Method for manufacturing a compound film

• US 8,927,051 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flisom AG
• Original Assignee: Flisom AG
• Inventors: Rudmann, Dominik, Kaelin, Marc, Studer, Thomas, Budde, Felix
• Primary Examiner(s): Cleveland, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORNING, JOEL G
• Application Number:
  US12/677,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20100247745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• US Class Current: 427/8
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0623 Sulfides, selenides or tellurides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/545 using measurement on deposited material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/548 Controlling the composition
• 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 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1844 comprising ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. Ga Al As, In Ga As P
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a compound film comprising a substrate and at least one additional layer is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of depositing at least two chemical elements on the substrate and/or on the at least one additional layer using depositions sources, maintaining depositing of the at least two chemical elements while the substrate and the deposition sources are being moved relative to each other, measuring the compound film properties, particularly being compound film thickness, compound-film overall composition, and compound-film composition in one or several positions of the compound film, comparing the predefined values for the compound film properties to the measured compound film properties, and adjusting the deposition of the at least two chemical elements in case the measured compound film properties do not match the predefined compound film properties.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a compound film layer, comprising:

forming the compound film layer composed of at least a first material and a second material on a first surface of a substrate as the substrate is transferred in a first direction relative to a deposition source block, wherein the deposition source block comprises a first deposition source adapted to deliver a flux of the first material to the first surface and a second deposition source adapted to deliver a flux of the second material to the first surface;

measuring a property of the compound film layer using a measurement device that is positioned over a second surface of the substrate, wherein the measurement device comprises an x-ray detector and an electron source or an x-ray source, and wherein the second surface is opposed to the first surface of the substrate, the substrate is disposed between the measurement device and the deposition source block and the measured property of the compound film layer is selected from a group consisting of thickness and composition; and

adjusting the flux of the first material delivered to the first surface as the substrate is transferred in the first direction, based on a comparison of the measured property and a predefined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device further comprises a housing in which the x-ray detector is disposed, wherein the housing is positioned adjacent to or in contact with the second surface of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring a property of the compound film layer further comprises moving the measurement device in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein moving the measurement device further comprises moving the measurement device in the first direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a polymer material.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the substrate further comprises a conductive layer that is disposed on the first surface, and the conductive layer comprises molybdenum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device comprises an x-ray detector that is positioned to receive radiation emitted from the compound film layer due to energy provided to the compound film layer by an electron source and an x-ray source.

8. A method of manufacturing a compound film layer, comprising:

forming the compound film layer composed of at least a first material and a second material on a first surface of a flexible substrate as the flexible substrate is transferred in a first direction relative to a first deposition source, a second deposition source and a third deposition source, wherein forming the compound film layer on first surface of the flexible substrate further comprises;

heating an amount of the first material disposed in the first deposition source to form a first flux that is received by the first surface;

heating an amount of the second material disposed in the second deposition source to form a second flux that is received by the first surface; and

heating an amount of the first material disposed in the third deposition source to form a third flux that is received by the first surface, wherein the first material and the second material have a different composition, and the first, second and third deposition sources are disposed a distance apart along the first direction;

measuring a property of the compound film layer using a fluorescence spectrometer that is positioned over a second surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the second surface is opposed to the first surface of the substrate, the substrate is disposed between the measurement device and the first, second and third deposition sources, and the property of the compound film layer is selected from a group of properties consisting of thickness and composition; and

adjusting the first flux, the second flux or the third flux based on a comparison of the measured property and a predefined value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fluorescence spectrometer comprises an x-ray detector and an electron source or an x-ray source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fluorescence spectrometer further comprises a housing in which the x-ray detector is disposed, wherein the housing is positioned adjacent to or in contact with the second surface of the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein measuring a property of the compound film layer further comprises moving the fluorescence spectrometer in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein moving the fluorescence spectrometer further comprises moving the fluorescence spectrometer in the first direction.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein heating the amount of the first material disposed in the first deposition source further comprises:

heating the amount of the first material using a plurality of deposition source units that are disposed along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein each of the deposition source units comprise a heating element that is configured to heat a portion of the first material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein measuring a property of the compound film layer further comprises moving the fluorescence spectrometer in the second direction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

heating the amount of the second material disposed in the second deposition source further comprises heating the amount of the second material using a plurality of deposition source units that are disposed along the second direction,

heating the amount of the first material disposed in the third deposition source further comprises heating the amount of the first material using a plurality of deposition source units that are disposed along the second direction, and

measuring a property of the compound film layer further comprises moving the fluorescence spectrometer in the second direction.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises a polymer material.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the substrate further comprises a conductive layer that is disposed on the first surface and comprises molybdenum.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the fluorescence spectrometer comprises an x-ray detector that is positioned to receive radiation emitted from the compound film layer due to energy provided to the compound film layer by an electron source and an x-ray source.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the first material and the second material comprise an element selected from a group consisting of gallium, copper and indium.