Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to compound substrates for use in epitaxial lift-off. In one implementation, a compound substrate may include a diced wafer layer formed of a plurality of wafer pieces and a wafer-receiving layer having a surface. The wafer layer may have a bottom surface and a top surface, and the bottom surface of the wafer layer may be attached to the surface of the wafer-receiving layer.
Abstract:
There is disclosed a thin film device for epitaxial lift off comprising a handle and one or more straining layers disposed on the handle, wherein the one or more straining layers induce a curvature of the handle. There is also disclosed a method of fabricating a thin film device for epitaxial lift off comprising, depositing one or more straining layers on a handle, wherein the one or more straining layers induce at least one strain on the handle chosen from tensile strain, compressive strain and near-neutral strain. There is also disclosed a method for epitaxial lift off comprising, depositing an epilayer over a sacrificial layer disposed on a growth substrate; depositing one or more straining layers on at least one of the growth substrate and a handle; bonding the handle to the growth substrate; and etching the sacrificial layer.
Abstract:
A process for assembling a thin-film optoelectronic device is disclosed. The process may include providing a growth structure comprising a wafer having a growing surface, a sacrificial layer, and a device region. The process may further include providing a host substrate and depositing a first metal layer on the device region and depositing a second metal layer on the host substrate. The process may further include bonding the first metal layer to the second metal layer by pressing the first and second metal layers together at a bonding temperature, wherein the bonding temperature is above room temperature and below the lower of a glass transition temperature of the host substrate and a melting temperature of the host substrate.
Abstract:
Devices including organic and inorganic LEDs are provided. Techniques for fabricating the devices include fabricating an inorganic LED on a parent substrate and transferring the LED to a host substrate via a non-destructive ELO process. Scaling techniques are also provided, in which an elastomeric substrate is deformed to achieve a desired display size.
Abstract:
The present disclosure generally relates to thin film liftoff processes for use in making devices such as electronic and optoelectronic devices, e.g., photovoltaic devices. The methods described herein use a combination of epitaxial liftoff and spalling techniques to quickly and precisely control the separation of an epilayer from a growth substrate. Provided herein are growth structures having a sacrificial layer positioned between a growth substrate and a sacrificial layer. Exemplary methods of the present disclosure include forming at least one notch in the sacrificial layer and spalling the growth structure by crack propagation at the at least one notch to separate the epilayer from the growth substrate.
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to compound substrates for use in epitaxial lift-off. In one implementation, a compound substrate may include a diced wafer layer formed of a plurality of wafer pieces and a wafer-receiving layer having a surface. The wafer layer may have a bottom surface and a top surface, and the bottom surface of the wafer layer may be attached to the surface of the wafer-receiving layer.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are methods to eliminate or reduce the peeling-off of epitaxial lifted- off thin film epilayers on secondary host substrates that allow for the fabrication of high yield ELO processed thin film devices. The methods employ patterned strain-relief trenches.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a photovoltaic cell having a microinverter is provided. The method may include fabricating a monolithic microinverter layer through epitaxy and operably connecting the at least one microinverter layer to at least one photovoltaic cell formed on a photovoltaic layer. A photovoltaic device is also provided. The device may have a photovoltaic layer comprising at least one photovoltaic cell and a microinverter layer comprising at least one microinverter, wherein the micoinverter layer was fabricated through epitaxy, the at least one microinverter is configured to be operably connected to at least one photovoltaic cell.
Abstract:
There is disclosed methods of making photosensitive devices, such as flexible photovoltaic (PV) devices, through the use of epitaxial liftoff. Also described herein are methods of preparing flexible PV devices comprising a structure having a growth substrate, wherein the selective etching of protective layers yields a smooth growth substrate that us suitable for reuse.
Abstract:
A solar tracking system for tracking the orientation of solar energy is disclosed. The solar tracking system may be integrated with solar cells and solar concentrators. The solar tracking system may have a first (22) and second (24) tracker module array that are opposite from another, aligned in substantially identical orientation, and form a tracker module pair array (1000). Tracker module pairs (12, 14; 12, 144) may allow motion relative to one another while maintaining substantially identical orientation. Solar concentrators may be attached to opposing tracker modules of a tracker module pair forming an array of solar concentrators. A base bar array (28) may be coupled to at least one tracker module pair. A transmission may operably rotate the base bar array and the tracker module pair array simultaneously.