Abstract: A method of fabricating an electronic device includes providing a silicon carbide or diamond-like carbon donor body and implanting ions into a first surface of the donor body to define a cleave plane. After implanting, an epitaxial layer is formed on the first surface, and a temporary carrier is coupled to the epitaxial layer. A lamina is cleaved from the donor body at the cleave plane, and the temporary carrier is removed from the lamina. In some embodiments a light emitting diode or a high electron mobility transistor is fabricated from the lamina and epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A method for modifying the texture of a semiconductor material is provided. The method includes performing a first texture step comprising reactive ion etching to a first surface of semiconductor material. After the first texture step, the first surface of the semiconductor material has a random texture comprising a plurality of peaks and a plurality of valleys, and wherein at least fifty percent of the first surface has a peak-to-valley height of less than one micron and an average peak-to-peak distance of less than one micron. Additional texture steps comprising wet etch or RIE etching may be optionally applied.

Abstract: A method is described for forming a permanently supported thin lamina using decomposable adhesives between a lamina and a temporary support element. The temporary support element may be bonded to a first surface of the lamina. A permanent support element may be applied to a second surface of the lamina, and the temporary support element debonded from the lamina by decomposing the adhesive.

Abstract: An interposer is fabricated from a lamina. A donor body is provided, ions are implanted into a first surface of the donor body to define a cleave plane, a temporary carrier is separably contacted to the donor body, and the lamina is cleaved from the donor body. The lamina has front surface and a back surface, with a thickness from the front surface to the back surface. A via hole is formed in the lamina, where the via hole extends through the thickness of the lamina. The temporary carrier is removed from the lamina, and the lamina may be fabricated into an interposer for three-dimensional integrated circuit packages.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a backside-illuminated sensor includes providing a thin film semiconductor lamina having a first conductivity, and forming a doped region having a second conductivity within the lamina and at a front surface of the lamina. The lamina may be provided as a free-standing lamina, or may be provided as a semiconductor donor body from which the lamina is cleaved. An electrical connection is formed to the doped region. A temporary carrier is contacted to the back surface of the semiconductor and later removed. A backside-illuminated sensor is fabricated from the semiconductor lamina, in which the thickness of the semiconductor lamina remains substantially unchanged during the fabrication process.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of forming an electronic device from a lamina that has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is matched or nearly matched to a constructed metal support. In some embodiments the method comprises implanting the top surface of a donor body with an ion dosage to form a cleave plane followed by exfoliating a lamina from the donor body. After exfoliating the lamina, a flexible metal support that has a coefficient of thermal expansion with a value that is within 10% of the value of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the lamina is constructed on the lamina. In some embodiments the coefficients of thermal expansion of the metal support and the lamina are within 10% or within 5% of each other between the temperatures of 100 and 600 ° C.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of forming an electronic device from a lamina that has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is matched or nearly matched to a constructed metal support. In some embodiments the method comprises implanting the top surface of a donor body with an ion dosage to form a cleave plane followed by exfoliating a lamina from the donor body. After exfoliating the lamina, a flexible metal support that has a coefficient of thermal expansion with a value that is within 10% of the value of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the lamina is constructed on the lamina. In some embodiments the coefficients of thermal expansion of the metal support and the lamina are within 10% or within 5% of each other between the temperatures of 500 and 1050° C.

Abstract: The invention provides for a semiconductor wafer with a metal support element suitable for the formation of a flexible or sag tolerant photovoltaic cell. A method for forming a photovoltaic cell may comprise providing a semiconductor wafer have a thickness greater than 150 ?m, the wafer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first and etching the semiconductor wafer a first time so that the first etching reduces the thickness of the semiconductor wafer to less than 150 ?m. After the wafer has been etched a first time, a metal support element may be constructed on or over the first surface; and a photovoltaic cell may be fabricated, wherein the semiconductor wafer comprises the base of the photovoltaic cell.

Abstract: Ion implant apparatus using a drum-type scan wheel holds wafers with a total cone angle less than 60°. A collimated scanned beam of ions, for example H+, is directed along a final beam path which is at an angle of at least 45° to the axis of rotation of the scan wheel. Ions are extracted from a source and accelerated along a linear acceleration path to a high implant energy (more than 500 keV) before scanning or mass analysis. The mass analyzer may be located near the axis of rotation and unwanted ions are directed to an annular beam dump which may be mounted on the scan wheel.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method of ion implantation using a rotary scan assembly having an axis of rotation and a periphery. A plurality of substrate holders is distributed about the periphery, and the substrate holders are arranged to hold respective planar substrates. Each planar substrate has a respective geometric center on the periphery. A beam line assembly provides a beam of ions for implantation in the planar substrates on the holders. The beam line assembly is arranged to direct said beam along a final beam path.

Abstract: Fabrication of a photovoltaic cell comprising a thin semiconductor lamina may require additional processing after the semiconductor lamina is bonded to a receiver. To minimize high-temperature steps after bonding, the p?n junction is formed at the back of the cell, at the bonded surface. In some embodiments, the front surface of the semiconductor lamina is not doped or is locally doped using low-temperature methods. The base resistivity of the photovoltaic cell may be reduced, allowing a front surface field to be reduced or omitted.

Abstract: A system for treating distinct batches of workpieces to serial procedures comprises first and second multi-site structures. In each multi-site structure the sites are rotatable for alignment in turn with loading and unloading stations together constituting treatment or process stations. Workpieces of a batch are loaded onto all of the treatment sites and then simultaneously and identically treated by operation of treatment stations with which the process sites are aligned. After treatment in the first structure, workpieces of a batch are transferred from the unloading stations of the first structure to the loading stations of the second structure for further processing.

Abstract: Multiple control electrodes are provided asymmetrically within the plasma chamber of an ion source at respective positions along the length of the plasma chamber. Biasing the control electrodes selectively can selectively enhance the ion extraction current at adjacent positions along the length of the extraction slit. A method of generating an ion beam is disclosed in which the strengths of the transverse electric fields at different locations along the length of the plasma chamber are controlled to modify the ion beam linear current density profile along the length of the slit. The method is used for controlling the uniformity of a ribbon beam.

Abstract: An ion implanter has an implant wheel with a plurality of wafer carriers distributed about a periphery of the wheel. Each wafer carrier has a heat sink for removing heat from a wafer on the carrier during the implant process by thermal contact between the wafer and the heat sink. A respective wafer lift structure on each carrier is moveable between first and second positions, with the wafer supported spaced away from the heat sink and in thermal contact with the heat sink respectively. The lift structure is operated to move between the first and second positions wheel the implant is rotating. This allows control of wafer temperature during the implant process by adjusting the thermal contact between wafers and heat sinks.

Abstract: In embodiments of the present invention an undoped amorphous, nanocrystalline or microcrystalline semiconductor layer and a heavily doped amorphous, nanocrystalline, or microcrystalline semiconductor layer are formed on a monocrystalline silicon lamina. The lamina is the base region of a photovoltaic cell, while the amorphous, nanocrystalline or monocrystalline layers serve to passivate the surface of the lamina, reducing recombination at this surface. In embodiments, the heavily doped layer additionally serves as either the emitter of the cell or to provide electrical contact to the base layer. The undoped and heavily doped layers are deposited at low temperature, for example about 150 degrees C. or less with hydrogen dilution. This low temperature allows use of low-temperature materials and methods, while increased hydrogen dilution improves film quality and/or conductivity.

Abstract: A method for producing a lamina from a donor body includes implanting the donor body with an ion dosage and heating the donor body to an implant temperature during implanting. The donor body is separably contacted with a susceptor assembly, where the donor body and the susceptor assembly are in direct contact. A lamina is exfoliated from the donor body by applying a thermal profile to the donor body. Implantation and exfoliation conditions may be adjusted in order to maximize the defect-free area of the lamina.

Abstract: A cleave plane is defined in a semiconductor donor body by implanting ions into the wafer. A lamina is cleaved from the donor body, and a photovoltaic cell is formed which comprises the lamina. The implant may cause some damage to the crystal structure of the lamina. This damage can be repaired by annealing the lamina using microwave energy. If the lamina is bonded to a receiver element, the receiver element may be either transparent to microwaves, or may reflect microwaves, while the semiconductor material absorbs the microwaves. In this way the lamina can be annealed at high temperature while the receiver element remains cooler.

Abstract: A semiconductor assembly is described in which a support element is constructed on a surface of a semiconductor lamina. Following formation of the thin lamina, which may have a thickness about 50 microns or less, the support element is formed, for example by plating, or by application of a precursor and curing in situ, resulting in a support element which may be, for example, metal, ceramic, polymer, etc. This is in contrast to pre-formed support element which is affixed to the lamina following its formation, or to a donor wafer from which the lamina is subsequently cleaved. Fabricating the support element in situ may avoid the use of adhesives to attach the lamina to a permanent support element. In some embodiments, this process flow allows the lamina to be annealed at high temperature, then to have an amorphous silicon layer formed on each face of the lamina following that anneal.

Abstract: A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only.

Abstract: A donor silicon wafer may be bonded to a substrate and a lamina cleaved from the donor wafer. A photovoltaic cell may be formed from the lamina bonded to the substrate. An intermetal stack is described that is optimized for use in such a cell. The intermetal stack may include a transparent conductive oxide layer serving as a quarter-wave plate, a low resistance layer, an adhesion layer to help adhesion to the receiver element, and may also include a barrier layer to prevent or impede unwanted diffusion within the stack.