Method of making p-doped silicon films
First Claim
1. A method of making a p-type silicon semiconductor film, said method comprising the step of depositing on a substrate a semiconductor host matrix film including at least silicon by glow discharge of a compound containing at least silicon in a partial vacuum atmosphere and during glow discharge deposition of the film, introducing an evaporated metal p-dopant modifier element into the silicon depositing glow discharge region which metal modifier element is deposited with the glow discharge deposited silicon film to modify the same to produce a p-type film.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The production of improved photovoltaic solar cells and the like comprising both p and n type deposited silicon film regions is made possible by a process which provides more efficient p-doped silicon films with higher acceptor concentrations. The process utilizes previously known p-dopant metal or boron gaseous materials in unique forms and conditions in a glow discharge silicon preferably hydrogen and fluorine compensated deposition process. Thus, p-dopant metals like aluminum may be used in an elemental evaporated form, rather than in a gaseous compound form heretofore ineffectively used and deposited with the glow discharge deposited silicon on substrates kept at lower temperatures where fluorine and hydrogen compensation is most effective. Preferably boron in a gaseous compound form like diborane and other p-dopant metals in a gaseous form are used uniquely during the glow discharge deposition of silicon by heating the substrate to heretofore believed undesirably higher temperatures, like at least about 450° C. to 800° C. where at least fluorine compensation, if desired, is still effective. The improved devices, such as solar cells, can be manufactured in a continuous process on a web type substrate moved through a plurality of film deposition chambers. Each of the chambers is dedicated to depositing a particular type of film layer (p, i or n) and is isolated from the other chambers.
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Citations
43 Claims
- 1. A method of making a p-type silicon semiconductor film, said method comprising the step of depositing on a substrate a semiconductor host matrix film including at least silicon by glow discharge of a compound containing at least silicon in a partial vacuum atmosphere and during glow discharge deposition of the film, introducing an evaporated metal p-dopant modifier element into the silicon depositing glow discharge region which metal modifier element is deposited with the glow discharge deposited silicon film to modify the same to produce a p-type film.
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3. A method of making a p-type silicon film, said method comprising the step of depositing on a substrate heated to at least above a temperature of 500°
- C. a semiconductor host matrix film including at least silicon by glow discharge of a compound containing at least silicon in a partial vacuum atmosphere and during glow discharge deposition of the film introducing a p-dopant gaseous compound into the silicon depositing glow discharge region, said p-dopant gaseous compound including at least a p-dopant modifier element and a non-p-dopant substituent and which gaseous compound disassociates into said p-dopant modifier element and said non-p-dopant substituent at said substrate temperature of at least about 500°
C., the p-dopant modifier element then combining with the depositing silicon to modify the silicon semiconductor material to produce a p-type film. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 23)
- C. a semiconductor host matrix film including at least silicon by glow discharge of a compound containing at least silicon in a partial vacuum atmosphere and during glow discharge deposition of the film introducing a p-dopant gaseous compound into the silicon depositing glow discharge region, said p-dopant gaseous compound including at least a p-dopant modifier element and a non-p-dopant substituent and which gaseous compound disassociates into said p-dopant modifier element and said non-p-dopant substituent at said substrate temperature of at least about 500°
- 31. A method of making a photovoltaic panel comprising forming a roll of a web of a flexible substrate material with one or more electrode-forming regions thereon, unrolling said substrate roll substantially continuously into a partially evacuated space including at least one silicon depositing region therein where there is deposited over at least some of said one or more electrode-forming regions at least two thin, flexible silicon films which are of opposite conductivity (p and n) type, one or more of said films forming a photovoltaic depletion region, said substrate is formed in a substantially continuous web, and each of said silicon films is deposited at a separate glow discharge region past which said web is moved to form a substantially continuous deposition process, and subsequently applying on said silicon films a thin flexible electrode-forming layer, separately as to each of said electrode-forming regions.
Specification