Plasma enhanced thermal evaporator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9450135-B2
Application number	US-201414294644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2014
Priority date	Apr 20, 2009
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

The present invention generally provides a method for forming a photovoltaic device including evaporating a source material to form a large molecule processing gas and flowing the large molecule processing gas through a gas distribution showerhead and into a processing area of a processing chamber having a substrate therein. The method includes generating a small molecule processing gas, and reacting the small molecule processing gas with a film already deposited on a substrate surface to form a semiconductor film. Additionally, apparatuses that may use the methods are also provided to enable continuous inline CIGS type solar cell formation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a photovoltaic device, comprising:
evaporating a source material to form a large molecule processing gas;
flowing the large molecule processing gas through a gas distribution showerhead and into a processing area of a processing chamber having a substrate therein;
electrically biasing the gas distribution showerhead to increase energy level of the large molecule processing gas within the processing area without igniting a plasma;
after electrically biasing the gas distribution showerhead, igniting a plasma from the large molecule processing gas, the plasma having a power level;
generating a small molecule processing gas with the plasma; and
reacting the small molecule processing gas with a film already deposited on a substrate surface to form a semiconductor film.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source material comprises selenium.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the large molecule processing gas of selenium comprises selenium clusters having five or more selenium atoms.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the small molecule processing gas of selenium comprises selenium clusters having four or less selenium atoms.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the film already deposited on the substrate surface comprises copper, indium, and gallium.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor film has a structure represented by the formula CuIn x Ga (1-x) Se 2 where 0<x<1.

7. A method for forming a photovoltaic device, comprising:
evaporating a source material to form a large molecule processing gas;
flowing the large molecule processing gas through a gas distribution showerhead and into a processing area of a processing chamber having a substrate disposed therein;
applying a power level to the gas distribution showerhead to generate a small molecule processing gas from the large molecule processing gas without igniting a plasma; and
reacting the small molecule processing gas with a film already deposited on a substrate surface to form a semiconductor film.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the source material comprises selenium.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the large molecule processing gas of selenium comprises selenium clusters having five or more selenium atoms.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the small molecule processing gas of selenium comprises selenium clusters having four or less selenium atoms.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the film already deposited on the substrate surface comprises copper, indium, and gallium.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the semiconductor film has a structure represented by the formula CuIn x Ga (1-x) Se 2 where 0<x<1.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Kwak Byung-Sung
• Singh Kaushal K
• Bangert Stefan
• Krishna Nety M

Classifications

• H10F71/00 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F77/1694

  the films including Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CIS or CIGS · CPC title

• H01L31/18 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• C23C16/45565

  Shower nozzles · CPC title