Rapid process for producing a chalcopyrite semiconductor on a substrate

US5578503A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Franz Karg · Munich, DE
• Volker Probst · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 1995
• Grant date: Nov 26, 1996
• Expiry date: May 9, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S438/971
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

To produce a polycrystalline, single-phase compound semiconductor layer of the chalcopyrite type ABC.sub.2, it is proposed to deposit, on a substrate, a layer structure which comprises a plurality of layers and which contains the components in elemental form, as an interelemental compound or as an alloy, the component C being present in stoichiometric excess. In a rapid annealing process with a heating rate of at least 10.degree. C./s to a processing temperature of at least 350.degree. C., the layer structure is converted into the compound semiconductor ABC.sub.2 even after a few seconds, the gas exchange being limited by encapsulation of the layer structure, with the result that an evaporation of the most volatile components is prevented. Highly efficient solar cells can be produced from the semiconductor.