System and method for transferring substrates in large scale processing of CIGS and/or CIS devices

• US 8,377,736 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stion Corporation
• Inventors: Wieting, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUNOZ, ANDRES F
• Application Number:
  US13/343,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/85
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3615 Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3628 one layer at least containing a sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3631 one layer at least containing a selenide or telluride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3649 made of metals other than silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3678 specially adapted for use in solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/944 Layers comprising zinc oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/025 Metallic sublayers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5866 Treatment with sulfur, selenium or tellurium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02491 Conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02568 Chalcogenide semiconducting materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02614 Transformation of metal, e.g. oxidation, nitridation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0322 comprising only AIBIIICVI chalcopyrite compounds, e.g. Cu In Se2, Cu Ga Se2, Cu In Ga Se2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0749 including a AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CdS/CulnSe2 [CIS] heterojunction solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1876 Particular processes or apparatus for batch treatment of the devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for fabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film. The method includes providing a plurality of substrates having a copper and indium composite structure, and including a peripheral region, the peripheral region including a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening and a second opening. The method includes transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the furnace including a holding apparatus. The method further includes introducing a gaseous species into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to at least initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film on each of the substrates.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film comprising:

providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a copper and indium composite structure, each of the substrates including a peripheral region, the peripheral region including a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening and a second opening;

transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N, where N is greater than 5, the furnace including a holding apparatus, the holding apparatus including a first elongated member being configured to hang each of the substrates using at least the first opening;

introducing a gaseous species including a hydrogen species and a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature ranging from about 350°

C. to about 450°

C. and initiating formation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates;

maintaining the temperature at about the second temperature for a period of time;

removing at least the selenide species from the furnace;

introducing a hydrogen sulfide species into the furnace;

increasing a temperature to a third temperature, the third temperature ranging from about 500 to 525°

C. while the plurality of substrates are maintained in an environment including a sulfur species to extract out one or more selenium species from the copper indium diselenide film.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the plurality of substrates from the furnace using a transferring device, the transferring device including at least a second elongated member that is configured to go through at least the second opening.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the peripheral region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indium composite structure further comprises gallium.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a first amount of the selenium species is replaced by a second amount of the sulfur species in the copper indium diselenide film.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second temperature ranges from about 390°

C. to about 410°

C.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous species comprises H2Se.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the holding apparatus includes a plurality of elongateds members, the plurality of elongated members includes a second elongated member;

the first elongated member is configured to hang a first set of substrates, the first set of substrates including less than 8 substrates;

the second elongated member configured to hang a second set of substrates, the second set of substrates including less than 8 substrates.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas comprises nitrogen gas.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the furnace is characterized by a temperature profile having a uniformity of about less than 5% difference within the furnace.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the substrates is maintained in a substantially planar configuration free from warp or damage.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the hydrogen sulfide species to a concentration ranging from about 10% to about 25% of a total volume within the furnace.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the removing of the selenide species from the furnace occurs until the furnace is in a vacuum.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrates further comprises a gallium material.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a copper and indium alloyed material.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a layer of copper material and a layer of indium material.