METHOD FOR FABRICATING ABSORBING LAYER OF SOLAR CELL AND THERMAL TREATMENT DEVICE THEREOF

• US 20140179053A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wu, Shih-Hsiung, Hsu, Hung-Ru, Wu, Tsung-Shin, Chang, Chia-Wen
• Application Number:
  US14/135,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20140179053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/84
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0021 Reactive sputtering or evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0623 Sulfides, selenides or tellurides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02557 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02568 Chalcogenide semiconducting materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02631 Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0326 comprising AIBIICIVDVI kesterite compounds, e.g. Cu2ZnSnSe4, Cu2ZnSnS4
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A method for fabricating an absorbing layer of a solar cell and a thermal treatment device thereof adapted for forming an absorbing layer on a substrate are disclosed. The method includes the following steps. First, a solid-phase vapor source in a chamber and an absorbing layer precursor on a substrate are maintained by a predetermined distance. The solid-phase vapor source contains tin. The absorbing layer precursor contains copper, zinc, tin and sulfur. The temperature inside the chamber is raised to a forming temperature, so that the absorbing layer precursor forms an absorbing layer on the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an absorbing layer of a solar cell, comprising:

maintaining a predetermined distance between a solid-phase vapor source in a chamber and an absorbing layer precursor on a substrate in the chamber, wherein the solid-phase vapor source contains tin and the absorbing layer precursor contains copper, zinc, tin and sulfur; and

raising the temperature inside the chamber to a forming temperature, so that the absorbing layer precursor forming an absorbing layer on the substrate.

2. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, before the step of raising the temperature in the chamber to the forming temperature, further comprising raising the temperature in the chamber to a vaporizing temperature, so that the solid-phase vapor source vaporizes and transforms to a vapor, the vapor contains tin, and the forming temperature is higher than the vaporizing temperature.

3. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, before the step of maintaining the predetermined distance, wherein the temperature in the chamber is equal to or lower than the forming temperature.

4. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, after the step of forming the absorbing layer, further comprising moving the solid-phase vapor source away from the absorbing layer so that the distance between the solid-phase vapor source and the absorbing layer is longer than the predetermined distance.

5. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, after the step of forming the absorbing layer, further comprising:

lowering the temperature in the chamber; and

when the temperature in the chamber is higher than or equal to an effusing temperature of tin effusing from the absorbing layer, moving the solid-phase vapor source away from the absorbing layer so that the distance between the solid-phase vapor source and the absorbing layer is longer than the predetermined distance.

6. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 5, wherein the effusing temperature is higher than the vaporizing temperature.

7. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 5, wherein the effusing temperature is between 350°

C. and 650°

C.

8. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is between 0.1 cm and 4 cm.

9. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase vapor source is a planar solid-phase vapor source or an array of dot-shaped solid-phase vapor source.

10. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the absorbing layer precursor further contains selenium, and the solid-phase vapor source and the vapor further contain selenium.

11. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase vapor source and the vapor further contain sulfur.

12. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solid-phase vapor source is stannic sulfide, stannous sulfide, stannic selenide, stannous selenide or combinations thereof

13. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, further comprising filling a first gas in the chamber, wherein the first gas is sulfur vapor, selenium vapor, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen selenide or combinations thereof

14. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, further comprising filling a second gas in the chamber, wherein the second gas is stannic sulfide, stannous sulfide, stannic selenide, stannous selenide or combinations thereof

15. The method for fabricating the absorbing layer of the solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the vaporizing temperature and the forming temperature are between 200°

C. and 800°

C.

16. A thermal treatment device, used for performing a thermal treatment on an absorbing layer precursor on a substrate of a solar cell, the absorbing layer precursor containing copper, zinc, tin and sulfur, the thermal treatment device comprising:

a first chamber having a base, and the substrate being disposed on the base;

adapted for selectively moving with the solid-phase vapor source in the first chamber to maintain a predetermined distance between the solid-phase vapor source and the absorbing layer precursor, the solid-phase vapor source contains tin; and

a temperature controller assembled in the first chamber, wherein the temperature controller is adapted for adjusting the temperature in the first chamber.

17. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is adapted for controlling the carrier to move with the solid-phase vapor source according to the temperature in the first chamber.

18. The thermal treatment device according to claim 17, further comprising a load-locking unit and a second chamber, wherein the load-locking unit is connected with the first chamber and the second chamber, the controller is adapted for controlling the load-locking unit and the carrier, so that the carrier moves with the solid-phase vapor source from the first chamber through the load-locking unit to the second chamber or the carrier moves with the solid-phase vapor source from the second chamber through the load-locking unit to the first chamber according to the temperature in the first chamber.

19. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, wherein the absorbing layer precursor further contains selenium, and the solid-phase vapor source further contains selenium.

20. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, wherein the solid-phase vapor source further contains sulfur

21. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined distance is between 0.1 cm and 4 cm.

22. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, wherein the solid-phase vapor source is a planar solid-phase vapor source or an array of dot-shaped solid-phase vapor source.

23. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, wherein the solid-phase vapor source is stannic sulfide, stannous sulfide, stannic selenide, stannous selenide or combinations thereof

24. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, further comprising a first gas supply disposed in the first chamber, wherein the first gas supply is adapted for providing a first gas, and the first gas is sulfur vapor, selenium vapor, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen selenide or combinations thereof.

25. The thermal treatment device according to claim 16, further comprising a second gas supply disposed in the first chamber, wherein the second gas supply is adapted for providing a second gas, and the second gas is stannic sulfide, stannous sulfide, stannic selenide, stannous selenide or combinations thereof

26. A thermal treatment device, used for performing a thermal treatment on an absorbing layer precursor on a substrate of a solar cell, the absorbing layer precursor containing copper, zinc, tin and sulfur, the thermal treatment device comprising:

a chamber having a heating zone and a thermal treatment zone in sequence, the temperature in the heating zone is lower than the temperature in the thermal treatment zone, wherein a solid-phase vapor source is disposed in the thermal treatment zone, and the solid-phase vapor source contains tin;

a mobile carrier movably disposed in the chamber, wherein the mobile carrier is adapted for moving from the heating zone to the thermal treatment zone along a first direction, and the substrate is disposed on the mobile carrier; and

a temperature controller, assembled at the chamber, wherein the temperature controller is adapted for adjusting the temperature in the chamber;

wherein, when the mobile carrier moves to the thermal treatment zone, the absorbing layer precursor on the substrate and the solid-phase vapor source are kept by a predetermined distance.

27. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, wherein the chamber further has a cooling zone, the thermal treatment zone is disposed between the heating zone and the cooling zone, and the temperature in the cooling zone is lower than the temperature in the thermal treatment zone.

28. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, further comprising a gas intake unit, wherein the gas intake unit is adapted for bringing a gas in the chamber, so that the gas moves in the chamber along a second direction, and the second direction is reverse to the first direction.

29. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, wherein the absorbing layer precursor further contains selenium, and the solid-phase vapor source further contains selenium.

30. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, wherein the solid-phase vapor source further contains sulfur.

31. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined distance is between 0.1 cm and 4 cm.

32. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, wherein the solid-phase vapor source is a planar solid-phase vapor source or an array of dot-shaped solid-phase vapor source.

33. The thermal treatment device according to claim 26, wherein the solid-phase vapor source is stannic sulfide, stannous sulfide, stannic selenide, stannous selenide or combinations thereof.