Method for Producing Polycrystalline Silicon Layers of Uniform Thickness Provided with 3d-structures

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This invention describes a method for producing polycrystalline silicon layers with uniform thickness that also possess three-dimensional (3D) surface structures. The process involves creating micro- or nanostructures on a substrate, depositing a conformal silicon layer, applying a high-melting-point cover layer, and then crystallizing the silicon using liquid-phase crystallization with controlled heating sources such as an electron beam or laser. This method ensures the silicon layer maintains even thickness and precise 3D structuring throughout the crystallization process.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Solar cell production, especially for creating advanced light-trapping structures to improve efficiency.
• Manufacture of semiconductor devices requiring thin, uniform, and structured silicon layers, such as thin-film transistors.
• Fabrication of photonic devices, like photonic crystals or waveguides, utilizing the fine structuring capability.
• Production of sensors needing specific surface nanostructures for improved sensitivity.
• Engineering of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) where precise silicon structuring is required.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Produces silicon layers with highly uniform thickness, overcoming issues with uneven crystallization and layer thinning.
• Allows creation of precise 3D micro- or nanostructures in the silicon layer, beneficial for improving device performance (e.g., light absorption in solar cells).
• Enables use of less homogeneous and lower-cost heating sources (electron beam or laser) by compensating for energy inhomogeneity with the cover layer.
• Improves process stability and widens acceptable process windows, reducing manufacturing costs and complexity.
• Offers flexibility in substrate and layer materials, expanding the technique's applicability across various devices and industries.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing polycrystalline silicon layers of uniform thickness provided with 3-D structures, wherein the 3-D structures have a height of up to 30 μm, wherein at least the following method steps are carried out: Introducing a desired structure in the nm-range in a substrate or in a layer applied onto a substrate, subsequent structurally compliant application of a silicon layer of 10 nm to 50 μm thickness onto the structured surface, thereafter, applying a cover layer of 10 nm to 50 μm thickness onto the silicon layer, wherein the melting point of the cover layer is higher than that of the silicon layer, and finally, crystallizing the silicon layer by means of liquid-phase crystallization, wherein an electron beam linear source having a power density of between 20 w/cm and 200 w/cm and a pull rate of up to 10 mm/s, or a laser beam is guided across the silicon layer in a linear manner.