Quaternary chalcogenide wafers
AssigneeE.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsALEX SERGEY IONKIN, BRIAN M. FISH
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are processes for making quaternary chalcogenide wafers. The process comprises heating a mixture of quaternary chalcogenide crystals and flux and then cooling the mixture to form a solidified mixture comprising ingots of quaternary chalcogenide and flux. The process also comprises isolating one or more ingots of quaternary chalcogenide from the solidified mixture and mounting at least one ingot in a polymer binder to form a quaternary chalcogenide-polymer composite. The process also comprises optionally slicing the quaternary chalcogenide-polymer composite to form one or more quaternary chalcogenide-polymer composite wafers. The quaternary chalcogenide wafers are useful for forming solar cells.
Claims12
A process comprising:
- (a) heating a mixture of quaternary chalcogenide crystals and flux at a temperature in the range of 450° C. to 850° C.;
- (b) cooling the mixture to form a solidified mixture of quaternary chalcogenide and flux;
- (c) isolating one or more ingots of quaternary chalcogenide from the solidified mixture;
- (d) mounting at least one ingot in a polymer binder to form a quaternary chalcogenide-polymer composite;
- and
- (e) optionally, slicing the quaternary chalcogenide-polymer composite to form one or more quaternary chalcogenide-polymer composite wafers.
An article having a top surface and a bottom surface, the article comprising at least one quarternary chalcogenide ingot mounted in a polymer binder, such that the at least one quarternary chalcogenide ingot is exposed on both the top surface and the bottom surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.