Method and structure for fabricating multiple tiled regions onto a plate using a controlled cleaving process

• US 7,674,687 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Henley, Francois J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stark, Jarrett J
• Application Number:
  US11/191,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20070026638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 438/459, 438/455, 257/E21.568
• US Class Current: 438/459
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/26506 in group IV semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2658 of a molecular ion, e.g. decaborane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

A reusable transfer substrate member for forming a tiled substrate structure. The member including a transfer substrate, which has a surface region. The surface region comprises a plurality of donor substrate regions. Each of the donor substrate regions is characterized by a donor substrate thickness and a donor substrate surface region. Each of the donor substrate regions is spatially disposed overlying the surface region of the transfer substrate. Each of the donor substrate regions has the donor substrate thickness without a definable cleave region.

Claims

1. A method for forming a solar cell comprising a plurality of tile structures on a substrate member, the method comprising:

providing a transfer substrate, the transfer substrate having a surface region, the surface region supporting a plurality of separate tiled donor substrates, each of the tiled donor substrates being characterized by a tile edge, a donor substrate thickness and a donor substrate surface region having a surface area corresponding to an entire processed semiconductor substrate, each of the tiled donor substrates being spatially disposed overlying the surface region of the transfer substrate;

implanting a plurality of particles concurrently through two or more of the donor substrate surface regions supported on the transfer substrate to form a cleave region provided by the plurality of particles between a portion of the donor substrate thickness and the donor substrate surface region for the two or more tiled donor substrates; and

joining each of the donor substrate surface regions to a handle substrate surface region, the handle substrate surface region being provided from a handle substrate;

removing the transfer substrate from the handle substrate to separate along a cleave plane of the cleave region, a plurality of tiled donor substrate portions spatially disposed overlying the handle substrate surface region; and

incorporating the plurality of tiled donor substrate portions into a solar cell structure offering a sufficient photovoltaic surface area to convert solar energy into electrical power.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transfer substrate is composed of a single layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transfer substrate comprises a plurality of layers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transfer substrate comprises a silicon bearing material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of tiled donor substrates comprises a single crystal silicon bearing material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the removing comprises, for each of the tiled donor substrates, cleaving the cleave region to remove a thickness of donor substrate material between the cleave region and the donor substrate surface region.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cleaving is characterized by a controlled cleaving action.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the handle substrate comprises a glass substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the handle substrate comprises a quartz plate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the handle substrate is characterized by a first length and a first width.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the tiled donor substrates, the cleave region comprises an implanted region and a deposited region.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the tiled donor substrates, the cleave region comprises an implanted region, the implanted region comprising a plurality of hydrogen species.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the tiled donor substrates, the cleave region comprises a plurality of particles therein.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the joining comprises bonding each of the donor substrate surface regions to the handle substrate surface region.

15. A method for forming a solar cell comprising a plurality of tile structures on a substrate member, the method comprising:

providing a transfer substrate, the transfer substrate having a surface region, the surface region supporting a plurality of separate tiled donor substrates, each of the tiled donor substrates being characterized by a tile edge, a donor substrate thickness and a donor substrate surface region having a surface area corresponding to an entire processed semiconductor substrate, each of the tiled donor substrates being spatially disposed overlying the surface region of the transfer substrate;

processing the donor substrate regions provided on the transfer substrate concurrently to form a cleave region between a portion of the donor substrate thickness and the donor substrate surface region for each of the tiled donor substrates; and

joining each of the donor substrate surface regions to a handle substrate surface region, the handle substrate surface region being provided from a handle substrate;

removing the transfer substrate from the handle substrate to separate along a cleave plane of the cleave region, a plurality of tiled donor substrate portions spatially disposed overlying the handle substrate surface region; and

incorporating the plurality of tiled donor substrate portions into a solar cell structure offering a sufficient photovoltaic surface area to convert solar energy into electrical power.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the processing comprises an implanting process.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the processing comprises a thermal process.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the processing causes a change in a portion of the donor substrate thickness to form the cleave region, the cleave region comprising a deposited material.