Inorganic solution and solution process for electronic and electro-optic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502600-B2
Application number	US-201214126327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2012
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A solution for forming at least a portion of an active layer of an electronic or electro-optic device includes a solvent, an additive mixed with the solvent to provide a solvent-additive blend, and a solute that includes at least one of a transition metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, or Sb dissolved in elemental form in the solvent-additive blend. The additive is selected from the group of additives consisting of NR1R2NHCOOH, NH2N—HCONHNH2, NH2COOH.NH3, NH2NHC(═NH)NH2.H2CO3, NH2NHCSNHNH2, NH2NHCSSH and all combinations thereof. R1 and R2 are each independently selected from hydrogen, aryl, methyl, ethyl and a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl of 3-6 carbon atoms. Methods of producing the solution, a method of producing a Kesterite film on a substructure and devices made with the solutions and methods are also provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. A solution for forming at least a portion of an active layer of an electronic or electro-optic device, comprising:
a solvent;
an additive mixed with said solvent to provide a solvent-additive blend; and
a solute comprising at least one of a transition metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, or Sb dissolved in elemental form in said solvent-additive blend,
wherein said additive is selected from the group of additives consisting of NR 1 R 2 NHCOOH, NH 2 NHCONHNH 2 , NH 2 COOH.NH 3 , NH 2 NHC(═NH)NH 2 —H 2 CO 3 , NH 2 NHCSNHNH 2 , NH 2 NHCSSH and all combinations thereof,
wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from hydrogen, aryl, methyl, ethyl and a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl of 3-6 carbon atoms, and
wherein said solute comprises Cu, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S or Se.

2. A solution according to claim 1 , wherein said solvent is selected from the group of solvents consisting of N 2 H 4 , H 2 O, liquid ammonia, methanol, ethanol, acetronitrile and all combinations thereof.

3. A solution according to claim 1 , wherein said solvent consists essentially of N 2 H 4 .

4. A solution according to claim 1 , wherein said additive is NR 1 R 2 NHCOOH.

5. A solution according to claim 4 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are both H.

6. A solution according to claim 1 , wherein said solute consists essentially of Cu, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S or Se.

7. A solution for forming at least a portion of an active layer of an electronic or electro-optic device, comprising:
a solvent;
an additive mixed with said solvent to provide a solvent-additive blend; and
a solute comprising a transition metal dissolved in elemental form in said solvent-additive blend,
wherein said solute is said transition metal,
wherein said transition metal is Zn, and
wherein said additive is NH 2 NHCOOH.

8. A solution according to claim 7 , wherein said solvent comprises N 2 H 4 .

9. A solution for forming at least a portion of an active layer of an electronic or electro-optic device, comprising:
a solvent;
an additive mixed with said solvent to provide a solvent-additive blend; and
a solute comprising at least one of a transition metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, or Sb dissolved in elemental form in said solvent-additive blend,
wherein said additive is selected from the group of additives consisting of NR 1 R 2 NHCOOH, NH 2 NHCONHNH 2 , NH 2 COOH.NH 3 , NH 2 NHC(═NH)NH 2 .H 2 CO 3 , NH 2 NHCSNHNH 2 , NH 2 NHCSSH and all combinations thereof,
wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from hydrogen, aryl, methyl, ethyl and a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl of 3-6 carbon atoms, and
wherein said solute further comprises Se.

10. A solution according to claim 9 , wherein said solute is said transition metal.

11. A solution according to claim 10 , wherein said transition metal is Zn.

12. A method of producing a solution for forming at least a portion of an active layer of an electronic or electro-optic device, comprising:
providing a solvent;
mixing an additive with said solvent to provide a solvent-additive blend; and
dissolving at least one of a transition metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, or Sb solute in elemental form in said solvent-additive blend,
wherein said additive is selected from the group of additives consisting of NR 1 R 2 NHCOOH, NH 2 NHCONHNH 2 , NH 2 COOH.NH 3 , NH 2 NHC(═NH)NH 2 .H 2 CO 3 , NH 2 NHCSNHNH 2 , NH 2 NHCSSH and all combinations thereof,
wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from hydrogen, aryl, methyl, ethyl and a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl of 3-6 carbon atoms, and
wherein said solute comprises Cu, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S or Se.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein said solvent is selected from the group of solvents consisting of N 2 H 4 , H 2 O, liquid ammonia, methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile and all combinations thereof.

14. A method according to claim 12 , wherein said solvent consists essentially of N 2 H 4 .

15. A method according to claim 12 , wherein said dissolving is dissolving said transition metal in said solvent-additive blend.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said transition metal is Zn.

17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said additive is NH 2 NHCOOH.

18. A method according to claim 17 , further comprising producing said additive by mixing N 2 H 4 with CO 2 .

19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein said solvent comprises N 2 H 4 .

20. A method according to claim 12 , wherein said additive is NR 1 R 2 NHCOOH.

21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are both H.

22. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
producing a second solution comprising a chalcogen dissolved in a second solvent; and
mixing said second solution with said first-mentioned solution.

23. A method according to claim 22 , wherein said producing said second solution comprises dissolving a metal chalcogenide in said second solvent.

24. A method according to claim 23 , wherein said metal chalcogenide comprises at least one of the metals Cu and Sn and at least one of the chalcogens S and Se.

25. A method according to claim 22 , wherein said second solvent is the same solvent as said first-mentioned solvent.

26. A method according to claim 22 , wherein said chalcogen is at least one of S or Se.

Assignees

• Yang Yang
• Yang Wenbing
• Li Shenghan
• Hsu Wan-Ching
• Univ California

Inventors

• Yang Yang
• Yang Wenbing
• Li Shenghan
• Hsu Wan-Ching

Classifications

• H10P14/3436

  being chalcogenide semiconductor materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds · CPC title

• H10P14/3431

  Selenides · CPC title

• H10P14/3428

  Sulfides · CPC title

• H10P14/265

  using solutions · CPC title

• H01L31/0326

  Electricity · mapped topic