Polycrystalline silicon thick films for photovoltaic devices or the like, and methods of making same
View Patent ↗A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon film includes: depositing a catalyst layer including nickel and depositing nickel nanoparticles on a substrate; exposing the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles to at least silane gas; and heat treating the substrate coated with the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles during at least part of the exposing to silane gas in growing a silicon based film on the substrate.
1. A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline film comprising silicon on a substrate, the method comprising:
depositing a catalyst layer comprising nickel, and depositing nanoparticles, on the substrate;
exposing the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles to silane gas; and
heat treating the substrate coated with the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles during at least part of said exposing to silane gas, in growing a film comprising silicon on the substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising annealing the substrate coated with the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles in order to crystallize the film comprising silicon and form a film comprising polycrystalline silicon.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the film comprising polycrystalline silicon is doped with phosphorus.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising transferring the film comprising polycrystalline silicon from the substrate to another substrate that is coated with at least a conductive layer.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the film comprising polycrystalline silicon is doped with one or more of phosphorus, arsenic, and boron.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heat treating comprises thermal cycling the substrate coated with the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the thermal cycling comprises repeatedly raising temperature to from about 580-800 degrees C. then back down to a significantly lower temperature.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise nickel.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst film comprises nickel and silver.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst film is doped with phosphorous.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a glass substrate.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises mica.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a dielectric layer comprising metal oxide on the substrate, the dielectric layer comprising metal oxide being located between the substrate and the nanoparticles.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the metal oxide comprises zinc oxide.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said catalyst layer comprising nickel is deposited via electrodeless plating.
16. A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline film comprising silicon on a substrate, the method comprising:
depositing a catalyst layer, and depositing nanoparticles comprising nickel, on the substrate;
exposing the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles to silane gas; and
heat treating the substrate coated with the catalyst layer and the nanoparticles during at least part of said exposing to silane gas, in growing a film comprising silicon on the substrate.