Device transfer techniques for thin film optoelectronic devices

1. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein the sacrificial layer covers the holes without filling the holes;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer; and

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate.

2. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer; and

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate, wherein depositing, forming or attaching the sacrificial layer to the target substrate includes adhering the sacrificial layer to a donor substrate (or superstrate); detaching the sacrificial layer from the donor substrate (or superstrate) and attaching the sacrificial layer to the target substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein adhering the sacrificial layer to a donor substrate (or superstrate) includes the use of a thermally sensitive adhesive that delaminates the sacrificial layer from the donor substrate (or superstrate) when heated to a sufficient temperature.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of heating the thermally sensitive adhesive to a temperature sufficient to delaminate the sacrificial layer from the donor substrate (or superstrate).

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the donor substrate (or superstrate) is a sheet of material in the form of a continuous loop.

6. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate; and attaching the one or more device layers to a second substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the one or more device layers is attached to the second substrate, the portion of the device layers being between the first and second substrates, before detaching the target substrate from the sacrificial layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , 2 , or 6 wherein the sacrificial layer includes one or more metals.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the one or metals includes aluminum, copper, tungsten or chromium.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more metals include aluminum and the etchant includes sodium hydroxide.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the etchant includes a liquid solution of sodium hydroxide.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more metals includes copper and the etchant includes cupric chloride or ammonium hydroxide.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more metals include tungsten and the etchant includes SF 6 gas.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more metals includes chromium and the etchant includes potassium ferrocyanide in basic solution, or dilute hydrochloric acid.

15. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein attaching the sacrificial layer to the target substrate includes polishing the target substrate and/or sacrificial layer at surfaces where they adhere to each other such that they tend to stick to each other;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer; and

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate.

16. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein attaching the sacrificial layer to the target substrate includes bringing the sacrificial layer into intimate contact with the target substrate and heating the target substrate and/or sacrificial layer to a temperature near the melting point of the material of the sacrificial layer;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer; and

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate.

17. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein attaching the sacrificial layer to the target substrate includes treating the surface of the sacrificial layer and/or the target substrate with a reducing plasma; forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer; and exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate.

18. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate; and

reusing the target substrate in a subsequent optoelectronic device fabrication process.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the subsequent device fabrication process includes the steps of depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to the target substrate; and

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the optoelectronic device is a photovoltaic cell or module.

21. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein the target substrate is a continuous sheet in the form of a closed loop;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate.

22. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate, wherein the step of the method are implemented in a roll-to-roll processing system.

23. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate, wherein the optoelectronic device is a photovoltaic cell or module.

24. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein the sacrificial layer includes aluminum;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate, wherein the etchant includes sodium hydroxide.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the etchant includes a liquid solution of sodium hydroxide.

26. A method for fabricating optoelectronic devices, comprising the steps of:

depositing, forming or attaching a sacrificial layer to a target substrate, the target substrate having a plurality of holes formed therethrough, wherein the sacrificial layer includes copper;

forming one or more device layers on the sacrificial layer;

exposing the sacrificial layer to an etchant through the holes in the target substrate to detach the target substrate from the sacrificial layer without destroying the target substrate or the sacrificial layer, wherein the etchant includes cupric chloride or ammonium hydroxide.