Method of depositing an oxide layer on a substrate and a photovoltaic cell using said substrate

• US 7,390,731 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Institut De Microtechnique Universite De Neuchatel
• Original Assignee: Institut De Microtechnique Universite De Neuchatel
• Inventors: Kroll, Ulrich, Meier, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, HSIEN MING
• Application Number:
  US10/488,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20040235286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 438/87, 438/608, 438/609, 118/726, 257/E21.17, 427/126.3, 427/584, 205/140, 205/141
• US Class Current: 438/608
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

The process according to the invention makes it possible to deposit a transparent conductive oxide film on a toughened glass substrate placed inside a chamber. It consists in providing sources containing an oxygen-based liquid compound, a liquid compound of the metal intended to form the oxide, and a dopant in gaseous or liquid form, respectively; establishing a temperature between 130 and 300° C. and a pressure between 0.01 and 2 mbar in the chamber; and then bringing said sources into communication with the chamber, which has the effect of vaporizing the liquids at their surface, of drawing them up into the chamber without having to use a carrier gas, and of making them react therein with the dopant so that the oxide layer is formed on the substrate.

Claims

1. A process for depositing a transparent conductive oxide film on a substrate placed inside a chamber, said process comprising:

providing sources containing an oxygen-based liquid compound, a liquid compound of the metal intended to form the transparent conductive oxide film, and a dopant in gaseous or liquid form;

establishing a temperature between 130 and 300°

C. and a pressure between 0.01 and 2 mbar in said chamber; and

then

bringing said sources into direct communication with said chamber, which has the effect of vaporizing said oxygen-based liquid compound, said liquid compound of the metal, and said dopant if the source of dopant is in liquid form at their surface, of drawing said vaporized compounds and said vaporized or gaseous form dopant up into the chamber without having to use a carrier gas, and of making said vaporized oxygen-based compound and said vaporized compound of the metal react therein with the dopant so that said oxide film is formed on the substrate.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, for depositing a film of zinc oxide, wherein said sources contain water, diethylzinc in liquid form and a diborane-based gas mixture.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising forming a plasma of said vaporized oxygen-based liquid compound, said vaporized liquid compound of the metal and said vaporized dopant inside the chamber.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3, for depositing a film of tin oxide, wherein said sources contain water, tetramethyltin in liquid form and a gas mixture based on methyl tetrafluoride.

5. The process as claimed in claim 3, for depositing a film of zinc oxide, wherein said sources contain water, diethylzinc in liquid form and a gas mixture based on methyl tetrafluoride.