and Sheldon, P. Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition. United States: N. p., 1998.
Web.
Li, X, & Sheldon, P. Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition. United States.
Li, X, and Sheldon, P. Tue .
"Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition". United States.
@article{osti_570434,
title = {Variable temperature semiconductor film deposition},
author = {Li, X and Sheldon, P},
abstractNote = {A method of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate is disclosed. The method sequentially comprises (a) providing the semiconductor material in a depositable state such as a vapor for deposition on the substrate; (b) depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while heating the substrate to a first temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a first film layer having a first grain size; (c) continually depositing the semiconductor material on the substrate while cooling the substrate to a second temperature sufficient to cause the semiconductor material to form a second film layer deposited on the first film layer and having a second grain size smaller than the first grain size; and (d) raising the substrate temperature, while either continuing or not continuing to deposit semiconductor material to form a third film layer, to thereby anneal the film layers into a single layer having favorable efficiency characteristics in photovoltaic applications. A preferred semiconductor material is cadmium telluride deposited on a glass/tin oxide substrate already having thereon a film layer of cadmium sulfide.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1998},
month = {1}
}