Mechanical method for producing micro- or nano-scale textures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539736-B2
Application number	US-201213569153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2012
Priority date	Aug 7, 2012
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A mechanical method for producing micro-scale and nano-scale textures that facilitates, for example, the cost-effective production of nanostructures on large-scale substrates, e.g., during the large-scale production of thin-film solar cells. A “scratcher” (multi-pointed abrasion mechanism) is maintained in a precise position relative to a target substrate such that micron-level features (protrusions) extending from the scratcher's base structure are precisely positioned to contact a surface material layer of the target substrate with a predetermined amount of force, and then moved relative to the substrate (e.g., by way of a conveying mechanism) while maintaining the pressing force such that the micron-level features define elongated parallel nano-scale grooves and/or form nano-scale ridges in the surface material layer (i.e., by mechanically displacing) portions of the surface material layer to form the nano-scale grooves/ridges).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing textures on a substrate comprising a surface material layer, the method comprising:
pressing a scratcher against the substrate, the scratcher including a base structure and a plurality of micron-level features protruding away from the base structure, wherein pressing the scratcher comprises biasing the scratcher against the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features pierce an outer surface of the surface material layer; and
moving the scratcher relative to the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features displace portions of said surface material layer in a manner that produces parallel elongated grooves defined in the surface material layer and separated by parallel elongated ridges formed by remaining portions of the surface material layer,
wherein the plurality of micron-level features are arranged in a row on the base structure, and
wherein positioning the scratcher over the substrate comprises aligning the row of said micron-level features in one of a cross-process direction that is substantially perpendicular to a process direction of said relative movement between said scratcher and said substrate, and a diagonal direction that is diagonal to said one of the cross-process direction and the process direction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein moving scratcher relative to the substrate comprises maintaining the scratcher in a stationary position over the substrate while utilizing a conveying mechanism to translate the substrate horizontally under the scratcher.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein moving scratcher relative to the substrate comprises maintaining the substrate in a stationary position under the scratcher, and causing a conveying mechanism to translate the scratcher horizontally over the substrate.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pressing the scratcher against the substrate comprises connecting the scratcher to a positioning mechanism and supporting the substrate on a platform, and controlling the positioning mechanism such that the plurality of micron-level features apply a force against the surface material layer.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein moving the scratcher relative to the substrate comprises controlling the positioning mechanism to maintain said force on said substrate during said moving.

6. A method for producing textures on a substrate comprising a surface material layer, the method comprising:
pressing a scratcher against the substrate, the scratcher including a base structure and a plurality of micron-level features protruding away from the base structure, wherein pressing the scratcher comprises biasing the scratcher against the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features pierce an outer surface of the surface material layer; and
moving the scratcher relative to the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features displace portions of said surface material layer in a manner that produces parallel elongated grooves defined in the surface material layer and separated by parallel elongated ridges formed by remaining portions of the surface material layer,
wherein the substrate comprises a flexible sheet portion extending between a first rolled portion and second rolled portion, and
wherein moving the scratcher relative to the substrate comprises feeding the flexible sheet portion from the first rolled portion to the second rolled portion such that the flexible sheet portion passes under the scratcher.

7. The method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the base structure of the scratcher comprises a rigid substrate material,
wherein the plurality of micron-level features comprise patterned portions of the rigid substrate material disposed on a frontside surface of the rigid substrate material, and
wherein pressing the scratcher comprises pressing a backside surface of base structure such that the micron-level features are pressed toward the substrate.

8. The method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the base structure of the scratcher comprises one of a rigid substrate material and a flexible substrate material,
wherein the plurality of micron-level features comprise a plurality of a hard material grains that are adhered to a frontside surface of the base structure, and
wherein pressing the scratcher comprises pressing a backside surface of base structure such that the micron-level features are pressed toward the substrate.

9. A method for producing textures on a substrate comprising a surface material layer, the method comprising:
pressing a scratcher against the substrate, the scratcher including a base structure and a plurality of micron-level features protruding away from the base structure, wherein pressing the scratcher comprises biasing the scratcher against the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features pierce an outer surface of the surface material layer; and
moving the scratcher relative to the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features displace portions of said surface material layer in a manner that produces parallel elongated grooves defined in the surface material layer and separated by parallel elongated ridges formed by remaining portions of the surface material layer,
wherein the base structure of the scratcher comprises a single-piece crystal substrate,
wherein the plurality of micron-level features comprise a plurality of exposed vertices of the single-piece crystal disposed on a frontside surface of the single-piece crystal substrate, and
wherein pressing the scratcher comprises pressing a backside surface of the single-piece crystal substrate such that the micron-level features are pressed toward the substrate.

10. A method for producing textures on a substrate comprising a surface material layer, the method comprising:
pressing a scratcher against the substrate, the scratcher including a base structure and a plurality of micron-level features protruding away from the base structure, wherein pressing the scratcher comprises biasing the scratcher against the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features pierce an outer surface of the surface material layer; and
moving the scratcher relative to the substrate such that at least some of the plurality of micron-level features displace portions of said surface material layer in a manner that produces parallel elongated grooves defined in the surface material layer and separated by parallel elongated ridges formed by remaining portions of the surface material layer,
wherein the plurality of micron-level features are arranged in a plurality of offset rows on the base structure, and
wherein positioning the scratcher over the substrate comprises aligning the plurality of rows of said micron-level features in one of a cross direction that is substantially perpendicular to a moving direction of said relative movement between said scratcher and said substrate, and a diagonal direction that is diagonal to said one of the cross-process direction and the process direction.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein moving the scratcher relative to the substrate comprises controlling the scratcher such that said plurality of micron-level features form one of V-shaped, rounded, trapazoidal and rectangular grooves having a depth in the range of 10 nm and 500 nm, and a width in the range of 10 nm and 2000 nm.

12. A method for producing textures on a substrate comprising a surface material layer, the method comprising:
pressing a scratcher against the substrate, the scratche

Assignees

• Schwartz David Eric
• Eisaman Matthew D
• Raychaudhuri Sourobh
• Schmaelzle Philipp H
• Street Robert A
• Garner Sean
• Xu Baomin
• Lee Jiye
• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Schwartz David Eric
• Eisaman Matthew D
• Raychaudhuri Sourobh
• Schmaelzle Philipp H
• Street Robert A
• Garner Sean
• Xu Baomin
• Lee Jiye

Classifications

• Y10T83/0341

  Processes · CPC title

• B26D3/06

  Grooving involving removal of material from the surface of the work · CPC title

• Y10T83/0333

  Scoring · CPC title

• H01L2251/105

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B26D3/08 Primary

  Making a superficial cut in the surface of the work without removal of material, e.g. scoring, incising · CPC title