Amorphous silicon MIS device
AssigneeExxon Research & Engineering Co.
InventorJoseph L. Sansregret
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an amorphous silicon MIS device having an insulating oxide formed by the chemical oxidation of the silicon surface. A process comprising etching the silicon surface followed by a treatment of the etched surface in a sulfur based oxidant forms a controlled thickness oxide layer, useful in modifying the junction forming characteristics of the semiconductor and additionally stabilizing the semiconductor properties of the photoconductive amorphous silicon.
Claims1
An amorphous silicon semiconductor device having increased open circuit voltage and photovoltaic longevity, said device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a layer of amorphous silicon containing hydrogen deposited on said substrate and having a region of SiOx where x is defined by the relationship 1.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.2, said SiOx layer formed by first etching a surface region of the amorphous silicon to provide a normal surface than oxidizing said normal surface with a sulfur based oxidant;
- a metallic layer, contiguous to said oxide and forming a junction to said amorphous silicon, SiOx or the combination thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.