Leland Stanford Junior University

Bruce M Clemens

Garrett J Hayes

Alberto Salleo

James Randy Groves

Stacey F Bent

Bruce M Lairson

Mark R Visokay

Bingrui Joel Li

A biaxially textured crystalline layer formed on a substrate using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) is provided. The biaxially textured crystalline layer includes an oriented CaFcrystalline layer having crystalline grains oriented in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions, where the out-of-plane orientation is a (111) out-of-plane orientation. The oriented CaFcrystalline layer is disposed for growth of a subsequent epitaxial layer and the CaFcrystalline layer is an IBAD CaFlayer. The biaxially textured CaFlayer can be used in a photovoltaic cell, an electronic or optoelectronic device, an integrated circuit, an optical sensor, or a magnetic device.

Depositing calcium fluoride template layers for solar cells

This work provides a new approach for epitaxial liftoff. Instead of using a sacrificial layer that is selectively etched chemically, the sacrificial layer selectively absorbs light that is not absorbed by other parts of the structure. Under sufficiently intense illumination with such light, the sacrificial layer is mechanically weakened, melted and/or destroyed, thereby enabling epitaxial liftoff. The perimeter of the semiconductor region to be released is defined (partially or completely) by lateral patterning, and the part to be released is also adhered to a support member prior to laser irradiation. The end result is a semiconductor region removed from its substrate and adhered to the support member.

Laser liftoff of epitaxial thin film structures

A method of forming a self-organized nanostructured solar cell is provided. The method includes depositing a semiconductor film on a substrate, where the semiconductor film includes a mixture of at least two constituents, then activating the semiconductor film during or after the deposition. Here, the activated semiconductor film self-assembles into an organized nanostructure geometry on the substrate, where the organized nanostructure includes a first structure of the at least one constituent having a first polarity and a second structure of the at least one constituent having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. Further, the invention includes depositing a contact on a top surface of the organized nanostructure geometry.

Self-organizing nanostructured solar cells

A method for producing oriented, intermetallic, thin film structures having uniaxial magnetic, electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. Artificial superlattices (10) are assembled by sputter deposition of alternating layers of the component metals of the target intermetallic compound on an aligned substrate (16). Either single crystal substrates or crystallographically textured substrates may be used to induce alignment of the deposited layers (10, 12) in the method of the present invention. Annealing of the resulting superlattice (10) generates aligned, thin film intermetallic compounds (38) of the component metals at the interfaces (44) of the superlattice (10), the thin film intermetallic compounds having pronounced, uniaxial properties.

Growing community of inventors

Stanford, CA, United States of America

Bruce M Clemens