Silicon/germanium oxide particle inks and processes for forming solar cell components and for forming optical components
AssigneeNanoGram Corporation
InventorsHenry Hieslmair, Shivkumar Chiruvolu, Hui Du
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Abstract
Highly uniform silica nanoparticles can be formed into stable dispersions with a desirable small secondary particle size. The silican particles can be surface modified to form the dispersions. The silica nanoparticles can be doped to change the particle properties and/or to provide dopant for subsequent transfer to other materials. The dispersions can be printed as an ink for appropriate applications. The dispersions can be used to selectively dope semiconductor materials such as for the formation of photovoltaic cells or for the formation of printed electronic circuits.
Claims17
A method for forming solar cell components, the method comprising:
- applying heat to drive a dopant element from doped silica/germania nanoparticles on a surface of a silicon/germanium substrate into the substrate along a pattern corresponding to a pattern of doped silica/germania nanoparticles along the surface of the substrate to form a dopant profile extending onto the surface of the substrate, wherein the silica/germania nanoparticles have a dopant concentration from about 1×10−4 to about 15 atomic percent and wherein the nanoparticles have an average primary particle size from about 1 nm to about 100 nm.
A method for forming an optical component, the method comprising:
- sintering a patterned deposit of doped silica/germania nanoparticles to form a selected optical component configuration conforming to the pattern, wherein the silica/germania nanoparticles have an average primary particle diameter from about 1 nm to about 100 nm and a dopant concentration from about 1×10−7 to about 15 atomic percent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.