US4818357A
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US
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Method and apparatus for sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction and semiconductor homojunction products created by same
Assignee: Brown University Research Foundation Inc
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Filing: 1987-05-06
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Granted: 1989-04-04
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Expires: 2007-05-06
Abstract
Abstract A vacuum chamber is provided for sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction. A target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element is provided. A substrate for receiving the sputtered species from the target to form sequential layers of deposited semiconductor material is also provided. An electric field is provided between the target and the substrate. An inert gas is introduced sequentially at a plurality of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of the sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of the sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in the deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher Case
- 👤 Joseph J. Loferski
- 👤 Francisco Sanchez-Quesada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 15:44
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/14; H10F10/142; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/0623; C23C14/22; C23C14/54; C23C14/548; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/12; H10F77/126; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/22; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3436; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/541; Y02E10/544; Y02E10/547; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/93
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 54
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction comprising: providing a target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; providing a substrate for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form sequential layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field between said target and said substrate; and introducing an inert gas sequentially at a plurality of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
114 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction comprising: providing a target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; providing a substrate for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form sequential layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field between said target and said substrate; and introducing an inert gas sequentially at a plurality of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 in which said substrate is heated to 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 in which said semiconductor compound is copper indium selenide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 in which said inert gas is argon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 4 in which said argon is first introduced at a first partial pressure of approximately 3 Pascal to create a p type layer and second introduced at a second partial pressure of approximately 2.25 Pascal to create an n type layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 4 in which said argon is introduced at partial pressures of between approximately one and five Pascal to alter the conductivity type and resistivity of said plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 4 in which said argon is first introduced at a first partial pressure of approximately 2.25 Pascal to create an n type layer and second introduced at a second partial pressure of approximately 3 Pascal to create a p type layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 in which said target is cooled to 50 degrees Centigrade or less.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 in which the power density of said electric field is between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
10 words
A p/n homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
10 words
An n/p homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
10 words
A p/n/nplus homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
10 words
An nplus/n/p homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
9 words
A pplus/p/n homojunction produced-by the method of claim 1.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
10 words
An n/p/pplus homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
10 words
A pplus/p/n/nplus homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
10 words
An nplus/n/p/pplus homojunction produced by the method of claim 1.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 in which said semiconductor compound is binary.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 in which said semiconductor compound is ternary.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 in which said semiconductor compound is quaternary.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 in which said semiconductor compound is pentenary.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method of claim 1 further including providing a plurality of targets, each said target made of a different semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element and providing an electric field between said substrate and each of said targets, and means for sequentially selecting each of said targets and the associated electric field to sequentially deposit semiconductor material from each said target.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 in which said semiconductor compound is a direct bandgap compound.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a multiple layer sequential semiconductor homojunction structure comprising: providing a plurality of targets, each said target made of a different direct bandgap semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; providing a substrate for sequentially receiving the sputtered species from said targets to form sequential homojunction layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field between said substrate and each of said targets; providing means for sequentially selecting each of said targets and the associated electric field; and introducing an inert gas sequentially at a multitude of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different direct bandgap semiconductor material homojunction layers.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a multiple layer sequential semiconductor homojunction structure comprising: providing a plurality of targets, each said target made of a different direct bandgap semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; providing a substrate for sequentially receiving the sputtered species from said targets to form sequential homojunction layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field between said substrate and each of said targets; providing means for sequentially selecting each of said targets and the associated electric field; and introducing an inert gas sequentially at a multitude of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different direct bandgap semiconductor material homojunction layers.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
147 words
A vacuum chamber for sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction comprising: a vacuum chamber; a cathode in said vacuum chamber for holding a target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; an anode in said vacuum chamber for holding a substrate for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form sequential layers of deposited semiconductor material; a power supply electrically connected between said anode and said cathode for creating an electric field to form inert gas ions; and means for introducing an inert gas into said vacuum chamber sequentially at a plurality of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
147 words
A vacuum chamber for sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction comprising: a vacuum chamber; a cathode in said vacuum chamber for holding a target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; an anode in said vacuum chamber for holding a substrate for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form sequential layers of deposited semiconductor material; a power supply electrically connected between said anode and said cathode for creating an electric field to form inert gas ions; and means for introducing an inert gas into said vacuum chamber sequentially at a plurality of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 25 further including cathode cooling means for maintaining said target at 50 degrees Centigrade or less.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 25 in which said means for introducing an inert gas includes a perforated tubular member for introducing said inert gas circumferentially around said cathode.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
20 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 25 further including anode heating means for heating said substrate to approximately 450 degrees Centigrade.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 28 further including anode cooling means for maintaining the temperature of said substrate at approximately 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
15 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 25 in which said semiconductor compound is copper indium selenide.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 30 in which said inert gas is argon.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
51 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 31 in which said means for introducing includes means for providing said argon first at a first partial pressure of approximately 3 Pascal to create a p type layer and second at a second partial pressure of approximately 2.25 Pascal to create an n type layer.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
51 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 31 in which said means for introducing includes means for providing said argon first at a first partial pressure of approximately 2.25 Pascal to create an n type layer and second at a second partial pressure of approximately 3 Pascal to create a p type layer.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
44 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 31 in which said means for introducing includes means for providing said argon sequentially at partial pressures of between approximately one and five Pascal to alter the conductivity type and resistivity of said plurality of different semiconductor material layers.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
27 words
The vacuum chamber of claim 25 in which the power density of said electric field is between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
212 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a two layer p/n copper indium selenide homojunction comprising: providing a target cooled to 50 degrees Centigrade or less and made of copper indium selenide; providing a substrate kept at 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form two layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field at a power density of between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area between said target and said substrate; first introducing argon gas at a first partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a p type semiconductor layer; and second introducing said argon gas at a second partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create an n type semiconductor layer to create a p/n copper indium selenide homojunction.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
212 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a two layer p/n copper indium selenide homojunction comprising: providing a target cooled to 50 degrees Centigrade or less and made of copper indium selenide; providing a substrate kept at 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form two layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field at a power density of between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area between said target and said substrate; first introducing argon gas at a first partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a p type semiconductor layer; and second introducing said argon gas at a second partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create an n type semiconductor layer to create a p/n copper indium selenide homojunction.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 36 in which said first partial pressure is approximately 3 Pascal and said second partial pressure is approximately 2.25 Pascal.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
331 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a four layer p/n copper indium selenide homojunction comprising: providing a target cooled to 50 degrees Centigrade or less and made of copper indium selenide; providing a substrate kept at 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form four layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field at a power density of between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area between said target and said substrate; first introducing argon gas at a first partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a p plus type semiconductor layer; second introducing said argon gas at a second partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a p type semiconductor layer; third introducing argon gas at a third partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create an n type semiconductor layer; and fourth introducing said argon gas at a fourth partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create an n plus type semiconductor layer to create a pplus/p/n/nplus copper indium selenide homojunction.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
331 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a four layer p/n copper indium selenide homojunction comprising: providing a target cooled to 50 degrees Centigrade or less and made of copper indium selenide; providing a substrate kept at 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form four layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field at a power density of between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area between said target and said substrate; first introducing argon gas at a first partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a p plus type semiconductor layer; second introducing said argon gas at a second partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a p type semiconductor layer; third introducing argon gas at a third partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create an n type semiconductor layer; and fourth introducing said argon gas at a fourth partial pressure of between one and five Pascal to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create an n plus type semiconductor layer to create a pplus/p/n/nplus copper indium selenide homojunction.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 38 in which said second partial pressure is approximately 3 Pascal and said third partial pressure is approximately 2.25 Pascal.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
239 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a three layer sequential semiconductor homojunction pair transistor comprising: providing a target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; providing a substrate for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form three layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field between said target and said substrate; first introducing an inert gas at a first partial pressure to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a first layer with a first conductivity type; second introducing an inert gas at a second partial pressure to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a second layer with a second conductivity type; and third introducing an inert gas at a third partial pressure to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a third layer with said first conductivity type to create a three layer sequential semiconductor homojunction pair transistor.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
239 words
A method of vacuum chamber sputter deposition of a three layer sequential semiconductor homojunction pair transistor comprising: providing a target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element; providing a substrate for receiving the sputtered species from said target to form three layers of deposited semiconductor material; providing an electric field between said target and said substrate; first introducing an inert gas at a first partial pressure to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a first layer with a first conductivity type; second introducing an inert gas at a second partial pressure to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a second layer with a second conductivity type; and third introducing an inert gas at a third partial pressure to adjust the incident energy of said sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of said sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in said deposited material and create a third layer with said first conductivity type to create a three layer sequential semiconductor homojunction pair transistor.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 40 in which said substrate is heated to 450 degrees Centigrade ±20 degrees Centigrade.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 40 in which said target is cooled to 50 degrees Centigrade or less.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 40 in which said semiconductor compound is copper indium selenide.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 40 in which said inert gas is argon.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 44 in which said first and third partial pressures are approximately 3 Pascal and said second partial pressure is approximately 2.25 Pascal to create p/n and n/p sequential homojunction pairs of a p/n/p transistor.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 44 in which said first and third partial pressures are approximately 2.25 Pascal and said second partial pressure is approximately 3 Pascal to create n/p and p/n sequential homojunction pairs of an n/p/n transistor.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 40 in which the power density of said electric field is between 1 and 8 Watts per square centimeter of target area.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 40 in which said first and third partial pressures are approximately equal, to make said first and third layers the same conductivity type, and said second partial pressure is different from said first and third partial pressures to make said second layer a different conductivity type than said first and third layers.
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-04-03 | 1992-10-03 | 1993-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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