Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction and semiconductor homojunction products created by same

US4818357A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
5References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 6, 1987
Grant dateApr 4, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 6, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/93
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A vacuum chamber is provided for sputter deposition of a semiconductor homojunction. A target made of a semiconductor compound containing at least one non-metallic element is provided. A substrate for receiving the sputtered species from the target to form sequential layers of deposited semiconductor material is also provided. An electric field is provided between the target and the substrate. An inert gas is introduced sequentially at a plurality of discrete partial pressures to adjust the incident energy of the sputtered species by thermalization, for altering the mean free path of the sputtered and incident species to control the ratio of non-metallic to metallic elements in the deposited semiconductor material and create a plurality of different semiconductor material layers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.