Method of transferring thin film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10115848-B2
Application number	US-201615275705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A method of transferring a thin film includes: providing a first element structure, wherein the first element structure includes a first substrate and a functional film layer formed on the first substrate; completely removing the first substrate, wherein steps of the completely removing the first substrate includes: conducting an etching step to erode the first substrate, and conducting a grinding step to planarize the eroded first substrate; and after completely removing the first substrate, attaching the functional film layer on a second substrate to form a second element structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of transferring a thin film, comprising:
providing a first element structure, wherein the first element structure includes a first substrate and a functional film layer formed on the first substrate;
completely removing the first substrate, wherein steps of the completely removing the first substrate include conducting an etching step to erode the first substrate and conducting a grinding step to planarize the eroded first substrate, and wherein the etching step and the grinding step are separately and repeatedly conducted until the first substrate is completely removed; and
after completely removing the first substrate, attaching the functional film layer on a second substrate to form a second element structure without flipping the functional film layer;
wherein the first substrate is a soda glass substrate, the functional film layer is a solar cell layer, and the functional film layer includes a back electrode layer, a light absorbing layer, a buffer layer, and a transparent conductive layer, and wherein the light absorbing layer is disposed between the back electrode layer and the transparent conductive layer, and the buffer layer is disposed between the light absorbing layer and the transparent conductive layer.

2. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the functional film layer is a solar cell layer, a diode element layer, or a transistor element layer.

3. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 1 wherein the etching step is a wet etching process, and hydrofluoric acid is used as an etchant in the wet etching process.

4. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light absorbing layer is a CIGS thin film, and the buffer layer is a sulfide layer.

5. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second substrate is a flexible substrate.

6. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the etching step includes:
providing an etching bath and a stage, wherein the stage is disposed in the etching bath, the stage has a bearing surface and an opening formed on the bearing surface, and the etchant is received in the etching bath and the opening; and
placing the first element structure on the bearing surface to cover the opening, wherein the first substrate is disposed facing to the bearing surface, and the etchant received in the etching bath and the opening contacts with the first substrate to only etch the first substrate.

7. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 1 , wherein before the step of completely removing the first substrate, further comprises: attaching a supporting material on the first element structure, wherein the supporting material and the first substrate are respectively located at two opposite sides of the functional film layer.

8. The method of transferring a thin film as claimed in claim 7 , wherein after the step of attaching the functional film layer on the second substrate, further comprises:
removing the supporting material.

9. A method of transferring a thin film, comprising:
providing a first element structure, wherein the first element structure includes a first substrate and a functional film layer formed on the first substrate;
completely removing the first substrate, wherein steps of the completely removing the first substrate include conducting an etching step to erode the first substrate and conducting a grinding step to planarize the eroded first substrate, and wherein the etching step and the grinding step are separately and repeatedly conducted until the first substrate is completely removed; and
after completely removing the first substrate, attaching the functional film layer on a second substrate to form a second element structure without flipping the functional film layer;
wherein the functional film layer is a solar cell layer, and the functional film layer includes a salt containing layer, a back electrode layer, a light absorbing layer, a buffer layer, and a transparent conductive layer, and wherein the salt containing layer is formed between the first substrate and the back electrode layer, the light absorbing layer is disposed between the back electrode layer and the transparent conductive layer, and the buffer layer is disposed between the light absorbing layer and the transparent conductive layer.

Assignees

• Univ Nat Tsing Hua

Inventors

• Chueh Yu-Lun
• Tseng Kuan-Chun
• Yen Yu-Ting

Classifications

• H01L31/0322 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/1896

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/046

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E10/541

  CuInSe2 material PV cells · CPC title

• H10F71/1395

  for thin-film devices · CPC title