US5567469A
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Process for producing chalcopyrite type compound thin film
Assignee: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
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Filing: 1995-06-01
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Granted: 1996-10-22
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Expires: 2015-06-01
Abstract
Abstract A chalcopyrite compound, for instance, CuInS 2 or CuInSe 2 , is prepared by subjecting a thin film containing copper metal, indium metal, and an indium compound or a compound which contains both indium and copper, selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of the Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of the Group VIb element, thereby converting said thin film into a chalcopyrite compound.
Inventors
- 👤 Takahiro Wada
- 👤 Mikihiko Nishitani
- 👤 Takayuki Negami
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:12
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2922; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/12; H10F77/126; H10P14/203; H10P14/22; H10P14/32; H10P14/3202; H10P14/3241; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3436; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/541; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A process for producing a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite film, which comprises: treating a film containing (1) copper metal, (2) indium metal, and (3) an indium compound selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of a Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of a Group VIb element, wherein an atomic ratio In/Cu of indium metal to copper metal in said film prior to heating is In/Cu≦9/11, thereby converting said film into a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite compound.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A process for producing a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite film, which comprises: treating a film containing (1) copper metal, (2) indium metal, and (3) an indium compound selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of a Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of a Group VIb element, wherein an atomic ratio In/Cu of indium metal to copper metal in said film prior to heating is In/Cu≦9/11, thereby converting said film into a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite compound.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
100 words
A process of producing a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite film, which comprises: treating a film containing (1) copper metal, (2) indium metal, and (3) a compound containing copper and indium selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of a Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of a Group VIb element, wherein an atomic ratio In/Cu of indium metal to copper metal in said film prior to heating is In/Cu≦9/11, thereby converting said film into a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite compound.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
100 words
A process of producing a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite film, which comprises: treating a film containing (1) copper metal, (2) indium metal, and (3) a compound containing copper and indium selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of a Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of a Group VIb element, wherein an atomic ratio In/Cu of indium metal to copper metal in said film prior to heating is In/Cu≦9/11, thereby converting said film into a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite compound.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein copper metal and indium metal are present as an alloy of copper and indium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 3, wherein said alloy is a Cu 11 In 9 alloy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said indium compound is noncrystalline.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2, wherein said compound containing copper and indium is noncrystalline.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
101 words
A process of producing a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite film, which comprises: treating a film containing (1) copper metal, (2) indium metal, and (3) a mixture of (3a) a compound containing copper and indium selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, and of (3b) an indium compound selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of a Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of a Group VIb element, thereby converting said film into a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite compound.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
A process of producing a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite film, which comprises: treating a film containing (1) copper metal, (2) indium metal, and (3) a mixture of (3a) a compound containing copper and indium selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, and of (3b) an indium compound selected from the group consisting of oxides, sulfides and selenides, with heat under a reducing atmosphere containing at least one of a Group VIb element or under an atmosphere containing a reducing compound of at least one of a Group VIb element, thereby converting said film into a Cu-In-Group VI chalcopyrite compound.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
The process of any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein said reducing compound of the Group VIb element is at least one selected from the group consisting of H 2 S, CS 2 , H 2 Se, (CH 3 ) 2 Se and (C 2 HS) 2 Se.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein said Group VIb element is at least one selected from the group consisting of S and Se.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein said heat treatment is performed at a temperature of 250° C. to 700° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 10, wherein said heat treatment is performed at a temperature of 400° C. to 600° C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 7, wherein copper metal and indium metal are present as an alloy of copper and indium.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 7, wherein said compound containing copper and indium is noncrystalline.
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