Method for manufacturing transparent conductive indium-tin oxide layers

Claim 1

A method for applying a transparent, conductive indium-tin oxide coating on a substate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon which method comprises the steps of: providing an unheated substrate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon in an enclosed coating zone; applying sources of both indium and tin in a first stage onto said substrate while maintaining the substrate unheated and maintaining an oxygen partial pressure at a low level in said zone until a partial coating is built-up on said substrate; temporarily reducing the oxygen partial pressure in said coating zone in a second stage and maintaining the substrate unheated and continuing the coating until an additinal coating thickness is built-up on said substrate; continuing coating in a third stage with the oxygen partial pressure the same as during the first stage to complete the coating to a final thickness; and thereafter heating the coated substrate in an oxygen containing atmosphere at a temperature less than 250° C.

Claim 2

A method for applying a transparent, conductive indium-tin oxide coating on a substate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon which method comprises the steps of: providing an unheated substrate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon in an enclosed coating zone; applying sources of both indium and tin in a first stage onto said substrate while maintaining the substrate unheated and maintaining an oxygen partial pressure at a low level in said zone until a partial coating is built-up on said substrate; temporarily reducing the oxygen partial pressure in said coating zone in a second stage and maintaining the substrate unheated and continuing the coating until an additinal coating thickness is built-up on said substrate; continuing coating in a third stage with the oxygen partial pressure the same as during the first stage to complete the coating to a final thickness; and thereafter heating the coated substrate in an oxygen containing atmosphere at a temperature less than 250° C.

Claim 8

A method for applying a transparent, conductive indium-tin oxide coating of a desired thickness on a substrate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon, said method comprising the steps of: providing an unheated substrate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon in an enclosed coating zone; applying sources of both indium and tin in a first stage onto said substrate while introducing and maintaining an oxygen partial pressure at a low level of about 8×10 -4 mbar in said zone until a partial coating is built-up on said substrate; terminating the introduction of oxygen when the coating thickness is about one-third of the desired thickness to reduce the oxygen partial pressure below 1×10 -5 mbar in said coating zone in a second stage and continuing the coating until an additional coating thickness of about one-third of the desired coating is built-up on said substrate; introducing additional oxygen until the partial oxygen pressure is approximately that used in said first stage and continuing the coating until the desired coating thickness is achieved; and thereafter heating the coated substrate in an oxygen containing atmosphere at a temperature less than 250° C.

Claim 9

A method for applying a transparent, conductive indium-tin oxide coating of a desired thickness on a substrate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon, said method comprising the steps of: providing an unheated substrate of amorphous, hydrogen-containing silicon in an enclosed coating zone; applying sources of both indium and tin in a first stage onto said substrate while introducing and maintaining an oxygen partial pressure at a low level of about 8×10 -4 mbar in said zone until a partial coating is built-up on said substrate; terminating the introduction of oxygen when the coating thickness is about one-third of the desired thickness to reduce the oxygen partial pressure below 1×10 -5 mbar in said coating zone in a second stage and continuing the coating until an additional coating thickness of about one-third of the desired coating is built-up on said substrate; introducing additional oxygen until the partial oxygen pressure is approximately that used in said first stage and continuing the coating until the desired coating thickness is achieved; and thereafter heating the coated substrate in an oxygen containing atmosphere at a temperature less than 250° C.