Abstract:
THIS DISCLOSURE ENABLES HIGH-PRODUCTIVITY FABRICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR-BASED SEPARATION LAYERS (MADE OF SINGLE LAYER OR MULTI-LAYER POROUS SEMICONDUCTORS SUCH AS POROUS SILICON, COMPRISING SINGLE POROSITY OR MULTI-POROSITY LAYERS), OPTICAL REFLECTORS (MADE OF MULTI-LAYER/MULTI-POROSITY POROUS SEMICONDUCTORS SUCH AS POROUS SILICON), FORMATION OF POROUS SEMICONDUCTOR (SUCH AS POROUS SILICON) FOR ANTI-REFLECTION COATINGS, PASSIVATION LAYERS, AND MULTI-JUNCTION, MULTI-BAND-GAP SOLAR CELLS (FOR INSTANCE, BY FORMING A VARIABLE BAND GAP POROUS SILICON EMITTER ON A CRYSTALLINE SILICON THIN FILM OR WAFER-BASED SOLAR CELL). OTHER APPLICATIONS INCLUDE FABRICATION OF MEMS SEPARATION AND SACRIFICIAL LAYERS FOR DIE DETACHMENT AND MEMS DEVICE FABRICATION, MEMBRANE FORMATION AND SHALLOW TRENCH ISOLATION (STI) POROUS SILICON (USING POROUS SILICON FORMATION WITH AN OPTIMAL POROSITY AND ITS SUBSEQUENT OXIDATION). FURTHER THE DISCLOSURE IS APPLICABLE TO THE GENERAL FIELDS OF PHOTOVOLTAICS, MEMS, INCLUDING SENSORS AND ACTUATORS, STAND-ALONE, OR INTEGRATED WITH INTEGRATED SEMICONDUCTOR MICROELECTRONICS, SEMICONDUCTOR MICROELECTRONICS CHIPS AND OPTOELECTRONICS.
Abstract:
This disclosure presents manufacturing methods and apparatus designs for making TFSSs from both sides of a re -usable semiconductor template, thus effectively increasing the substrate manufacturing throughput and reducing the substrate manufacturing cost. This approach also reduces the amortized starting template cost per manufactured substrate (TFSS) by about a factor of 2 for a given number of template reuse cycles.
Abstract:
Methods here disclosed provide for selectively coating the top surfaces or ridges of a 3-D substrate while avoiding liquid coating material wicking into micro cavities on 3-D substrates. The substrate includes holes formed in a three-dimensional substrate by forming a sacrificial layer on a template. The template includes a template substrate with posts and trenches between the posts. The steps include subsequently depositing a semiconductor layer and selectively etching the sacrificial layer. Then, the steps include releasing the semiconductor layer from the template and coating the 3-D substrate using a liquid transfer coating step for applying a liquid coating material to a surface of the 3-D substrate. The method may further include coating the 3-D substrate by selectively coating the top ridges or surfaces of the substrate. Additional features may include filling the micro cavities of the substrate with a filling material, removing the filling material to expose only the substrate surfaces to be coated, coating the substrate with a layer of liquid coating material, and removing said filling material from the micro cavities of the substrate.
Abstract:
This disclosure enables high-productivity fabrication of semiconductor-based separation layers (made of single layer or multi-layer porous semiconductors such as porous silicon, comprising single porosity or multi-porosity layers), optical reflectors (made of multi-layer/multi-porosity porous semiconductors such as porous silicon), formation of porous semiconductor (such as porous silicon) for anti-reflection coatings, passivation layers, and multi-junction, multi-band-gap solar cells (for instance, by forming a variable band gap porous silicon emitter on a crystalline silicon thin film or wafer-based solar cell). Other applications include fabrication of MEMS separation and sacrificial layers for die detachment and MEMS device fabrication, membrane formation and shallow trench isolation (STI) porous silicon (using porous silicon formation with an optimal porosity and its subsequent oxidation). Further the disclosure is applicable to the general fields of Photovoltaics, MEMS, including sensors and actuators, stand-alone, or integrated with integrated semiconductor microelectronics, semiconductor microelectronics chips and optoelectronics.