Suitable semiconductor structure for forming multijunction solar cell and method for forming the same
First Claim
1. A structure for forming a solar cell comprising:
- a monocrystalline substrate;
an accommodating buffer layer formed on the substrate;
a first monocrystalline semiconductor layer formed overlying the accommodating buffer layer; and
a second monocrystalline semiconductor layer formed overlying the first monocrystalline semiconductor layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multijunction solar cell structures (100) including high quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline semiconductor materials that are grown overlying monocrystalline substrates (102) such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers are disclosed. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer (104) on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer (104) layer is a layer of monocrystalline material spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer (112) of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer (112) dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. Multiple and varied accommodating buffer layers can be used to achieve the monolithic integration of multiple non-lattice matched solar cell junctions.
43 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A structure for forming a solar cell comprising:
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a monocrystalline substrate;
an accommodating buffer layer formed on the substrate;
a first monocrystalline semiconductor layer formed overlying the accommodating buffer layer; and
a second monocrystalline semiconductor layer formed overlying the first monocrystalline semiconductor layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A structure for forming a solar cell comprising:
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a monocrystalline substrate;
a first amorphous oxide layer formed on the substrate;
a monocrystalline semiconductor material of a first type formed overlying the amorphous oxide; and
a monocrystalline semiconductor material of a second type formed over the compound semiconductor material of a first type. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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47. A process for fabricating a multijunction solar cell structure comprising the steps of:
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providing a monocrystalline substrate;
epitaxially growing a first monocrystalline accommodating buffer layer overlying the monocrystalline substrate; and
epitaxially growing a plurality of monocrystalline semiconductor materials over the monocrystalline accommodating buffer layer, wherein the monocrystalline semiconductor materials comprise p-type and n-type materials which are formed to create a plurality of p-n junctions.
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Specification