US20120122306A1 - Diffusing agent composition, and method for forming an impurity diffusion layer - Google Patents

Diffusing agent composition, and method for forming an impurity diffusion layer Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20120122306A1
US20120122306A1 US13/292,461 US201113292461A US2012122306A1 US 20120122306 A1 US20120122306 A1 US 20120122306A1 US 201113292461 A US201113292461 A US 201113292461A US 2012122306 A1 US2012122306 A1 US 2012122306A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
diffusing agent
impurity diffusion
agent composition
semiconductor substrate
diffusion component
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.)
Abandoned
Application number
US13/292,461
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Toshiro Morita
Takashi KAMIZONO
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.)
Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co Ltd
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 Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co Ltd filed Critical Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co Ltd
Assigned to TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. reassignment TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MORITA, TOSHIRO, KAMIZONO, TAKASHI
Publication of US20120122306A1 publication Critical patent/US20120122306A1/en
Priority to US14/562,041 priority Critical patent/US9620666B2/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor 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
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/186—Particular post-treatment for the devices, e.g. annealing, impurity gettering, short-circuit elimination, recrystallisation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/22—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities
    • H01L21/225—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities using diffusion into or out of a solid from or into a solid phase, e.g. a doped oxide layer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/22—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities
    • H01L21/2225—Diffusion sources
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/22—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities
    • H01L21/225—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities using diffusion into or out of a solid from or into a solid phase, e.g. a doped oxide layer
    • H01L21/2251—Diffusion into or out of group IV semiconductors
    • H01L21/2254—Diffusion into or out of group IV semiconductors from or through or into an applied layer, e.g. photoresist, nitrides
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/22—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities
    • H01L21/228—Diffusion of impurity materials, e.g. doping materials, electrode materials, into or out of a semiconductor body, or between semiconductor regions; Interactions between two or more impurities; Redistribution of impurities using diffusion into or out of a solid from or into a liquid phase, e.g. alloy diffusion processes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor 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
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor 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 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor 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
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor 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 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor 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 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers
    • H01L31/068—Semiconductor 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 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells
    • H01L31/0682—Semiconductor 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 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells back-junction, i.e. rearside emitter, solar cells, e.g. interdigitated base-emitter regions back-junction cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor 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
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/1804—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K30/00—Organic devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation
    • H10K30/80—Constructional details
    • H10K30/88—Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00—Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/80—Constructional details
    • H10K50/84—Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
    • H10K50/844—Encapsulations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K77/00—Constructional details of devices covered by this subclass and not covered by groups H10K10/80, H10K30/80, H10K50/80 or H10K59/80
    • H10K77/10—Substrates, e.g. flexible substrates
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/547—Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/549—Organic PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a diffusing agent composition, and a method for forming an impurity diffusion layer.
  • an N-type impurity diffusion layer in a semiconductor substrate of a solar cell is formed by applying an diffusing agent that contains an N-type impurity diffusion component to a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and causing the N-type impurity diffusion component to diffuse from the applied diffusing agent.
  • a thermally oxidized film is first formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and subsequently a photolithographic method is used to laminate a resist having a predetermined pattern onto the thermally oxidized film.
  • the resist is used as a mask to etch, with an acid or alkali, regions of the thermally oxidized film that are not masked by the resist, and then the resist is peeled to form a mask of the thermally oxidized film.
  • a diffusing agent which contains an N-type impurity diffusion component is applied thereto, thereby forming a diffusion film in regions in which openings in the mask are positioned.
  • the regions are heated to a high temperature to cause the diffusing agent to diffuse into the regions, thereby forming an N-type impurity diffusion layer.
  • the diffusing agent is jetted from ink-jet nozzles to an impurity diffusion layer region for selective patterning.
  • the ink-jet method does not require any complicated step, and makes it possible to make a pattern easily while also reducing the amount of liquid to be used.
  • phosphorus pentaoxide has been used as a source for supplying phosphorus, which is to be an N-type impurity diffusion component.
  • concentration of a solid component SiO 2 or P 2 O 5
  • the concentration of a solid component can be set to a relatively low value; thus, a change of the solution used for the application with the passage of time is permissible.
  • a sufficient painted film thickness cannot be obtained unless the concentration of a solid component in the painting solution is high to some degree.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a technique making it possible to improve the storage stability of a diffusing agent composition which can be used to print an N-type impurity diffusion component onto a semiconductor substrate, and simultaneously improve the diffusibility of the impurity diffusion component into the semiconductor substrate.
  • the diffusing agent composition is a diffusing agent composition used to print an impurity diffusion component onto a semiconductor substrate.
  • the diffusing agent composition contains a condensation product (A) made from a starting material that is an alkoxysilane represented by the following general formula (1), and an impurity diffusion component (B), as the impurity diffusion component:
  • R 1 and R 2 are each an organic group, each of a plurality of R 1 s or R 2 s may be the same or different from each other, and m is 0, 1 or 2.
  • the impurity diffusion component (B) is characterized by being a phosphate (C) represented by the following general formula (2):
  • R 3 is an alkyl group, and n is 1 or 2.
  • the diffusing agent composition of this aspect can be restrained from being lowered in storage stability even when the concentration of the impurity diffusion component (B) is made high to enable the composition to give a sufficient painted film thickness. As a result, the diffusibility of the impurity diffusion component into a semiconductor substrate can be improved.
  • Another aspect of the invention is a method for forming an impurity diffusion layer.
  • This method for forming an impurity diffusion layer includes a pattern forming step of applying the diffusing agent composition of the above-mentioned aspect to a semiconductor substrate, thereby forming a pattern, and a diffusing step of diffusing the impurity diffusion component (B) of the diffusing agent composition into the semiconductor substrate.
  • FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C are each a process sectional view referred to in order to describe a solar-cell-producing process including a method according to an embodiment of the invention for forming an impurity diffusion layer.
  • a diffusing agent composition according to one of the embodiments is used to diffuse an impurity diffusion component into a semiconductor substrate.
  • the semiconductor substrate may be used as a substrate for a solar cell.
  • the diffusing agent composition contains a condensation product (A) and an impurity diffusion component (B).
  • the condensation product (A) is a reaction product made from a starting material that is an alkoxysilane represented by the following general formula (1), and obtained by hydrolyzing the alkoxysilane:
  • R 1 and R 2 are each an organic group, each of a plurality of R 1 s or R 2 s may be the same or different from each other, and m is 0, 1 or 2.
  • examples of each of R 1 and R 2 include alkyl, phenyl and epoxy groups, and a group represented by —R 5 —R 4 wherein R 4 is an aryl group, or a group containing an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, and R 5 is an alkylene group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms.
  • the alkoxysilane may have different R 5 .
  • the alkyl group as each of R 1 and R 2 may be an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include linear alkyl groups such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, and decyl groups; branched alkyl groups such as 1-methylethyl, 1-methylpropyl, 2-methylpropyl, 1-methylbutyl, 2-methylbutyl, 3-methylbutyl, 1-ethylbutyl, 2-ethylbutyl, 1-methylpentyl, 2-methylpentyl, 3-methylpentyl, and 4-methylpentyl groups; and cyclic alkyl groups such as cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, adamanthyl, norbornyl, isobornyl, and tricyclodecanyl groups.
  • the alkyl group is preferably an alky
  • Examples of the aryl group as each of R 1 and R 2 include phenyl, biphenyl, fluorenyl, naphthyl, anthryl, and phenanthryl groups.
  • the aryl group is preferably a phenyl group.
  • the aryl group as each of R 1 and R 2 may have a substituent such as an alkyl group.
  • the epoxy group as each of R 1 and R 2 may be an epoxy group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, and is preferably an epoxy group having 3 to 7 carbon atoms.
  • the alkylene group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms as R 5 may be a linear or branched alkylene group.
  • the alkylene group is preferably a linear alkylene group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms, more preferably a linear alkylene group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, in particular preferably a methylene, ethylene or n-propylene group.
  • the group having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond as R 4 is preferably a group having, at its terminal, an ethylenically unsaturated double bond, in particular preferably a group represented by the following formula:
  • examples of the aryl group as R 4 are the same as described as the examples of the aryl group as each of R 1 and R 2 .
  • a silane compound (i) as the alkoxy silane is represented by the following general formula (3):
  • a silane compound (ii) as the alkoxy silane is represented by the following general formula (4):
  • R 65 represents the same organic group as defined for (each of) R 1 ;
  • a silane compound (iii) as the alkoxy silane is represented by the following general formula (5):
  • R 70 and R 71 each independently represent the same organic group as defined for R 1 ;
  • R 72 , and R 73 each independently represent the same organic group as defined for R 2 ; and
  • the condensation product (A) may be prepared by a method of hydrolyzing one or more selected from the above-mentioned alkoxysilanes (i) to (iii) in the presence of an acid catalyst, water, and an organic solvent.
  • the acid catalyst may be an organic acid, or an inorganic acid.
  • the inorganic acid may be, for example, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid or hydrochloric acid, and is preferably phosphoric acid or nitric acid.
  • the organic acid may be a carboxylic acid such as formic acid, oxalic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, glacial acetic acid, acetic anhydride, propionic acid, or n-butyric acid, or an organic acid having a sulfur-containing-acid residue.
  • the organic acid having a sulfur-containing-acid residue may be, for example, an organic sulfonic acid.
  • An esterified product thereof may be used, examples thereof including organic sulfates and organic sulfites.
  • an organic sulfonic acid for example, a compound represented by the following general formula (6) is particularly preferred:
  • R 13 is a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent
  • X is a sulfonic acid group (i.e., a sulfate group).
  • the hydrocarbon group as R 13 is preferably a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
  • This hydrocarbon group may be a saturated or unsaturated group, and may be any one of linear, branched and cyclic groups.
  • the hydrocarbon group as R 13 is cyclic, the group is preferably, for example, an aromatic hydrocarbon group such as a phenyl, naphthyl or anthryl group, and is in particular preferably a phenyl group.
  • this aromatic hydrocarbon group it is allowable to bond, to the aromatic ring thereof, one or more hydrocarbon groups (each) having 1 to 20 carbon atoms as one or more substituents.
  • the hydrocarbon group as the substituent on the aromatic ring may be a saturated or unsaturated group, and may be any one of linear, branched and cyclic groups.
  • the hydrocarbon group as R 13 may have one or more substituents. Examples of the substituent include halogen atoms such as fluorine atoms; and sulfonic acid, carboxyl, amino, and cyano groups.
  • the acid catalyst acts as a catalyst when the alkoxysilane is hydrolyzed in the presence of water.
  • the amount of the used acid catalyst is preferably adjusted to set the catalyst concentration in the reaction system for the hydrolysis reaction into the range of 1 to 1000 ppm, in particular, into that of 5 to 800 ppm.
  • the hydrolysis rate of the siloxane polymer is varied; thus, the amount is decided, correspondingly to the hydrolysis rate to be attained.
  • Examples of the organic solvent in the reaction system for the hydrolysis reaction include monohydric alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol (IPA), and n-butanol; alkyl carbonates such as methyl 3-methoxypropionate, and ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate; polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, and hexanetriol; monoethers of a polyhydric alcohol, such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glyco
  • the alkoxysilane is hydrolyzed to yield the condensation product (A), that is, a siloxane polymer.
  • the hydrolysis reaction is completed usually in a period of about 5 to 100 hours. In order to make the reaction period short, it is preferred to heat the system into the range of temperatures not higher than 80° C.
  • a reaction solution which contains the synthesized condensation product (A) and the organic solvent used for the reaction.
  • the siloxane polymer can be obtained by the above-mentioned method in the state that the polymer is separated from the organic solvent in a conventionally known manner, and is in a dry solid form or in the form of a solution wherein the solvent is optionally substituted with another solution.
  • the impurity diffusion component (B) is a phosphate (C) represented by the following general formula (2):
  • R 3 is an alkyl group, and n is 1 (so that the present ester is a diester) or 2 (so that the ester is a monoester).
  • phosphate (C) examples include dibutyl phosphate, monobutyl phosphate, monoethyl phosphate, diethyl phosphate, monopropyl phosphate, and dipropyl phosphate.
  • the content by percentage of the phosphate (C) in the diffusing agent composition is preferably 50% or less by mass of the whole of the composition. If the content by percentage of the phosphate (C) is more than 50% by mass of the whole of the composition, the storage stability of the diffusing agent composition declines.
  • the composition may contain water; however, the water content by percentage is preferably 1% at most by mass of the whole of the composition, more preferably 0.5% or less by mass thereof. Most preferably, the composition contains no water. According to this preferred embodiment, the storage stability of the diffusing agent composition can be made higher.
  • the diffusing agent composition of the present embodiment may contains, as other components, a surfactant, a solvent component, and any additive.
  • a surfactant When the composition contains a surfactant, the composition can be improved in paintability, flattenability and developability, and in a diffusing agent composition layer formed after the painting thereof the generation of unevenness in the painted layer-tissue can be reduced.
  • the surfactant may be a surfactant conventionally known, and is preferably a silicone surfactant.
  • the surfactant is contained in the diffusing agent composition in a proportion ranging preferably from 100 to 10000 parts by mass, more preferably from 300 to 5000 parts by mass, even more preferably from 500 to 3000 parts by mass per million of the whole of the diffusing agent composition.
  • the proportion is 2000 or less parts by mass per million thereof since the diffusing agent composition layer is excellent in peelability after the layer is subjected to diffusing treatment.
  • the surfactant a single species thereof may be used, or a combination of two or more species thereof may be used.
  • the solvent component is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and butanol; ketones such as acetone, diethyl ketone, and methyl ethyl ketone; esters such as methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and butyl acetate; polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, glycerin, and dipropylene glycol; ethers such as dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, and propylene glycol diethyl ether; monoether-moiety-containing glycols such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, and dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether; cyclic ethers such as
  • the additive may be optionally added to the composition in order to adjust the viscosity or some other property of the diffusing agent composition.
  • the additive is, for example, polypropylene glycol.
  • the diffusing agent composition that has been described above can be restrained from being lowered in storage stability even when the concentration of the impurity diffusion component (B) is made high in order to enable the composition to give a sufficient painted film thickness. As a result, the diffusibility of the impurity diffusion component to a semiconductor substrate can be improved.
  • FIG. 1 a description is made about a method for forming an impurity diffusion layer, including the step of using an ink-jet manner to jet out, onto an N-type semiconductor substrate, the above-mentioned diffusing agent composition which is a composition containing an N-type impurity diffusion component (B), thereby forming a pattern, and the step of diffusing the impurity diffusion component (B) in the diffusing agent composition into the semiconductor substrate; and a method for producing a solar cell having the semiconductor substrate on which the impurity diffusion layer is formed by this impurity-diffusion-layer-forming method.
  • FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C are each a process sectional view referred to in order to describe the solar-cell-producing method, which includes the impurity-diffusion-layer-forming method according to this embodiment.
  • a diffusing agent composition 2 as described above, which contains an N-type impurity diffusion component (B), and a diffusing agent composition 3 containing a P-type impurity diffusion component are selectively painted onto an N-type semiconductor substrate 1 such as a silicon substrate.
  • the diffusing agent composition 3 which contains the P-type impurity diffusion component, is prepared in a well-known way.
  • the diffusing agent composition 3 is painted onto the whole of a surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 in a well-known way, for example, spin coating, and then a well-known means, such as an oven, is used to dry the painted diffusing agent composition 3 .
  • a photolithographic manner and an etching manner that are each well-known are used to form the diffusing agent composition 3 into a pattern form.
  • An ink-jet manner may be used to paint the diffusing agent composition 3 selectively onto a surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 , thereby making a pattern.
  • the diffusing agent composition 2 is selectively painted onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 in an ink-jet manner, so as to be made into a pattern form. Specifically, from ink-jet nozzles of a well-known ink-jet machine, the diffusing agent composition 2 is jetted out onto regions of the semiconductor substrate 1 where an N-type impurity diffusion layer is to be formed, thereby making a pattern of the composition 2 . After the formation of the pattern, a well-known means, such as an oven, is used to harden and dry the painted diffusing agent composition 2 .
  • the ink-jet machine may be an ink-jetting-out machine in a piezoelectric mode, wherein a piezoelectric element, which is deformable by receiving the application of a voltage, is used.
  • the ink-jet machine may be an ink-jetting-out machine in a thermal mode, wherein bubbles generated by heating are used, or some other machine.
  • the semiconductor substrate 1 on which the diffusing agent composition 2 and the diffusing agent composition 3 are patterned is set inside a diffusing furnace, such as an electric furnace, and then fired to diffuse the N-type impurity diffusion component (B) in the diffusing agent composition 2 and the P-type impurity diffusion component in the diffusing agent composition 3 from the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 to the inside of the semiconductor substrate 1 .
  • a diffusing furnace such as an electric furnace
  • the semiconductor substrate 1 may be heated.
  • the N-type impurity diffusion component (B) is diffused into the semiconductor substrate 1 to form an N-type impurity diffusion layer 4
  • the P-type impurity diffusion component is diffused into the semiconductor substrate 1 to form a P-type impurity diffusion layer 5 .
  • the oxide film formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate is removed in a well-known etching manner.
  • the impurity diffusion layers can be formed.
  • Table 1 are shown individual components of each of diffusing agent compositions of Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and the content by percentage of each of the components.
  • the component A-1 shown in Table 1 is a hydrolyzate of Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 .
  • the components A-2 and A-3 shown in Table 1 are condensation products represented by the following formulae, respectively, and DPGM shown in Table 1 is an abbreviation of dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether:
  • n′/m′ 20/80 to 50/50 (the component A-2), and
  • n′′/m′′ 40/20 to 50/10 (the component A-3).
  • a Cannon-Fenske viscometer was used to measure the initial viscosity of each of phosphate-containing diffusing agent compositions of Examples 1 and 4 to 6, and non-phosphate-containing one of Comparative Example 1. Furthermore, each of the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 1 and 4 to 6, and Comparative Example 1 was stored at 5° C., and the Cannon-Fenske viscometer was used to measure the viscosity thereof after two days elapsed, as well as after six days elapsed. In Table 2 are shown viscosity evaluation results of Examples 1 and 4 to 6, and Comparative Example 1. In the Table 2, inside parentheses is shown the percentage of each of the viscosities after the two days elapsed, as well as after the six days elapsed, to the initial viscosity concerned.
  • the phosphorus equivalent (the mole number of phosphorus) in the diffusing agent composition of Example 1 was equivalent to that in the diffusing agent composition of Comparative Example 1.
  • Table 2 shows that after the two days, and after the six days, the viscosity of the diffusing agent composition of Comparative Example 1 increased sharply while the viscosity of each of the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 1 and 4 to 6 fell below at most about 105.7% of the initial viscosity even after the six days.
  • the diffusing agent composition of Example 1 was excellent in storage stability. It was found out that, in particular, about the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 5 and 6, the viscosity after the six days was not substantially changed from the initial viscosity.
  • the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 1 to 3, and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were each used, and painted onto each of P-type Si substrates (surface orientation: ⁇ 100>, and resistivity: 5 to 15 ⁇ cm) in a spin coating manner.
  • the film thickness of the diffusing agent composition painted on each of the Si substrates was about 7000 ⁇ .
  • the workpieces were each prebaked at 100° C. and 200° C. for respective periods of one minute, and then a heating furnace (VF-1000, manufactured by Koyo Thermo Systems Co., Ltd.) was used to heat the workpiece at 950° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere for 30 minutes.
  • VF-1000 manufactured by Koyo Thermo Systems Co., Ltd.
  • the Si substrate was immersed in a 5% HF solution in water for 10 minutes to remove the oxide film on any surface of the substrate.
  • the number of the formed samples was two.
  • the respective sheet resistivities were measured by a four-probe method using a device (VR-70) manufactured by Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., so that about each of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the sheet resistivities at the 10 points were obtained in total. The average of the values at the 10 points was calculated. In Table 3 are shown the thus-obtained sheet resistivity averages.
  • Example 1 the sheet resistivity was 180 ⁇ /square, and in Examples 2 and 3, the sheet resistivities were each as low as a value less than 100 ⁇ /square.
  • the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 1 to 3 were used, the sheet resistivities were made largely better than when that of Comparative Example 2 was used.
  • the use of a mono- or di-ester compound of phosphoric acid makes better in diffusion efficiency than that of a tri-ester of phosphoric acid even when the phosphorus equivalent (the mole number of phosphorus) in the former ester is substantially equal to that in the latter ester.
  • the diffusing agent composition of Comparative Example 1 was lower in sheet resistivity than that of Comparative Example 2.
  • the non-phosphate-containing diffusing agent composition of Comparative Example 1 did not overcome a problem that the change with the passage of time (increase in the viscosity) was large.
  • Table 4 are shown individual components of each of diffusing agent compositions of Examples 7 to 9, and the content by percentage of each of the components.
  • the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 7 to 9 were phosphate-containing diffusing agent compositions common to each other in the individual components of the condensation product (A) and the impurity diffusion component (B) and the content by percentage of each of the components while between these compositions the water content by percentage (% by weight) in the whole of each of the compositions was varied.
  • a Cannon-Fenske viscometer was used to measure the initial viscosity of each of the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 7 to 9. Furthermore, each of the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 7 to 9 was stored at 5° C., and the Cannon-Fenske viscometer was used to measure the viscosity thereof after three days elapsed, as well as after eight days elapsed. In Table 5 are shown viscosity evaluation results of the diffusing agent compositions of Examples 7 to 9. In Table 5, inside parentheses is shown the percentage of each of the viscosities after the three days elapsed, as well as after the eight days elapsed, to the initial viscosity concerned.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
  • Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
  • Paints Or Removers (AREA)
US13/292,461 2010-11-11 2011-11-09 Diffusing agent composition, and method for forming an impurity diffusion layer Abandoned US20120122306A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US14/562,041 US9620666B2 (en) 2010-11-11 2014-12-05 Method for forming an impurity diffusion layer by applying a diffusing agent composition

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2010253234A JP5666254B2 (ja) 2010-11-11 2010-11-11 拡散剤組成物および不純物拡散層の形成方法
JP2010-253234 2010-11-11

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US14/562,041 Division US9620666B2 (en) 2010-11-11 2014-12-05 Method for forming an impurity diffusion layer by applying a diffusing agent composition

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20120122306A1 true US20120122306A1 (en) 2012-05-17

Family

ID=46048160

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/292,461 Abandoned US20120122306A1 (en) 2010-11-11 2011-11-09 Diffusing agent composition, and method for forming an impurity diffusion layer
US14/562,041 Active 2032-04-03 US9620666B2 (en) 2010-11-11 2014-12-05 Method for forming an impurity diffusion layer by applying a diffusing agent composition

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US14/562,041 Active 2032-04-03 US9620666B2 (en) 2010-11-11 2014-12-05 Method for forming an impurity diffusion layer by applying a diffusing agent composition

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (2) US20120122306A1 (zh)
JP (1) JP5666254B2 (zh)
KR (1) KR101869099B1 (zh)
CN (1) CN102468439B (zh)
TW (1) TWI543986B (zh)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120122265A1 (en) * 2010-11-17 2012-05-17 Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd. Method for producing photovoltaic cell
CN105378895A (zh) * 2013-07-04 2016-03-02 东丽株式会社 杂质扩散组合物及半导体元件的制造方法
US20160314975A1 (en) * 2015-04-21 2016-10-27 Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. Diffusion agent composition

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014174613A1 (ja) * 2013-04-24 2014-10-30 三菱電機株式会社 太陽電池の製造方法
JP6284431B2 (ja) * 2013-09-30 2018-02-28 東京応化工業株式会社 拡散剤組成物及び不純物拡散層の形成方法
JP6616711B2 (ja) * 2015-04-21 2019-12-04 東京応化工業株式会社 拡散剤組成物
JP2022112400A (ja) 2021-01-21 2022-08-02 東京応化工業株式会社 拡散剤組成物、及び半導体基板の製造方法

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090298290A1 (en) * 2008-05-30 2009-12-03 Fujifilm Corporation Polishing liquid and polishing method

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2114365B (en) * 1982-01-28 1986-08-06 Owens Illinois Inc Process for forming a doped oxide film and composite article
DE19910816A1 (de) * 1999-03-11 2000-10-05 Merck Patent Gmbh Dotierpasten zur Erzeugung von p,p+ und n,n+ Bereichen in Halbleitern
JP2003168810A (ja) 2001-11-30 2003-06-13 Sharp Corp 太陽電池の製造装置および製造方法
JP2003332606A (ja) 2002-05-16 2003-11-21 Sharp Corp 太陽電池の製造装置および製造方法
JP2005123431A (ja) * 2003-10-17 2005-05-12 Sanken Electric Co Ltd 液状不純物源材料及びこれを使用した半導体装置の製造方法
JP2006156646A (ja) 2004-11-29 2006-06-15 Sharp Corp 太陽電池の製造方法
JP4481869B2 (ja) * 2005-04-26 2010-06-16 信越半導体株式会社 太陽電池の製造方法及び太陽電池並びに半導体装置の製造方法
JP2007049079A (ja) * 2005-08-12 2007-02-22 Sharp Corp マスキングペースト、その製造方法およびマスキングペーストを用いた太陽電池の製造方法
JP5026008B2 (ja) * 2006-07-14 2012-09-12 東京応化工業株式会社 膜形成組成物
KR101631711B1 (ko) * 2008-03-21 2016-06-17 신에쓰 가가꾸 고교 가부시끼가이샤 확산용 인 페이스트 및 그것을 이용한 태양 전지의 제조 방법
JP5357442B2 (ja) 2008-04-09 2013-12-04 東京応化工業株式会社 インクジェット用拡散剤組成物、当該組成物を用いた電極及び太陽電池の製造方法
JP5646950B2 (ja) * 2009-11-06 2014-12-24 東京応化工業株式会社 マスク材組成物、および不純物拡散層の形成方法

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090298290A1 (en) * 2008-05-30 2009-12-03 Fujifilm Corporation Polishing liquid and polishing method

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Wasow, Guenther W. ("Phosphorus-Containing Anionic Surfactants" Anionic Surfactants: Organic Chemistry, edited by Helmut W. Stache, Surfactant Science Series Volume 56, copyright 1996; introduction pages 1-4 and article pages 551-560 are attached to the case file as a PDF). *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120122265A1 (en) * 2010-11-17 2012-05-17 Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd. Method for producing photovoltaic cell
CN105378895A (zh) * 2013-07-04 2016-03-02 东丽株式会社 杂质扩散组合物及半导体元件的制造方法
US20160314975A1 (en) * 2015-04-21 2016-10-27 Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. Diffusion agent composition

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2012104721A (ja) 2012-05-31
JP5666254B2 (ja) 2015-02-12
US9620666B2 (en) 2017-04-11
TW201233681A (en) 2012-08-16
TWI543986B (zh) 2016-08-01
KR101869099B1 (ko) 2018-06-19
CN102468439B (zh) 2015-09-30
US20150140718A1 (en) 2015-05-21
KR20120050909A (ko) 2012-05-21
CN102468439A (zh) 2012-05-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US9620666B2 (en) Method for forming an impurity diffusion layer by applying a diffusing agent composition
US9346989B2 (en) Paintable diffusing agent composition
EP2573800B1 (en) Diffusion agent composition and method of forming an impurity diffusion layer
US20130109123A1 (en) Diffusing agent composition and method of forming impurity diffusion layer
JP5555469B2 (ja) 拡散剤組成物、および不純物拡散層の形成方法
JP5991846B2 (ja) 膜形成用組成物、拡散剤組成物、膜形成用組成物の製造方法、及び拡散剤組成物の製造方法
US9190276B2 (en) Method of diffusing impurity-diffusing component and method of manufacturing solar cell
CN102687075B (zh) 用于抗蚀剂的下层的组合物和使用其来生产半导体集成电路装置的方法
WO2012144291A1 (ja) インクジェット用シリカ系被膜形成組成物、シリカ系被膜の形成方法、半導体デバイス及び太陽電池システム
WO2019176716A1 (ja) 不純物拡散組成物、それを用いた半導体素子の製造方法および太陽電池の製造方法
JP6108781B2 (ja) 不純物拡散成分の拡散方法、及び太陽電池の製造方法
KR101487578B1 (ko) 태양전지용 잉크 조성물 및 이를 이용한 태양전지 제조방법
JP2014132044A (ja) インクジェット用シリカ系被膜形成組成物、シリカ系被膜の形成方法、半導体デバイス及び太陽電池システム
JP2006160811A (ja) シリカ系被膜形成用塗布液

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD., JAPAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MORITA, TOSHIRO;KAMIZONO, TAKASHI;SIGNING DATES FROM 20110918 TO 20110928;REEL/FRAME:027249/0389

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION