METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECONDITIONING A CARRIER WAFER FOR REUSE
First Claim
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1. A method for making a thin film crystalline semiconductor substrate, said method comprising:
- providing a reusable doped crystalline semiconductor template;
forming a porous semiconductor sacrificial seed and release layer on a front side of said reusable crystalline semiconductor template;
epitaxially depositing a thin film semiconductor substrate conformally to said sacrificial seed and release layer;
releasing said thin film semiconductor substrate from said reusable semiconductor template by separation at said porous semiconductor seed and layer; and
grinding the bevel of said reusable semiconductor substrate to remove residue of said released epitaxially deposited thin film semiconductor substrate.
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Abstract
The disclosed subject matter pertains to deposition of thin film or thin foil materials in general, but more specifically to deposition of epitaxial monocrystalline or quasi-monocrystalline silicon film (epi film) for use in manufacturing of high efficiency solar cells. In operation, methods are disclosed which extend the reusable life and to reduce the amortized cost of a reusable substrate or template used in the manufacturing process of silicon and other semiconductor solar cells.
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31 Claims
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1. A method for making a thin film crystalline semiconductor substrate, said method comprising:
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providing a reusable doped crystalline semiconductor template; forming a porous semiconductor sacrificial seed and release layer on a front side of said reusable crystalline semiconductor template; epitaxially depositing a thin film semiconductor substrate conformally to said sacrificial seed and release layer; releasing said thin film semiconductor substrate from said reusable semiconductor template by separation at said porous semiconductor seed and layer; and grinding the bevel of said reusable semiconductor substrate to remove residue of said released epitaxially deposited thin film semiconductor substrate. - 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, 30, 31)
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Specification