IDiyas

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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.:

US 9947531 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2018

Filed:

Dec. 17, 2015

High rate sputter deposition of alkali metal-containing precursor films useful to fabricate chalcogenide semiconductors

Applicant:

Nuvoson, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);

Inventors:

Dennis R. Hollars, Madera, CA (US);

Puthur Paulson, Milpitas, CA (US);

Don Person, Milpitas, CA (US);

Arthur C. Wall, Milpitas, CA (US);

Assignee:

NUVOSUN, INC., Milpitas, CA (US);

Attorney:

Kagan Binder, PLLC

Primary Examiner:

Eduardo A Rodela

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 21/02 (2006.01); C23C 14/58 (2006.01); C23C 14/06 (2006.01); C23C 14/34 (2006.01); H01L 31/18 (2006.01); C22C 29/00 (2006.01); H01L 31/032 (2006.01); H01L 31/0749 (2012.01); C23C 14/00 (2006.01); H01L 45/00 (2006.01); H01L 31/02 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 21/02568 (2013.01); C22C 29/00 (2013.01); C23C 14/0057 (2013.01); C23C 14/0623 (2013.01); C23C 14/0694 (2013.01); C23C 14/3464 (2013.01); C23C 14/5806 (2013.01); H01L 21/02266 (2013.01); H01L 21/02417 (2013.01); H01L 21/02485 (2013.01); H01L 21/02631 (2013.01); H01L 31/02008 (2013.01); H01L 31/0322 (2013.01); H01L 31/0749 (2013.01); H01L 31/18 (2013.01); H01L 31/188 (2013.01); H01L 45/141 (2013.01); H01L 45/16 (2013.01); H01L 45/1625 (2013.01);
Abstract

The present invention provides methods to sputter deposit films comprising alkali metal compounds. At least one target comprising one or more alkali metal compounds and at least one metallic component is sputtered to form one or more corresponding sputtered films. The at least one target has an atomic ratio of the alkali metal compound to the at least one metallic component in the range from 15:85 to 85:15. The sputtered film(s) incorporating such alkali metal compounds are incorporated into a precursor structure also comprising one or more chalcogenide precursor films. The precursor structure is heated in the presence of at least one chalcogen to form a chalcogenide semiconductor. The resultant chalcogenide semiconductor comprises up to 2 atomic percent of alkali metal content, wherein at least a major portion of the alkali metal content of the resultant chalcogenide semiconductor is derived from the sputtered film(s) incorporating the alkali metal compound(s). The chalcogenide semiconductors are useful in microelectronic devices, including solar cells.

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