Continuous deposition of activated process gases
AssigneeEnergy Conversion Devices, Inc.
InventorStanford R. Ovshinsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for and a method of continuously depositing semiconductor alloy material characterized by stress-free bonds, tetrahedral coordination and a low density of defect states. The semiconductor material is deposited onto the substrate from energetic percursor process gas, density of states reducing elements, as well as dopant gas and compensating elements. Each of said energized species are discretely introduced into a deposition region for uncontaminated deposition and surface reaction on the substrate.
Claims26
A method of continuously depositing thin films of high quality semiconductor alloy material, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a deposition chamber;
- maintaining a reduced pressure within the chamber;
- providing a plurality of activation regions in the chamber;
- providing at least one deposition region in the chamber, sdid deposition region proximately disposed relative to the activation regions;
- movingly disposing substrate material in the deposition region for the continuous deposition of semiconductor alloy material thereupon;
- introducing semiconductor precursor material into one of the activation regions;
- introducing density of states reducing material into a different one of the activation regions;
- exciting the semiconductor precursor material and the states reducing material in respective ones of the activation regions by a flux of energetic gas;
- and,
- directing the activated semiconductor precursor material and the states reducing material to the deposition region within the lifetime of the activated species, whereby a thin film of semiconductor material characterized by specifically tailored properties, including a low density of defect states, tetrahedral coordination and substantially stress-free bonding, is continuously deposited onto the substrate material.
A method of depositing thin films of high quality semiconductor alloy material comprising the steps of:
- providing a deposition chamber;
- maintaining a reduced pressure within the chamber;
- providing at least one activation region;
- providing at least one deposition region in the chamber, said deposition region operatively communicating with and proximately disposed relative to the activation region;
- disposing substrate material in the deposition region;
- providing a multi-component precursor gaseous mixture;
- said mixture including at least (1) a source of precursor semiconductor material, and (2) a source of at least one precursor density of states reducing material;
- introducing at least the precursor semiconductor material into said activation region;
- exciting the precursor component by a flux of energetic gas for activating at least one judiciously preselected species thereof;
- and
- directing the activated preselected species into the deposition region within the lifetime of said activated species so as to deposit and combine the species on the deposition surface of the substrate material for fabricating a thin film of semiconductor alloy material characterized by specifically tailored properties including a low density of defect states, tetrahedral coordination and substantially stress-free bonding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.