Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

David Beglau

Stanford R Ovshinsky

Guy Charles Wicker

Wolodymyr Czubatyj

Subhendu Guha

Krishna Sapru

Benjamin S Chao

Ronald Himmler

Annette J Krisko

David C Jablonski

A microwave plasma enhanced PVD/CVD apparatus and method. The apparatus includes an evacuable deposition chamber having a plasma region and a deposition region adjacent one another. The apparatus also includes a source of microwave energy, and a microwave waveguide to transfer microwave energy from the source thereof to the plasma region. Additionally, the apparatus includes a plate, crucible or boat for holding solid or liquid starting materials within said plasma region, and a system of flow controllers and gas transport tubing for introducing gaseous materials into the plasma region, the interaction of the microwave energy with the gaseous materials forms a plasma within the plasma region. The plasma provides thermal energy for the evaporation of the solid or liquid starting materials and causes the reaction of any reactive gases or vapors present in the plasma region. A substrate holder is positioned within the deposition region for holding a substrate upon which the deposited material is collected and a system of pumps, valves and exhaust tubing is attached to the deposition chamber for evacuating the deposition chamber and venting undeposited waste gases and vapors. The method involves the steps of providing an evacuable deposition chamber having a plasma region and a deposition region adjacent one another; positioning a substrate within the deposition region; providing solid or liquid starting materials within the plasma region; evacuating the deposition chamber; providing a source of microwave energy; transferring microwave energy from the source thereof to the plasma region; introducing gaseous materials into the plasma region; interacting the microwave energy with the gaseous materials to form a plasma within the plasma region, the plasma providing thermal energy for the evaporation of the solid or liquid starting materials and causing the reaction of any reactive gases or vapors present in the plasma region; depositing the evaporated and reacted species upon the substrate to form a thin film of deposited material; and venting undeposited waste gases and vapors from the deposition chamber.

Apparatus for microwave plasma enhanced physical/chemical vapor

A method for the low temperature fabrication of doped polycrystalline semiconductor alloy material. The method includes the steps of exposing a body of semiconductor alloy material to a reaction gas containing at least a source of the dopant element, and establishing an electrical potential sufficient to sputter etch the surface of said layer, while decomposing the reaction gas. This allows for the deposition of a layer of doped amorphous semiconductor alloy material upon the body of semiconductor alloy material. Thereafter, the doped layer of amorphous semiconductor alloy material is exposed to an annealing environment sufficient to at least partially crystallize said amorphous material, and activate the dopant element.

Method of forming a layer of doped crystalline semiconductor alloy

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

David Beglau