US4600801A — Fluorinated, p-doped microcrystalline silicon sem…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 23 words

A fluorinated p-doped microcrystalline silicon alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 23 words

A fluorinated p-doped microcrystalline silicon alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 12 words

A material as in claim 1, wherein the the p-dopant is boron.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 9 words

A material as in claim 2, further including hydrogen.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 17 words

A material as in claim 1, characterized by an activation energy of less than approximately 0.05 eV.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

A material as in claim 1, characterized by a conductivity of greater than 1 ohms -1 -cm -1 .

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 15 words

A material as in claim 1, characterized by an optical gap of approximately 2.O eV.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

A material as in claim 1, characterized by an absorption constant at 5500 angstroms of less than about 3×10 4 cm -1 .

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 20 words

A material as in claim 1, characterized by microcrystalline inclusions amounting to at least about 80% in the amorphous network.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 19 words

A material as in claim 1, characterized by at least about 1% fluorine incorporated into the silicon alloy material.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 53 words

In an electronic device of the type which includes at least one set of p-doped and n-doped silicon alloy regions, the improvement comprising, in combination: the p-doped silicon alloy region including a fluorinated microcrystalline silicon alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 53 words

In an electronic device of the type which includes at least one set of p-doped and n-doped silicon alloy regions, the improvement comprising, in combination: the p-doped silicon alloy region including a fluorinated microcrystalline silicon alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 12 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein the the p-dopant is boron.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 13 words

A device as in claim 11, wherein the p-doped region further includes hydrogen.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 22 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein the p-doped region is characterized by an activation energy of less than approximately 0.05 eV.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 24 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein the p-doped region is characterized by a conductivity of greater than 0.5 ohms -1 -cm -1 .

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 20 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein the p-doped region is characterized by an optical gap of approximately 2.0 eV.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 28 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein the p-doped region is characterized by an absorption constant at 5500 angstroms of less than about 3×10 4 cm -1 .

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 33 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein each of the at least one set of p-doped and n-doped regions sandwich a substantially intrinsic silicon alloy region so as to form a photovoltaic cell.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 17 words

A device as in claim 17, wherein a tandem photovoltaic cell is fabricated by the superposed regions.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 38 words

A device as in claim 17, wherein the photovoltaic cell is a metal-n-i-p type, characterized by an open circuit voltage of at least 0.85 volts and a short circuit current of at least 12.5 milliamperes per square centimeter.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 23 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein the microcrystaline material includes microcrystalline inclusions amounting to at least about 80% in the amorphous network.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 20 words

A device as in claim 10, wherein at least about 1% fluorine is incorporated into the microcrystalline semiconductor alloy material.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 53 words

A semiconductor alloy material comprising a microcrystalline host matrix of silicon, said host matrix having incorporated thereinto at least one density of states reducing element and a p-dopant element the optical gap of the p-doped, state-reduced, microcrystalline silicon alloy material being wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 53 words

A semiconductor alloy material comprising a microcrystalline host matrix of silicon, said host matrix having incorporated thereinto at least one density of states reducing element and a p-dopant element the optical gap of the p-doped, state-reduced, microcrystalline silicon alloy material being wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 11 words

A material as in claim 22, wherein the p-dopant is boron.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 13 words

A material as in claim 22, wherein the host matrix further includes hydrogen.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 18 words

A material as in claim 22, wherein the at least one density of states reducing element includes fluorine.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 17 words

A material as in claim 22, characterized by an activation energy of less than approximately 0.05 eV.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 19 words

A material as in claim 22, characterized by a conductivity of greater than 1 ohms -1 -cm -1 .

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 15 words

A material as in claim 22, characterized by an optical gap of approximately 2.0 eV.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 23 words

A material as in claim 22, characterized by an absorption constant at 5500 angstroms of less than about 3×10 4 cm -1 .

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 20 words

A material as in claim 22, characterized by microcrystalline inclusions amounting to at least about 80% in the amorphous network.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 18 words

A material as in claim 22, characterized by at least about 1% fluorine incorporated into the host matrix.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 64 words

In a photovoltaic device of the type which includes at least two superposed cells, each cell including a p-doped semiconductor alloy layer therein, the improvement comprising: the p-doped layer of at least one of said at least two cells formed of a fluorinated p-doped microcrystalline silicon alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 64 words

In a photovoltaic device of the type which includes at least two superposed cells, each cell including a p-doped semiconductor alloy layer therein, the improvement comprising: the p-doped layer of at least one of said at least two cells formed of a fluorinated p-doped microcrystalline silicon alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous silicon alloy material.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 14 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein alloy and the p-dopant is boron.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 15 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein said microcrystalline silicon alloy further includes hydrogen.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 24 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein said microcrystalline silicon alloy is characterized by an activation energy of less than approximately 0.05 eV.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 22 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein said microcrystalline silicon alloy is characterized by an optical gap of approximately 2.0 eV.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 30 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein said microcrystalline silicon alloy is characterized by an absorption constant at 5500 angstroms of less than about 3×10 4 cm -1 .

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 24 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein the microcrystalline material includes microcrystalline inclusions amounting to at least about 80% in the amorphous network.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 21 words

A photovoltaic device as in claim 32, wherein at least about 1% fluorine is incorporated into the microcrystalline silicon alloy material.

Claim 44

Independent Claim 115 words

A method of fabricating a fluorinated, p-doped microcrystalline semiconductor alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous semiconductor alloy material, said process including the steps of: depositing a semiconductor alloy film upon a substrate through the glow discharge of a gaseous mixture of at least a precursor silicon gas, a dopant precursor gas, and a diluent gas; at least one of said precursor gases including fluorine; introducing said gaseous mixture in approximately the following proportions: (1) less than about one percent of the precursor silicon gas, (2) more than about 98 percent of the diluent gas, and (3) less than about one percent of the precursor p-dopant gas.

Claim 45

Independent Claim 115 words

A method of fabricating a fluorinated, p-doped microcrystalline semiconductor alloy material having an optical gap wider than the band gap of the corresponding amorphous semiconductor alloy material, said process including the steps of: depositing a semiconductor alloy film upon a substrate through the glow discharge of a gaseous mixture of at least a precursor silicon gas, a dopant precursor gas, and a diluent gas; at least one of said precursor gases including fluorine; introducing said gaseous mixture in approximately the following proportions: (1) less than about one percent of the precursor silicon gas, (2) more than about 98 percent of the diluent gas, and (3) less than about one percent of the precursor p-dopant gas.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method as in claim 40, including the step of introducing silane, or silane and germane, or silicon tetrafluoride, or silicon tetrafluoride and germane into the gaseous mixture as the precursor silicon gas.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method as in claim 41, including the step of introducing boron trifluoride or diborane into the gaseous mixture as the precursor p-dopant gas.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method as in claim 42, including the step of introducing hydrogen gas or argon into the gaseous mixture as the diluent gas.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method as in claim 43, including the further steps of maintaining a substrate temperature of about 250° C., a pressure of less than 0.5 torr and a relatively high power of r.f. energy.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 43 words

A method as in claim 44, including the further steps of also depositing an intrinsic semiconductor alloy layer and an n-doped semiconductor alloy layer so as to fabricate a p-i-n type photovoltaic cell characterized by a wide band gap p-doped silicon alloy layer.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as in claim 45, including the further step of depositing at least one additional set of semiconductor alloy layers so as to fabricate a tandem p-i-n type photovoltaic device.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-07-14	1990-01-13	1990-07-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-07-14	1994-01-13	1994-07-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-07-14	1998-01-13	1998-07-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fluorinated, p-doped microcrystalline silicon semiconductor alloy material

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