Methods of growing heteroepitaxial single crystal or large grained semiconductor films and devices thereon
AssigneeSolar-Tectic LLC
InventorsPraveen Chaudhari, Ashok Chaudhari
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for making semiconductor films from a eutectic alloy comprising a metal and a semiconductor. Through heterogeneous nucleation said film is deposited at a deposition temperature on flexible substrates, such as glass. Specifically said film is vapor deposited at a fixed temperature in said deposition temperature where said deposition temperature is above a eutectic temperature of said eutectic alloy and below a temperature at which the substrate softens. Such films are nearly to entirely free of metal impurities and have widespread application in the manufacture and benefit of photovoltaic and display technologies.
Claims20
A method of growing a semiconductor film comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate,
- depositing a metal thin film on said substrate,
- depositing a semiconductor film onto said metal thin film at a constant deposition temperature, said semiconductor film and said metal thin film forming a eutectic liquid, said constant deposition temperature being between a eutectic temperature of said eutectic liquid and below a softening temperature of said substrate, and
- at said constant temperature, increasing a concentration of said semiconductor such that the eutectic liquid becomes saturated with said semiconductor and said semiconductor nucleates from said eutectic liquid to form a highly textured semiconductor film on said substrate,
- wherein said highly textured semiconductor film comprises 0.1 atomic percent or less of the metal of said metal thin film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.