Methods for plasma activation of evaporated precursors in a process chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9905723-B2
Application number	US-201615268185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2009
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure 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 device, comprising:
evaporating a source precursor to form a molecule processing gas;
flowing the 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 molecule processing gas within the processing area without igniting a plasma;
flowing a plasma initiation gas into the processing area of the processing chamber;
igniting a plasma from the plasma initiation gas to energize the molecule processing gas to a level of excitement; and
exposing a surface of the substrate to the energized molecule processing gas.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma initiation gas comprises oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, argon, krypton, xenon, or radon.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plasma initiation gas is flowed with the molecule processing gas through the gas distribution showerhead.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
electrically biasing the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma is ignited in a remote plasma source.

6. A method for forming a device, comprising:
evaporating a source material to form a molecule processing gas;
flowing the 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 molecule processing gas within the processing area without igniting a plasma;
flowing a plasma initiation gas into the processing area of the processing chamber;
igniting a plasma from the plasma initiation gas to energize the molecule processing gas to a level of excitement; and
exposing a surface of the substrate to the energized molecule processing gas to form a film on the surface of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the source material comprises a multi-element precursor.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plasma initiation gas comprises oxygen, nitrogen, or hydrogen.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plasma initiation gas comprises helium, argon, krypton, xenon, or radon.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plasma initiation gas is flowed with the molecule processing gas through the gas distribution showerhead.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
electrically biasing the substrate.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plasma is ignited in a remote plasma source.

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

• C23C16/45565

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• H01L31/03923

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C23C16/4485

  by evaporation without using carrier gas in contact with the source material (C23C16/4486 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01L31/18 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic