US4937651A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Semiconductor device free from the current leakage through a semiconductor layer and method for manufacturing same
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co Ltd
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Filing: 1986-08-22
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Granted: 1990-06-26
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Expires: 2006-08-22
Abstract
Abstract An improved semiconductor device is disclosed which is free from current leakage due to pin-holes or other gaps. Also an improved method for processing a semiconductor device is shown. According to the invention, gaps produced in fabricating process of the semiconductor layer are filled with insulator in advance of deposition of electrodes.
Inventors
- 👤 Shunpei Yamazaki
- 👤 Kunio Suzuki
- 👤 Mikio Kinka
- 👤 Takeshi Fukada
- 👤 Masayoshi Abe
- 👤 Ippei Kobayashi
- 👤 Katsuhiko Shibata
- 👤 Masato Susukida
- 👤 Susumu Nagayama
- 👤 Kaoru Koyanagi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:40
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/30; H10F77/306; H10F77/311; H10F19/00; H10F19/30; H10F19/31; H10F71/00; H10F71/10; H10F71/135; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10S; Y10S136/00; Y10S136/29
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate; a first electrode formed on said substrate; a rectifying semiconductor layer formed on said first electrode, large defects of said semiconductor layer being filled with a resin and small defects, smaller than said large defects, having said resin therein and an insulator disposed between said last-mentioned resin and said rectifying semiconductor layer; and a second electrode formed on said semiconductor layer; whereby short circuiting between said first and second electrodes is minimized to (a) the resin which fills the large defects and (b) the insulator disposed in the small defects.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate; a first electrode formed on said substrate; a rectifying semiconductor layer formed on said first electrode, large defects of said semiconductor layer being filled with a resin and small defects, smaller than said large defects, having said resin therein and an insulator disposed between said last-mentioned resin and said rectifying semiconductor layer; and a second electrode formed on said semiconductor layer; whereby short circuiting between said first and second electrodes is minimized to (a) the resin which fills the large defects and (b) the insulator disposed in the small defects.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said rectifying semiconductor layer is an amorphous semiconductor layer incorporating a pin junction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein said small defect is a pinhole.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein said insulator is formed by a chemical reaction between the rectifying semiconductor layer and the resin disposed in the small defect, said chemical reaction being caused by a reverse bias local current which stops said small defect and is not conductive at least after the reaction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A semiconductor device of claim 4 wherein said forming means is a heat source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
A semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein said resin is photocurable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
A semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein said device is a photovoltaic device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 1 including voltage regulation means for limiting the magnitude of the reverse voltage applied to the semiconductor layer to a value less than the breakdown voltage of the layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 8 where said voltage regulation means includes at least one zener diode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 1 where said resin is primarily disposed between the first and second electrodes to thus substantially lessen short circuiting associated with the large defects.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A semiconductor as in claim 1 where the magnitude of said reverse voltage is such as to substantially lessen short circuiting associated with the small defects.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-06-25 | 1993-12-25 | 1994-06-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-06-25 | 1997-12-25 | 1998-06-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-06-25 | 2001-12-25 | 2002-06-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |