# US 5,344,499 A · Electric device of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and method of manufacture

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- Number: US 5,344,499 A
- Document ID: US5344499A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/978,175
- Filed: 1992-11-17
- Granted: 1994-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 1990-07-02
- Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Teruhisa Kanbara; Shigeo Kondo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5344499A

## CPC

- H10F 77/206: {for devices having potential barriers}
- H10F 30/2235: {the devices comprising Group IV amorphous materials}
- H10F 71/103: {including only Group IV materials}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- 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
- 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

The electro-migration of electrode metal takes place under an elevated temperature condition in amorphous silicon devices having conventional PI-type, NI-type, or PIN-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layered structures, which substantially degrades the electrical characteristics of the devices. This problem is solved by forming a chemically inactive layer consisting mainly of amorphous silicon oxide on the surface of amorphous silicon layer by an aqueous washing and drying process, to establish electrical contacts through the chemically inactive layer between the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer and either a collector electrode or a transparent electrode. This structure not only prevents such electromigration of electrode metal, but it also allows a greater freedom for choosing a material for the collector electrode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon and characterized by comprising at least:
a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer;
a chemically inactive layer which is formed on a surface of said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer only by immersing said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer in water and then drying said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer under light irradiation, and is composed of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and SiO.sub.X and also is 50 to 300 .ANG. in thickness: and
an electrode layer which is formed on said chemically inactive layer by a vacuum deposition method.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An electric device according to claim 1 wherein said electrode layer formed on said chemically inactive layer is a collector electrode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An electric device according to claim 1 wherein said electrode layer formed on said chemically inactive layer is a transparent electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An electric device according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer comprises an I-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, free of impurities, overlaid on one of:
(a) a P-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer; or
(b) an N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An electric device according to claim 1 wherein said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer comprises an I-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, free of impurities, sandwiched between one of:
(a) a P-type and an N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer; or
(b) two N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 4)

An electric device according to claims 1, 2, 4, or 5 wherein said electrode layer comprises a metal or an alloy of metals selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Mo, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and Pb.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An electric device according to claim 6 wherein said electrode layer includes more than one atomic percent of an element selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

### Claim 8

A method of manufacturing an electric device which utilizes hydrogenated amorphous silicon, comprising the steps of:
forming a chemically inactive layer that is composed of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and SiO.sub.X and is 50 to 300 .ANG. thick on a surface of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer only by immersing said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer in water and then drying said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer under light irradiation; and thereafter forming an electrode layer on said chemically inactive layer by a vacuum deposition method.

### Claim 9

A method of manufacturing an electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon and characterized by comprising the steps of:
before forming an electrode layer on a surface of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer formed on a substrate, immersing the surface of said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer in water; and
drying said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer under light irradiation so as to form on the surface of said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer a chemically inactive layer that is composed of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and SiO.sub.x and is 50 to 300 .ANG. thick.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method of manufacturing an electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon according to claim 9, wherein the light irradiation is irradiation from infrared lamps and fluorescent lamps.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8, 9, 10)

A method of manufacturing an electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said electrode layer is a collector electrode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8, 9, 10)

A method of manufacturing an electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said electrode layer is a transparent electrode layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8, 9, 10)

A method of manufacturing an electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon according to claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer formed on a substrate comprises an I-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, free of impurities, overlaid on either a P-type or an N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8, 9, 10)

A method of manufacturing an electric device utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon according to claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein said hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer formed on a substrate comprises either a P-type or an N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer, an I-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer free of impurities, and either a P-type or an N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer overlaid one after another in sequence.