The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 17, 2015
Filed:
Jul. 18, 2008
Ruben Lieten, Zonhoven, BE;
Stefan Degroote, Scherpenheuven-Zichem, BE;
Ruben Lieten, Zonhoven, BE;
Stefan Degroote, Scherpenheuven-Zichem, BE;
IMEC, Leuven, BE;
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, BE;
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for providing a crystalline germanium layer on a crystalline base substrate having a crystalline surface. The method comprises cleaning the base substrate for removing contaminants and/or native oxides from the surface, providing an amorphous germanium layer on the surface of the base substrate while exposing to the base substrate to a hydrogen source such as e.g. a hydrogen plasma, a Hflux or hydrogen originating from dissociation of GeHand/or to a non-reactive gas source such as N, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn or mixtures thereof, and crystallizing the amorphous germanium layer by annealing the base substrate so as to provide a crystalline germanium layer. The present invention also provides a method for the production of a photovoltaic cell or a photo-electrolysis cell or for forming a CMOS device by using the method according to embodiments of the invention and a substrate comprising a crystalline germanium layer formed by a method according to embodiments of the invention.