GB2062962A - Production of insulating layers - Google Patents

Production of insulating layers Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2062962A
GB2062962A GB8035287A GB8035287A GB2062962A GB 2062962 A GB2062962 A GB 2062962A GB 8035287 A GB8035287 A GB 8035287A GB 8035287 A GB8035287 A GB 8035287A GB 2062962 A GB2062962 A GB 2062962A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
layer
solution
semiconductor body
insulating layer
approximately
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8035287A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Licentia Oy
Original Assignee
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Licentia Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH, Licentia Oy filed Critical Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Publication of GB2062962A publication Critical patent/GB2062962A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104Forming layers
    • H01L21/02107Forming insulating materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02109Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates
    • H01L21/02112Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer
    • H01L21/02123Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer the material containing silicon
    • H01L21/02164Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer the material containing silicon the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104Forming layers
    • H01L21/02107Forming insulating materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02109Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates
    • H01L21/02205Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates the layer being characterised by the precursor material for deposition
    • H01L21/02208Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates the layer being characterised by the precursor material for deposition the precursor containing a compound comprising Si
    • H01L21/02211Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates the layer being characterised by the precursor material for deposition the precursor containing a compound comprising Si the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104Forming layers
    • H01L21/02107Forming insulating materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02225Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer
    • H01L21/0226Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process
    • H01L21/02282Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01LSEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
  • Formation Of Insulating Films (AREA)

Abstract

An undoped insulating layer (2) is produced on a semiconductor body (1) by applying a solution to a rotating semiconductor body (1). The solution may comprises tetraethoxysilane, methanol and nitric acid to produce a layer of silicon dioxide on the body. The layer (2) may overlap onto the edges of the body (1) so that it can be used as a diffusion mask for the formation of a doped layer (4). The insulating layer may be removed before applying contacts to form a solar cell. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of producing an insulating layer The invention relates to a method of producing an insulating layer covering a semiconductor body on one side.
When manufacturing pn-junction which cover large areas in semiconductor bodies, as required for rectifiers and solar cells, a largely automated manufacture with as few as possible manufacturing steps is aimed for. In the past, in order to produce solar cells it was usual to proceed so that, in the first instance, impurities were diffused into a semiconductor disc or chip on all sides while forming a injunction lying close to the surface of the semiconductor. The usually highly doped diffusion layer has to be removed again by means of etching on the rear face of the solar cells. In order to achieve this, the front of the semiconductor disc or chip has to be covered in a mask which is resistant to the etching solution.After etching away the diffused region on the rear of the semiconductor body, the covering mask on the front face of the solar cells has to be removed in a further expensive operation. Only thereafter can the solar cell be provided with the required connecting contacts.
Alternatively a solar cell may also by manufactured with the aid of known planner technology.
Here the doping materials producing the injunction are diffused into the semiconductor body from one surface only. However, this means that the remaining parts of the semiconductor body, more particularly the rear face, have to be covered by a diffusion masking layer. The diffusion masking layer in silicon semiconductor discs or chips comprises a thermally produced silicon dioxide layer. For its manufacture the semiconductor disc or chip is covered in the first instance on all sides with the thermally produced oxide. Then this oxide layer has to be removed again from the front face of the semiconductor disc or chip.
It is necessary therefore to cover the regions of the oxide layer which are not to be removed with an etching mask. After the oxide has been etched away from the front face of the solar cells, in another operation, the etching mask, which covers the oxide layer in the remaining areas, has to be removed again.
The number of operation is the same in both methods which have been described and these are almost as expensive as each other.
The invention seeks to provide a method of manufacturing an insulating layer in which some previously necessary operation may be eliminated and which method allows manufacture to be automated.
According to the invention, there is provided a method of producing an insulating layer covering on one side of a semiconductor body wherein the semiconductor body is rotated and the insulating layer is centrifugally applied to the rotating semiconductor body from an undoped solution.
Preferably the insulating layer is tempered after application.
The solution is selected preferably so that, after centrifugal application and tempering on the semiconductor surface, pure undoped silicon dioxide remains on the semiconductor surface. In particular, it should be pointed out that the insulating layer manufactured in accordance with the invention is not designed to serve as a diffusion source and therefore has to be undoped.
The advantage of the above method lies in the fact that an insulating layer may be applied to the semiconductor disc or chip on one side and diffusion of the pn ju nction may follow on immediately from this operation. Intermediate etching and masking step are thus eliminated.
The thickness of the oxide layer may be determined by the composition of the solution and the rotary speed. A tempering process may follow on after application of the layer and this will also result in concentration of the layer and therefore a reduction in the layer thickness. With semiconductor discs or chips having a relatively high surface roughness it is recommended to centrifugally apply two or more layers successively on to the semiconductor disc or chip, a tempering step then following on in each case after application of a layer. The solution, which is used to produce the so-called silica film, may comprise tetraethoxysilane, methanol and 0.1 molar saltpetre acid for example. Another solution may comprise orthoethyl silicic acid esters, methanol and molar saltpetre for example.
The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a semiconductor body prior to the application of an insulating layer; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a semiconductor body after the temperature of an insulating layer in accordance with the invention and, Figure 3 shows a solar cell structure produced from the semiconducotr body of Figure 2.
In Figure 1 a semiconductor disc or chip 1 is shown similar to that required as starting material for manufacturing solar cells. This usually rectangular semiconductor chip either comprises a monocrystalline silicon or a non-monocrystalline material made from the material known as silso, for example, which is available commercially. This semiconductor chip, the edge length or which is 5 to 12 cm for example, is retained on the rotor of a centrifugal device suction.
A small amount of solution is then applied to the rotating semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip rotates for example, at a speed of approximately 5,000 R/min. The solution comprises 1 part by volume of tetraethoxysilane, 1 part by volume of methanol and 0.44 parts by volume of 0.1 molar nitric acid. The excess solution is centrifuged away by the rotary motion of the semiconductor disc or chip and when, after approximately 15 seconds, the centrifuging process is terminated, a thin silicon dioxide layer 2 remains on the semiconductor chip in accordance with Figure 2 and has already been compacted by the centrifugal force applied to it. As is apparent from Figure 2, the silicon dioxide layer overlaps the surface of the semiconductor disc or chip at the edges, thus ensuring that the region in which diffusion is to take place does not extend to the rear face of the solar cells.
The silicon dioxide layer which has been applied by centrifuging has a thickness of approximately 0.2 to 0.3 calm. If solar cells are produced from semiconductor discs of chips, then the surface roughness is relatively high. It extends to a depth of up to 10 um.
Because of this very rough surface of the silicon discs or chips, there is the danger that a silicon dioxide layer applied in one layer will be thin locally and lose its masking ability in some areas. For this reason it may be advantageous to produce two silicon dioxide layers, one on top of the other by centrifugal application.
In this case, tempering takes place after the first layer has been applied centrifugally.
The temperature is at approximately 600 to 7000C and acts on this centrifuged oxide layer for approximately 15 minutes. Even after manufacture of the second oxide layer tempering is advantageous. If the semiconductor disc or chip is subjected to a diffusion process, however, following manfactureofthe oxide layer, then the second tempering process is provided automatically by the diffusion temperatures. During the manufacture of several oxide layers one on top of another, it is advantageous if, after each layer is produced, the rotary direction of the rotor, to which the semiconductor disc or chip is fixed, is reversed. In this case, particularly uniform layers are produced.
In accordance with Figure 2, a thin surface region 4 is diffused into the semiconductor chip 1 using the oxide layer 2 as a masking layer and the surface region has the opposite type of conductivity to the semiconductor base element. The injunction thus formed separates the two regions 4 and 5. The inward diffusion of the injunction takes place conventionally in an open pipe system, a 0.5 um thick n-doped layer being diffused into the p-doped base element using phosphorus impurity atoms. The diffusion masking layer 2 is then removed again in a suitable solvent.
In accordance with Figure 3, the rear face contact 6 comprising aluminium for example, may be arranged on the rear face of the solar cell which was previously covered by the masking layer 2. A comb-like contact structure is arranged on the front face of the solar cells. It comprises narrow webs 7b which lead to a busbar 7a perpendicularthereto.
Thus busbar 7a is broadened out at its centre region for example into a contact connecting region 8 having a larger area. The whole of the front face of the solar cell is covered preferably with a reflection reducing layer. This reflection-reducing layer may also comprise silicon dioxide and be produced by centrifugal application. The layer thickness should be selected so that the minimum reflection occurs at approximately 600 nm. The reflection-reducing layer 9 is therefore only 0.065 Rm thick, for example. This relatively small layer thickness is obtained by a high centrifuge speed when applying the solvent.

Claims (15)

1. A method of producing an insualting layer covering on one side of semiconductor body, wherein the semiconductor body is rotated and the insulating layer is centrifugally applied to the rotating semiconductor body from an undoped solution.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is tempered after application.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein a solution is used in which pure undoped silicon dioxide remains on the surface of the semiconductor after having been centrifugally applied and tempered.
4. A method as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the thickness of the oxide layer is determined by the composition of the solution and the rotary speed selected for centrifugal application.
5. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein two or more layers are centrifugally applied one after the other, to the surface of said semiconductor body from a solution, the first layer being solidified by tempering before a second layer is applied.
6. A method as claimed in Claim 2 or any claim appendent directly or indirectly thereto, wherein tempering is carried out at approximately 600 to 7000C for approximately 15 min.
7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the undoped solution comprises tetraethoxysilane, methanol and 0.1 molar nitric acid.
8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the solution comprises 1 part by volume tetraethoxysilane 1 part by volume methanol and about 0.4 parts of volume of 0.1 molar nitric acid.
9. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein, the solution is deposited and centrifugally applied at approximately 5000 R/min for approximately 15 seconds to form a layer of silicon dioxide which is approximately 0.2 to 0.3 um thick.
10. A method as claimed in Claim 5 or any claim appendent directly or indirectly thereto, wherein the direction of rotation of the semiconductor body is changed from one layer to the next when several layers are to be centrifugally applied on top of each other.
11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the resulting product comprises a solar cell.
12. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 11, wherein said semiconductor body comprises monocrystaliine or non-crystalline silicon.
13. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the insulating layer comprises a diffusion mask for diffusing a larger-area injunction of a solar cell.
14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the insulating layer comprises a reflection-reducing layer on the surface of a solar cell for receiving incident light.
15. A method of producing an insulating layer on one side of a semiconductor body substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.
GB8035287A 1979-11-02 1980-11-03 Production of insulating layers Withdrawn GB2062962A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19792944180 DE2944180A1 (en) 1979-11-02 1979-11-02 METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN INSULATION LAYER COVERING A SEMICONDUCTOR BODY ON ONE SIDE

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2062962A true GB2062962A (en) 1981-05-28

Family

ID=6084926

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8035287A Withdrawn GB2062962A (en) 1979-11-02 1980-11-03 Production of insulating layers

Country Status (4)

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JP (1) JPS5693333A (en)
DE (1) DE2944180A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2468996A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2062962A (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0206938A2 (en) * 1985-06-21 1986-12-30 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Germanosilicate spin-on glasses
EP0218117A2 (en) * 1985-10-11 1987-04-15 Allied Corporation Cyclosilazane polymers as dielectric films in integrated circuit fabrication technology
US4894352A (en) * 1988-10-26 1990-01-16 Texas Instruments Inc. Deposition of silicon-containing films using organosilicon compounds and nitrogen trifluoride
US4913949A (en) * 1987-07-29 1990-04-03 Basf Aktiengesellschaft Planar, multilayered, laser-optical recording material
EP0498604A1 (en) * 1991-02-04 1992-08-12 Motorola, Inc. Semiconductor device having a teos based spin-on-glass and process for making the same

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5676538A (en) * 1979-11-28 1981-06-24 Sumitomo Electric Ind Ltd Formation of insulating film on semiconductor substrate
JPS59111329A (en) * 1982-12-17 1984-06-27 Fuji Electric Corp Res & Dev Ltd Manufacture of coated thin-film
JPH01216544A (en) * 1988-02-24 1989-08-30 Sharp Corp Forming method for passivation film of semiconductor element
DE3831857A1 (en) * 1988-09-20 1990-03-22 Meinhard Prof Dr Ing Knoll Process for producing a light-transmitting dielectric from a doped silicon compound in an inversion-layer solar cell
DE3833931A1 (en) * 1988-10-05 1990-04-12 Texas Instruments Deutschland Method for producing a doped insulator layer

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US505582A (en) * 1893-09-26 Speed-measure
US3559002A (en) * 1968-12-09 1971-01-26 Gen Electric Semiconductor device with multiple shock absorbing and passivation layers
US3707944A (en) * 1970-10-23 1973-01-02 Ibm Automatic photoresist apply and dry apparatus
US3695928A (en) * 1970-12-07 1972-10-03 Western Electric Co Selective coating
US3889632A (en) * 1974-05-31 1975-06-17 Ibm Variable incidence drive for deposition tooling
DE2506457C3 (en) * 1975-02-15 1980-01-24 S.A. Metallurgie Hoboken-Overpelt N.V., Bruessel Process for the production of a silicate covering layer on a semiconductor wafer or on a layer thereon
DE2637105B2 (en) * 1976-08-18 1978-10-05 Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-Gmbh, 6000 Frankfurt Method for evenly distributing a varnish
US4068019A (en) * 1976-11-08 1978-01-10 International Business Machines Corporation Spin coating process for prevention of edge buildup
DE2743011C2 (en) * 1977-09-23 1982-06-03 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Arrangement for applying a light-sensitive lacquer layer to a semiconductor wafer
DD136673A1 (en) * 1977-10-21 1979-07-18 Manfred Schwan METHOD OF APPLYING PROTECTION AND ISOLATION LAYERS ON OVAL SEMICONDUCTOR SURFACES

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0206938A2 (en) * 1985-06-21 1986-12-30 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Germanosilicate spin-on glasses
EP0206938A3 (en) * 1985-06-21 1988-02-10 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Germanosilicate spin-on glasses
US4935095A (en) * 1985-06-21 1990-06-19 National Semiconductor Corporation Germanosilicate spin-on glasses
EP0218117A2 (en) * 1985-10-11 1987-04-15 Allied Corporation Cyclosilazane polymers as dielectric films in integrated circuit fabrication technology
EP0218117A3 (en) * 1985-10-11 1989-11-23 Allied Corporation Cyclosilazane polymers as dielectric films in integrated circuit fabrication technology
US4913949A (en) * 1987-07-29 1990-04-03 Basf Aktiengesellschaft Planar, multilayered, laser-optical recording material
US4894352A (en) * 1988-10-26 1990-01-16 Texas Instruments Inc. Deposition of silicon-containing films using organosilicon compounds and nitrogen trifluoride
EP0498604A1 (en) * 1991-02-04 1992-08-12 Motorola, Inc. Semiconductor device having a teos based spin-on-glass and process for making the same

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2944180A1 (en) 1981-05-07
FR2468996A1 (en) 1981-05-08
JPS5693333A (en) 1981-07-28

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