Ultraviolet photodetectors and methods of making ultraviolet photodetectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017033256-A1
Application number	US-201615217952-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of making an ultraviolet sensor includes applying a metal-containing solution to a substrate using a spin coating technique to form a metal-containing coat. The metal-containing coat is baked and pyrolyzed to form a metal-containing oxide film on the substrate. The metal-containing oxide film has a cubic crystalline structure suitable for ultraviolet photodetectors in flame detection applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making an ultraviolet (UV) photodetector, comprising:
applying a metal-containing solution to a substrate using a spin coat technique to form a metal-containing coat; baking the metal-containing coat; and pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat to form a metal-containing oxide film according to Mg x Zn (1-x) O with a cubic crystalline structure.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein applying the metal-containing solution includes applying the metal-containing solution over a metal-containing oxide film.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing oxide film is a first metal-containing oxide film, and further including:
applying a metal-containing solution having magnesium and zinc to the metal-containing oxide film using a spin coat technique; and pyrolyzing the metal-containing solution to form a second metal-containing oxide film overlaying the first metal-containing oxide film.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further including calcining the metal-containing oxide film to form a metal-containing oxide layer.

5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined baking temperature is about 150 degrees Celsius and the predetermined time interval is about five (5) minutes.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat includes placing the metal-containing coat in a furnace and flowing an inert gas over the metal-containing coat to decompose, but not oxidize or make volatile organic ligands in the metal-containing coat.

7 . The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the inert gas includes a gas from a group nitrogen, argon, and helium.

8 . The method as recited in claim 6 , further including pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat at a temperature that is between about 450 degrees Celsius and about 550 degrees Celsius.

9 . The method as recited in claim 6 , further including pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat for a pyrolyzing time interval that is between about five (5) minutes and about thirty (30) minutes.

10 . The method as recited in claim 6 , further including pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat at about 500 degrees Celsius for about five (5) minutes.

11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace with oxygen-containing atmosphere to oxidize and remove interstitial zinc from the metal-containing oxide film.

12 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the oxygen-containing atmosphere comprises oxygen at a concentration that twenty (20) percent or greater.

13 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace pre-heated to a calcining temperature of between about 650 degrees Celsius and about 750 degrees Celsius.

14 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace for a calcining time interval of between about ten (10) minutes and about thirty (30) minutes.

15 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace pre-heated to about 750 degree Celsius for about ten (10) minutes.

16 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further including annealing the metal-containing oxide film.

17 . The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein annealing includes placing the metal-containing oxide layer in a furnace with a static atmosphere.

18 . The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein annealing includes placing the metal-containing oxide layer in a furnace with a temperature between about 200 degrees Celsius and about 400 degrees Celsius for between about thirty (30) minutes and about four (4) hours.

19 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further including quenching the metal-containing oxide film.

20 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes an organometallic magnesium source, and organometallic zinc source, a solvent, and a stabilizer.

21 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes at least one of diethanolamine, toluene, zinc 2-ethylhexanoate, and magnesium 2-ethylhexanoate.

22 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes magnesium and zinc in a ratio range between about 0.5 to 0.5 and about 0.8 to 0.2.

23 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes magnesium and zinc in a ratio of about 0.72 to 0.28.

24 . A tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive comprising an amino alcohol.

25 . The tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive according to claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises one or more hydroxyl groups

26 . The tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive according to claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises a primary amine.

27 . The tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive according to claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises a secondary amine.

28 . The tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive according to claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises a tertiary amine.

29 . The tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive according to claim 25 , wherein the amino alcohol is monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, hetpaminol, isoetarine, noepinephrine, propanolamine, shphingosine, or methanolamine.

30 . A method for stabilizing an organometallic precursor in a chemical solution deposition reaction comprising adding a tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive to a solution of organometallic precursor prior to deposition.

31 . The method for stabilizing an organometallic precursor in a chemical solution deposition reaction according to claim 30 , wherein the organometallic precursor is a metal 2-ethylhexanoate.

32 . The method for stabilizing an organometallic precursor in a chemical solution deposition reaction according to claim 31 , wherein metal 2-ethylhexanoate is magnesium 2-ethylhexanoate or zinc 2-ethylhexanoate.

33 . The method for stabilizing an organometallic precursor in a chemical solution deposition reaction according to claim 32 , wherein the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive diethanolamine.

34 . The method for stabilizing an organometallic precursor in a chemical solution deposition reaction according to claim 31 , wherein the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive is added to the organometallic precursor in a ratio of between 0.05 to 1 and 1 to 1 of additive to total weight of all metals in the solution.

35 . The method for stabilizing an organometallic precursor in a chemical solution deposition reaction according to claim 33 , wherein the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive is added to the organometallic precursor in a 1 to 1 ratio.

36 . A method of increasing crystal growth in a chemical solution deposition reaction comprising adding a tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive to the organometallic precursor prior to deposition.

37 . The method of increasing crystal growth in a film formed

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Willigan Rhonda R
• Santana Jose L
• Piech Marcin
• Mantese Joseph V

Classifications

• G01J1/429

  applied to measurement of ultraviolet light (using counting tubes G01T) · CPC title

• C23C18/1275

  performed under inert atmosphere · CPC title

• C23C18/1225

  Deposition of multilayers of inorganic material · CPC title

• C23C18/1279

  performed under reactive atmosphere, e.g. oxidising or reducing atmospheres · CPC title

• C09D1/00

  Coating compositions, e.g. paints, varnishes or lacquers, based on inorganic substances · CPC title