Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Ecole Polytechnique

Total Sa

Mario Moreno

Pere Roca I Cabarrocas

Dimitri Daineka

The invention relates to a method for texturing the surface of a gaseous phase silicon substrate, and to a textured silicon substrate for a solar cell. The method includes at least a step a) of exposing the surface to an SF/Oradiofrequency plasma for a duration of 2 to 30 minutes in order to produce a silicon substrate having a textured surface having pyramidal structures, the SF/Oratio being 2 to 10. During step a) the power density generated using the radiofrequency plasma is greater than or equal to 2500 mW/cm, and the SF/Opressure in the reaction chamber is lower than or equal to 100 mTorrs, so as to produce a silicon substrate having a textured surface having inverted pyramidal structures.

Method of texturing the surface of a silicon substrate, and textured silicon substrate for a solar cell

Method of fabricating a multilayer film having at least one ultrathin layer of crystalline silicon, the film being fabricated from a substrate having a crystalline structure and including a previously-cleaned surface. The method includes the steps of: a) exposing the cleaned surface to a radiofrequency plasma generated in a gaseous mixture of SiF4, hydrogen, and argon, so as to form an ultrathin layer of crystalline silicon having an interface sublayer in contact with the substrate and containing microcavities; b) depositing at least one layer of material on the ultrathin layer of crystalline silicon so as form a multilayer film, the multilayer film including at least one mechanically strong layer; and c) annealing the substrate covered in the multilayer film at a temperature higher than 400&#xb0; C., thereby enabling the multilayer film to be separated from the substrate.

Method for producing a multilayer film including at least one ultrathin layer of crystalline silicon, and devices obtained by means of said method

A method for cleaning the surface of a silicon substrate, covered by a layer of silicon oxide includes: a) exposing the surface for 60 to 900 seconds to a radiofrequency plasma, generated from a fluorinated gas, to strip the silicon oxide layer and induce the adsorption of fluorinated elements on the substrate surface, the power density generated using the plasma being 10 mW/cmto 350 mW/cm, the fluorinated gas pressure being 10 mTorrs to 200 mTorrs, and the substrate temperature being lower than or equal to 300&#xb0; C.; and b) exposing the surface including the fluorinated elements for 5 to 120 seconds to a hydrogen radiofrequency plasma, to remove the fluorinated elements from the substrate surface, the power density generated using the plasma being 10 mW/cmto 350 mW/cm, the hydrogen pressure being 10 mTorrs to 1 Torr, and the substrate temperature being lower than or equal to 300&#xb0; C.

Growing community of inventors

Palaiseau, France

Mario Moreno