Patents by Inventor Berthold Schum

Berthold Schum has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9583652
    Abstract: A method for the wet-chemical etching of a highly doped silicon layer in an etching solution is provided. The method includes using, as an etching solution so as to perform etching homogeneously, an HF-containing etching solution containing at least one oxidizing agent selected from the group of peroxodisulfates, peroxomonosulfates, and hydrogen peroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DEVÉLOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum, Knut Vaas
  • Patent number: 9558952
    Abstract: A process for edge isolation or texture smoothing of a substrate, in which a process medium which allows control treatment of limited regions of the substrate is used. The process is therefore particularly suitable for one-sided treatment of substrates. The viscosity of the process medium plays a central role here. Furthermore, an apparatus designed for the process is presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum, Heinrich Blanke
  • Publication number: 20150243517
    Abstract: A process for edge isolation or texture smoothing of a substrate, in which a process medium which allows control treatment of limited regions of the substrate is used. The process is therefore particularly suitable for one-sided treatment of substrates. The viscosity of the process medium plays a central role here. Furthermore, an apparatus designed for the process is presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum, Heinrich Blanke
  • Patent number: 8889536
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a dopant profile based on a surface of a wafer-like semiconductor component with phosphorus as a dopant. The method includes the steps of applying a phosphorus dopant source onto the surface, forming a first dopant profile with the dopant source that is present on the surface, removing the dopant source, and forming a second dopant profile that has a greater depth in comparison to the first dopant profile. In order to form an optimized dopant profile, the dopant source is removed after forming the first dopant profile, and precipitates that are crystallized selectively on or in the surface from the precipitates SixPy and SixPyOz are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Schott Solar AG
    Inventors: Gabriele Blendin, Joerg Horzel, Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum
  • Publication number: 20130280898
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a dopant profile based on a surface of a wafer-like semiconductor component with phosphorus as a dopant. The method includes the steps of applying a phosphorus dopant source onto the surface, forming a first dopant profile with the dopant source that is present on the surface, removing the dopant source, and forming a second dopant profile that has a greater depth in comparison to the first dopant profile. In order to form an optimized dopant profile, the dopant source is removed after forming the first dopant profile, and precipitates that are crystallized selectively on or in the surface from the precipitates SixPy and SixPyOz are removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: SCHOTT SOLAR AG
    Inventors: Gabriele Blendin, Joerg Horzel, Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum
  • Patent number: 8563440
    Abstract: A method for chemically treating a disc-shaped substrate having a bottom surface, a top surface and side surfaces by contacting a process medium that is fluid-chemically active with at least the bottom surface of the substrate. The substrate is moved relative to the process medium while forming a triple line between the substrate, the substrate medium and the atmosphere surrounding the substrate and medium. In order to chemically remove errors, particularly in the side surfaces, relative motion should be carried out while avoiding a contacting of the process medium with the top surface of the substrate, where the triple line is formed at a desired height of the side surface facing away from the process medium flow side in relation to the relative motion between the substrate and the process medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Schott Solar AG
    Inventors: Andreas Teppe, Berthold Schum, Dieter Franke, Ingo Schwirtlich, Knut Vaas, Wilfried Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20130255772
    Abstract: A method for the wet-chemical etching of a highly doped silicon layer in an etching solution is provided. The method includes using, as an etching solution so as to perform etching homogeneously, an HF-containing etching solution containing at least one oxidizing agent selected from the group of peroxodisulfates, peroxomonosulfates, and hydrogen peroxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Schott Solar AG
    Inventors: Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum, Knut Vaas
  • Publication number: 20130228220
    Abstract: A method for the wet-chemical etching of a silicon layer in an alkaline etching solution is provided, where the silicon layer is the surface region of a solar cell emitter. The method ensures that the surface region of the emitter is etched-back homogeneously using an oxidant-free alkaline etching solution comprising at least one organic moderator is used for the isotropic etching back of the surface region of the emitter, where the moderator has a dopant concentration of at least 1018 atoms/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: SCHOTT SOLAR AG
    Inventors: Berthold Schum, Knut Vaas, Agata Lachowicz, Norman Hermert
  • Publication number: 20130220420
    Abstract: A method for the wet-chemical etching of a solar cell emitter is provided. The method performs homogeneous etching using an alkaline etching solution containing at least one oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of peroxodisulphates, peroxomonosulphates and hypochlorite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: SCHOTT SOLAR AG
    Inventors: Agata Lachowicz, Berthold Schum, Knut Vaas
  • Patent number: 8148191
    Abstract: The present invention relates firstly to HF/fluoride-free etching and doping media which are suitable both for the etching of inorganic layers and also for the doping of underlying layers. The present invention secondly also relates to a process in which these media are employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Sylke Klein, Armin Kübelbeck, Werner Stockum, Wilfried Schmidt, Berthold Schum
  • Publication number: 20110183524
    Abstract: A method for chemically treating a disc-shaped substrate having a bottom surface, a top surface and side surfaces by contacting a process medium that is fluid-chemically active with at least the bottom surface of the substrate. The substrate is moved relative to the process medium while forming a triple line between the substrate, the substrate medium and the atmosphere surrounding the substrate and medium. In order to chemically remove errors, particularly in the side surfaces, relative motion should be carried out while avoiding a contacting of the process medium with the top surface of the substrate, where the triple line is formed at a desired height of the side surface facing away from the process medium flow side in relation to the relative motion between the substrate and the process medium. In this way, the atmosphere can be adjusted in relation to the partial pressures of the components in the process medium such that the top surface preserves hydrophobic characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: SCHOTT SOLAR AG
    Inventors: Andreas Teppe, Berthold Schum, Dieter Franke, Ingo Schwirtlich, Knut Vaas, Wilfried Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20110165726
    Abstract: A method for producing at least one functional layer on at least one region of a surface of a semiconductor component by applying a liquid to at least the one region, where the functional layer has a layer thickness d1 and the liquid required for forming the functional layer having the thickness d1 has a layer thickness d2. In order that functional layers having a desired thin and uniform thickness are produced in a reproducible manner, it is proposed that the liquid is applied to the at least one region of the surface in excess with a layer thickness d3 where d3>d2 and that subsequently, either with the semiconductor component moved in translational fashion or with the semiconductor component arranged in stationary fashion, excess liquid is removed from the surface in a contactless manner to an extent such that the liquid layer has the thickness d2 or approximately the thickness d2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: SCHOTT SOLAR AG
    Inventors: Knut Vaas, Berthold Schum, Wilfried Schmidt, Dieter Franke, Ingo Schwirtlich
  • Patent number: 7629257
    Abstract: The invention concerns etching and doping substances free of hydrochloric/fluoride acid used for etching inorganic layers as well as for doping subjacent layers. The invention also concerns a method wherein said substances are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Merck Patentgesellschaft
    Inventors: Sylke Klein, Armin Kübelbeck, Werner Stockum, Wilfried Schmidt, Berthold Schum
  • Publication number: 20090071540
    Abstract: The present invention relates firstly to HF/fluoride-free etching and doping media which are suitable both for the etching of inorganic layers and also for the doping of underlying layers. The present invention secondly also relates to a process in which these media are employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Sylke KLEIN, Armin Kubelbeck, Wemer Stockum, Wilfried Schmidt, Berthold Schum
  • Publication number: 20040242019
    Abstract: The invention concerns etching and doping substances free of hydrochloric/fluoride acid used for etching inorganic layers as well as for doping subjacent layers. The invention also concerns a method wherein said substances are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Sylke Klein, Armin Kubelbeck, Werner Stockum, Wilfried Schmidt, Berthold Schum
  • Patent number: 6306224
    Abstract: A process and device for treating sheet objects, especially fragile sheet objects, by rotation through a liquid bath. The objects are disposed in radial slots in a rotating disk, retained therein by a flexible element moving synchronously with the disk, and by a retaining element mounted adjacent the disk and spaced therefrom along its axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Angewandte Solarenergie-ASE GmbH
    Inventors: Gernot Wandel, Fritz Heyer, Berthold Schum
  • Patent number: 4915978
    Abstract: A method and a device are proposed for formation of a layer on a surface of a substrate by plasma-chemical process, where the surface is aligned parallel to the electrical field required for the plasma-chemical process. In addition, the gas required therefor flows directly onto the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Nukem GmbH
    Inventors: Hilmar von Campe, Dietmar Liedtke, Berthold Schum, WoJorg
  • Patent number: 4891325
    Abstract: A method is proposed for re-using silicon base material of defective MIS inversion-layer solar cells, where at least MIS solar cell-specific layers are stripped off and replaced by corresponding new layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: Nukem GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Hezel, Winfried Hoffmann, Berthold Schum
  • Patent number: 4812416
    Abstract: In order to be able to check whether or not a glow procedure is executed properly, i.e. reproducibly, the temporal course of the formation of characteristic stable reaction products is traced mass spectrometrically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Inventors: Gerd Hewig, Berthold Schum, Jorg Worner