Apparatus and method for forming chalcogenide semiconductor absorber materials with sodium impurities

摘要

A method and system for forming chalcogenide semiconductor absorber materials with sodium impurities is provided. The system includes a sodium vaporizer in which a solid sodium source material is vaporized. The sodium vapor is added to reactant gases and/or annealing gases and directed to a furnace that includes a substrate with a metal precursor material. The precursor material reacts with reactant gases such as S-containing gases and Se-containing gases according to various process sequences. In one embodiment, a selenization operation is followed by an annealing operation and a sulfurization operation and the sodium vapor is caused to react with the metal precursor during at least one of the annealing and the sulfurization steps to produce a chalcogenide semiconductor absorber material that includes sodium dopant impurities.

主权项

1. A method for forming a chalcogenide semiconductor absorber material, said method comprising:
disposing a substrate with metallic precursors thereon, in a furnace; vaporizing sodium to produce a sodium vapor; selenizing by causing thermal reaction between selenium and said metallic precursors in a selenization reaction in said furnace; sulfurizing by causing thermal reaction between sulfur and said metallic precursors in a sulfurization reaction in said furnace after said selenization reaction; and annealing after said selenization reaction, wherein at least one of said sulfurizing and said annealing includes causing said sodium vapor to react with said metallic precursors.