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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsRichard F. Wood, Rosa T. Young
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The invention is a process for producing improved electrical-junction devices. The invention is applicable, for example, to a process in which a light-sensitive electrical-junction device is produced by (1) providing a body of crystalline semiconductor material having a doped surface layer, (2) irradiating the layer with at least one laser pulse to effect melting of the layer, (3) permitting recrystallization of the melted layer, and (4) providing the resulting body with electrical contacts. In accordance with the invention, the fill-factor and open-circuit-voltage parameters of the device are increased by conducting the irradiation with the substrate as a whole at a selected elevated temperature, the temperature being selected to effect a reduction in the rate of the recrystallization but insufficient to effect substantial migration of impurities within the body. In the case of doped silicon substrates, the substrate may be heated to a temperature in the range of from about 200.degree. C. to 500.degree. C.
In a process for producing a light-responsive electrical-junction device, said process including the steps of providing a body of crystalline semiconductor material having a doped surface layer, irradiating said layer with at least one laser pulse to effect melting of the same, permitting recrystallization of the material so melted, and providing the resulting body with electrical contacts, the method of increasing the open-circuit-voltage parameter for said device, comprising:
In a process for producing an electrical-junction device, said process including the steps of providing a body of crystalline semiconductor material having a doped surface layer, irradiating said layer with at least one laser pulse to effect melting of the same, permitting recrystallization of the material so melted, and providing the resulting body with electrical contacts, the method of decreasing the reverse-saturation-current parameter for said device, comprising:
In a process for producing an electrical-junction device, said process including the steps of providing a body of crystalline semiconductor material having a film of dopant deposited on a surface layer thereof, irradiating said film and layer with at least one laser pulse to effect melting of the same, permitting recrystallization of the material so melted, and providing the resulting body with electrical contacts, the method of increasing the fill-factor parameter for said device, comprising:
In a process for producing a light-responsive electrical-junction device, said process including the steps of providing a body of crystalline semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of silicon and germanium and having a doped surface layer, irradiating said layer with at least one laser pulse to effect melting of the same, permitting recrystallization of the material so melted, and providing the resulting body with electrical contacts, the method of increasing the fill-factor parameter for said device, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.