# US 2019/0378952 A1 · Enabling low-cost iii-v/si integration through nucleation of gap on v-grooved si substrates

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- Number: US 2019/0378952 A1
- Document ID: US20190378952A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/436,373
- Filed: 2019-06-10
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08
- Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
- Applicants: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC; Colorado School of Mines
- Inventors: Emily Lowell Warren; William Edwin McMahon; Adele Clare Tamboli; Emily Anne Makoutz; Jeramy David Zimmerman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378952A1

## CPC

- H10F 71/1276: {comprising growth substrates not made of Group III-V materials}
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/2905: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/2925: {Surface structures}
- H10P 14/2926: {Crystal orientations}
- H10P 14/3238: {being insulating materials}
- H10P 14/3418: {Phosphides}
- H10P 14/36: {characterised by treatments done before the formation of the materials}
- Y02E 10/544: Solar cells from Group III-V materials
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Disclosed herein are materials and methods useful for growth of III-V materials on Si that result in the reduction of costs for manufacturing III-V PV.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for patterning and etching an unpolished silicon substrate that is capable of III-V epitaxial growth.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising treating the silicon substrate with AsH3.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising patterning v-grooves on the silicon substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the silicon substrate is oriented in the (001) direction and the v-grooves are patterned in the {110} direction before etching.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the v-grooves on the silicon substrate comprise (001) facets.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the v-grooves on the silicon substrate comprise (001) facets and have not been etched to pyramids.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein a layer of an oxide or SiNX is on the (001) facets of the v-grooves.

### Claim 8

A method for epitaxial growth of a III-V material on an unpolished silicon substrate comprising patterning v-grooves on the silicon substrate; and
treating the silicon substrate with AsH3; and
epitaxially growing a III-V material on {001} and {111} surfaces of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the III-V material comprises a molar ratio of a group V element to a group III element of from 10 to 5000.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the epitaxial growth of the III-V material is at between about 600° C. and about 800° C.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the III-V epitaxial growth comprises nucleation of the III-V material with registry between pairs of intersecting {111} surfaces of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the morphology of the nucleation of the epitaxially grown III-V material is controlled by varying growth temperatures and V/III ratios.

### Claim 13

A method for making solar cells comprising epitaxial growth of a III-V material on an unpolished silicon substrate comprising patterning v-grooves and etching.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the silicon substrate is oriented in the (001) direction and the v-grooves are patterned in the {110} direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the v-grooves on the silicon substrate have (001) facets.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the v-grooves on the silicon substrate have (001) facets and have not been etched to pyramids.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising treating the silicon substrate with AsH3.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein a layer of an oxide or SiNx is on the (001) facet of the v-grooves.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the III-V material comprises a molar ratio of a group V element to a group III element of from 10 to 5000.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the epitaxial growth of the III-V material is at between about 600° C. and about 800° C.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the solar cells lack antiphase boundary defects.