Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for forming transparent conductive film by sputtering and method therefor

US6054024A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 10, 1997
Grant dateApr 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/50
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

There are provided a method which, in forming a transparent conductive film by sputtering on a semiconductor junction layer provided on a conductive substrate which bears at least the transparent conductive film thereon, comprises steps of electrically insulating the conductive substrate, and maintaining the self bias voltage Vself of the conductive substrate within a range of -50 V.ltoreq.Vself<0 V, and an apparatus therefor. There can also be reduced the damage to the semiconductor layer, induced by the cations such as Ar.sup.+. Thus there can be produced the photovoltaic elements of a high open-circuit voltage and a high photoelectric conversion efficiency in stable manner.

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