US5077223A
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Photoelectric conversion device and method of making the same
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co Ltd
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Filing: 1989-11-29
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Granted: 1991-12-31
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Expires: 2009-11-29
Abstract
Abstract A photoelectric conversion device has a non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member formed on a substrate having a conductive surface, and a conductive layer formed on the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member. The non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member has such a structure that a first non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having a P or N first conductivity type, an I-type second non-single-crystal semiconductor layer and a third non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type are laminated in this order. The first (or third) non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is disposed on the side on which light is incident, and is P-type. The I-type non-single-crystal semiconductor layer has introduced thereinto a P-type impurity, such as boron which is distributed so that its concentration decreases towards the third (or first) non-single-crystal semiconductor layer in the thickwise direction of the I-type layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Shunpei Yamazaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 06:52
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/12; H10F77/122; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/17; H10F10/174; H10F77/1223; H10F77/16; H10F77/169; H10F77/1692; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/547; Y02E10/548; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/931
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising the steps of: forming a first impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate in a reaction chamber; depositing a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer on said first impurity layer by introducing process gas into said reaction chamber together with a dopant gas comprising boron, the introducing ratio of said dopant gas to said process gas being monotonically decreased throughout the deposition of the intrinsic semiconductor layer in order that the impurity concentration in said intrinsic semiconductor layer is monotonically decreased from the interface between said first impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers; forming a second impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, the impurity semiconductor layer adjacent to the heavier doping side of said intrinsic layer having the same conductivity type as that corresponding to the dopant gas for said intrinsic semiconductor layer; forming an electrode arrangement for said conversion device; and reducing the oxygen concentration in said substantially intrinsic layer to a level less than 5×10 19 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 2
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising the steps of: forming a first impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate in a reaction chamber; depositing a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer on said first impurity layer by introducing process gas into said reaction chamber together with a dopant gas comprising boron, the introducing ratio of said dopant gas to said process gas being monotonically decreased throughout the deposition of the intrinsic semiconductor layer in order that the impurity concentration in said intrinsic semiconductor layer is monotonically decreased from the interface between said first impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers; forming a second impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, the impurity semiconductor layer adjacent to the heavier doping side of said intrinsic layer having the same conductivity type as that corresponding to the dopant gas for said intrinsic semiconductor layer; forming an electrode arrangement for said conversion device; and reducing the oxygen concentration in said substantially intrinsic layer to a level less than 5×10 19 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the process gas is a hydride or halide of silicon and the dopant gas is a hydride or halide of boron.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein the concentration of the dopant gas relative to the concentration of the process gas is continuously decreased with time within a range of less than 5 ppm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 3 where said level is as low as 5×10 18 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A manufacturing method as in claim 1 where the reduction of the oxygen concentration is effected by passing said process gas through a molecular sieve or zeolite which adsorbs oxygen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor layer is made of amorphous semiconductor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method of claim 6 wherein said process gas is filtered in advance of introduction into said reaction chamber.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising the steps of: forming a first impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate in a reaction chamber; depositing a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer on said first impurity layer by introducing process gas into said reaction chamber together with a dopant gas comprising boron, the introducing ratio of said dopant gas to said process gas being monotonically decreased throughout the deposition of the intrinsic semiconductor layer in order that the impurity concentration in said intrinsic semiconductor layer is monotonically decreased from the interface between said first impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers; forming a second impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, the impurity semiconductor layer adjacent to the heavier doping side of said intrinsic layer having the same conductivity type as that corresponding to the dopant gas for said intrinsic semiconductor layer; forming an electrode arrangement for said conversion device; and reducing the carbon concentration in said substantially intrinsic layer to a level less than 4×10 19 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 10
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising the steps of: forming a first impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate in a reaction chamber; depositing a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer on said first impurity layer by introducing process gas into said reaction chamber together with a dopant gas comprising boron, the introducing ratio of said dopant gas to said process gas being monotonically decreased throughout the deposition of the intrinsic semiconductor layer in order that the impurity concentration in said intrinsic semiconductor layer is monotonically decreased from the interface between said first impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers; forming a second impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, the impurity semiconductor layer adjacent to the heavier doping side of said intrinsic layer having the same conductivity type as that corresponding to the dopant gas for said intrinsic semiconductor layer; forming an electrode arrangement for said conversion device; and reducing the carbon concentration in said substantially intrinsic layer to a level less than 4×10 19 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 8 where said level is as low as 4×10 15 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A manufacturing method as in claim 8 wherein the reduction of the carbon concentration is effected by passing said process gas through a molecular sieve or zeolite which adsorbs carbon.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising the steps of: forming a first impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate in a reaction chamber; depositing a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer on said first impurity layer by introducing process gas into said reaction chamber together with a dopant gas comprising boron, the introducing ratio of said dopant gas to said process gas being monotonically decreased throughout the deposition of the intrinsic semiconductor layer in order that the impurity concentration in said intrinsic semiconductor layer is monotonically decreased from the interface between said first impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers; forming a second impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, the impurity semiconductor layer adjacent to the heavier doping side of said intrinsic layer having the same conductivity type as that corresponding to the dopant gas for said intrinsic semiconductor layer; forming an electrode arrangement for said conversion device; and reducing the phosphorus concentration in said substantially intrinsic layer to a level less than 5×10 15 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 14
Independent Claim
183 words
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device comprising the steps of: forming a first impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate in a reaction chamber; depositing a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer on said first impurity layer by introducing process gas into said reaction chamber together with a dopant gas comprising boron, the introducing ratio of said dopant gas to said process gas being monotonically decreased throughout the deposition of the intrinsic semiconductor layer in order that the impurity concentration in said intrinsic semiconductor layer is monotonically decreased from the interface between said first impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers; forming a second impurity, non-single crystalline semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, the impurity semiconductor layer adjacent to the heavier doping side of said intrinsic layer having the same conductivity type as that corresponding to the dopant gas for said intrinsic semiconductor layer; forming an electrode arrangement for said conversion device; and reducing the phosphorus concentration in said substantially intrinsic layer to a level less than 5×10 15 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 11 where said level is as low as 5×10 15 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A manufacturing method as in claim 11 where the reduction of the phosphorus concentration is effected by passing said process gas through a molecular sieve or zeolite which adsorbs phosphorus.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
23 words
A method as in claims 1, 8, or 11 where said first conductivity type is n-type and said second conductivity type is p-type.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
23 words
A method as in claims 1, 8, or 11 where said first conductivity type is p-type and said second conductivity type is n-type.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
45 words
A method as in claims 1, 8, or 11 where the ratio of said impurity concentration at the interface between said second impurity and intrinsic semiconductor layers to that at said interface between said first impurity and the intrinsic semiconductor layers is 1/10 to 1/100.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as in claim 16 where said ratio is 1/20 to 1/40.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
36 words
A method as in claims 1, 8, or 11 where said impurity is boron and the boron concentration at said interface between the p-type and intrinsic layers is 2×10 15 to 2×10 17 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 22
Independent Claim
27 words
A method as in claims 1, 8, or 11 where said first layer comprises p-type, non-single crystalline Si x C 1-x (0<x<1) and said impurity comprises boron.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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