A meso-entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer and a method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application discloses a medium-entropy alloy film for improving silicon wafer performance and a preparation method thereof. The medium-entropy alloy film for improving silicon wafer performance comprises an Al-Mn-Ru film deposited on the surface of the silicon wafer. The preparation method of the medium-entropy alloy film for improving silicon wafer performance comprises the following steps: 1) synthesizing an AlMnRu coating; and 2) depositing the AlMnRu coating on the silicon wafer to obtain the medium-entropy alloy film for improving silicon wafer performance. The film can reduce the surface temperature of the silicon wafer and improve the conductivity of the silicon wafer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of thin films, and relates to a medium-entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Solar energy is the most abundant and cleanest resource among renewable energy resources, and the solar flux reaching the earth's surface is 3.00x10 24 Joule, which is 5000 times the total global energy consumption. Therefore, a large amount of research uses semiconductors for the capture and utilization of solar energy. Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert solar energy into usable electricity, which is the most popular means of solar energy utilization. In 2019, the total installed capacity of global solar photovoltaic panels reached 600 GW, and it is expected that the global installed capacity of photovoltaic panels will reach 1500 GW by 2025 and 3000 GW by 2030.

[0003] Silicon is the most abundant semiconductor element in the earth's crust, has the advantages of low cost, low band gap (about 1.1 eV) and being suitable for photoelectrochemical reactions such as hydrogen evolution reaction, and therefore plays a crucial role in the production of solar energy devices. Silicon is usually processed into thin wafers for application, for example, polycrystalline silicon makes up about 95% of the world's solar cells. In addition, it is also widely used as a photoelectrode in solar chemical (such as photoelectrochemical reactions of hydrogen and hydrocarbons). However, silicon-based solar energy devices generate a large amount of heat under sunlight irradiation, and due to the low photovoltaic conversion efficiency, most of the solar energy (about 75-96%) is converted into heat energy rather than effectively converted into electrical energy or chemical energy. These heat makes the temperature of the solar panel about 40℃ higher than the ambient temperature, resulting in a decrease in the energy efficiency of photovoltaics. Specifically, for every 1℃ increase in temperature, the efficiency loss is about 0.45%; at the same time, for every 10℃ increase in temperature, the aging speed of the battery will double. Therefore, cooling the silicon surface is an important step for photovoltaics to move towards sustainability.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, the design and research and development of new technologies and materials have become the key to improving the efficiency of photovoltaics. Cooling the silicon surface and reducing the energy loss caused by the heat effect not only helps to improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency, but also effectively prolongs the service life of the battery. Therefore, the development of efficient materials and structures for inhibiting the rise in surface temperature is an important step in promoting the development of sustainable solar technology, but no similar technical inspiration is given in the prior art. SUMMARY

[0005] The application aims to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provides a medium-entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer and a preparation method thereof, which can reduce the surface temperature of the silicon wafer and improve the conductivity of the silicon wafer.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the application discloses a middle-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer, which comprises an Al-Mn-Ru film deposited on the surface of the silicon wafer.

[0007] The application discloses a preparation method of the middle-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of the silicon wafer, which comprises the following steps:

[0008] 1) synthesizing an AlMnRu coating layer;

[0009] 2) depositing the AlMnRu coating layer on the silicon wafer to obtain the middle-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of the silicon wafer.

[0010] The preparation method of the middle-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of the silicon wafer further improves in that:

[0011] Further, the specific process of step 1) is as follows:

[0012] The AlMnRu coating layer is synthesized by using aluminum-manganese alloy and ruthenium as sputtering targets and adopting a single-magnetic-control co-sputtering process.

[0013] Further, in step 2), the AlMnRu coating layer is deposited on the silicon wafer by adopting a physical vapor deposition process.

[0014] Further, in step 2), during the deposition process, the deposition is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, and the temperature of the substrate is 100 DEG C, so as to obtain the middle-entropy alloy film.

[0015] Further, in step 2), during the deposition process, the sputtering power of all the targets is 10-200 W,

[0016] Further, in step 2), during the deposition process, the total duration is 1-180 min.

[0017] Further, the Al:Mn:Ru elements in the middle-entropy alloy film are 60:10:30.

[0018] Further, the Al:Mn:Ru elements in the middle-entropy alloy film are 40:5:55.

[0019] Further, the Al:Mn:Ru elements in the middle-entropy alloy film are 8:7:85.

[0020] The application has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The Al-Mn-Ru film deposited on the surface of the silicon wafer can not only significantly reduce the surface temperature of the silicon wafer, but also improve the conductivity of the silicon wafer and effectively reduce the Schottky barrier, and the medium entropy alloy film is expected to become an important solution for improving the silicon substrate in the application of solar technology and promote the development of the solar industry in a more efficient and sustainable direction.

[0022] Further, the single magnetron co-sputtering process can uniformly deposit the thin film with excellent performance on the surface of silicon by using multiple targets for sputtering in a high vacuum environment, and has the advantages that the thickness and composition of the thin film can be accurately controlled, so as to optimize the electrical and thermal properties of the material. The PVD technology can deposit a thin film on the surface of silicon by evaporating or sputtering a target material through a gas phase reaction, and has excellent thin film adhesion and high deposition efficiency. The combination of the two makes the prepared Al-Mn-Ru thin film have good stability and high-quality performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The drawings accompanying the specification of the present application serve to provide a further understanding of the present application, and the illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions serve to explain the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 The infrared photos and corresponding surface temperature maps of different samples in the present application at a simulated 1-solar irradiation time interval of 0s, 10s, 60s, 120s and 300s, wherein a represents Si, b represents Si / AlMnRu-1, c represents Si / AlMnRu-2, and d represents Si / AlMnRu-3;

[0025] Figure 2a The transmission electron microscope image of Si / AlMnRu-3;

[0026] Figure 2b The element energy spectrum diagram of AlMnRu-3;

[0027] Figure 2c The current-time curve diagram of the sample;

[0028] Figure 3 The X-ray diffraction pattern of the sample in the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 The SEM image and element energy spectrum diagram of Si / AlMnRu-3 in the present application;

[0030] Figure 5 The scanning electron microscope image of the cross section of the AlMnRu thin film of Si / AlMnRu-3 in the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort belong to the scope of the present application.

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms “including” and “comprising” indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0033] It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in the specification and the appended claims of the present application, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0034] It should be further understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and the appended claims of the present application means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations thereof, and includes these combinations, for example, A and / or B can represent the three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character “ / ” in the present application generally represents an “or” relationship between the front and rear associated objects.

[0035] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in the embodiments of the present application to describe preset ranges, etc., these preset ranges should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the preset ranges from each other. For example, the first preset range can also be referred to as the second preset range, and similarly, the second preset range can also be referred to as the first preset range without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] Depending on the context, the word “if” as used herein can be interpreted to mean “when” or “while” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting”. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if (a stated condition or event) is detected” can be interpreted to mean “when it is determined” or “in response to determining” or “when (a stated condition or event) is detected” or “in response to detecting (a stated condition or event)”.

[0037] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the following will be combined with the accompanying drawings for the embodiments of the present application to make a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present application, but only represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0038] Various structural schematic diagrams according to the disclosed embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings. These diagrams are not drawn to scale, in which some details are exaggerated for the purpose of clear expression, and some details can be omitted. The shapes of various regions, layers and their relative size and positional relationship shown in the diagrams are only exemplary, and in actuality, there can be deviations due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and regions / layers with different shapes, sizes and relative positions can be additionally designed by those skilled in the art according to actual needs.

[0039] It is known that single magnetron co-sputtering process is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology, which uses the joint action of magnetic field and electric field to sputter atoms or molecules from the surface of the target material and form a thin film on the surface of the substrate. The following is a detailed analysis of the single magnetron co-sputtering process: the basic principle is that in the single magnetron co-sputtering process, the target material is placed in a vacuum chamber containing inert gas (such as argon). When a negative high voltage is applied between the target and the substrate, argon is ionized to form plasma. The charged particles (mainly argon ions) in these plasmas are accelerated under the action of the electric field and bombard the surface of the target. The atoms or molecules on the surface of the target material will be sputtered from the surface of the target after obtaining sufficient energy, and will accelerate and fly in the direction between the target and the substrate under the joint action of the electric field and the magnetic field, and finally deposit on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film.

[0040] Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is an advanced thin film preparation technology that converts solid materials into gas through physical methods and deposits thin films on the substrate surface. The basic principle of physical vapor deposition process can be divided into three main steps: vaporization of plating material: through heating, sputtering or arc, etc. The plating material (solid material) is evaporated, sublimated or sputtered, so as to be converted into gaseous atoms or molecules. Migration of plating material atoms, molecules or ions: in vacuum environment, gaseous atoms, molecules or ions pass through collision and transmission to reach the substrate surface. Deposition of plating material atoms, molecules or ions on the substrate: on the substrate surface, gaseous atoms, molecules or ions are adsorbed, nucleated and finally grown into thin films.

[0041] The medium entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of silicon wafer provided by the application comprises an Al-Mn-Ru thin film arranged on the surface of the silicon wafer, and the Al-Mn-Ru thin film can inhibit the temperature of the surface of the silicon wafer and improve the conductive performance of the silicon wafer. Specifically, the Al-Mn-Ru thin film can effectively inhibit the increase of the temperature of the surface of the silicon wafer by about 1℃-10℃, thereby significantly inhibiting heat accumulation and inhibiting the increase of the surface temperature of the device, which helps to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the device by about 0.5%-4.5%, thereby significantly reducing potential energy loss. In addition, coating the medium entropy alloy thin film can further improve the conductivity of the silicon wafer by a maximum of about 2 orders of magnitude.

[0042] The preparation method of the medium entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of silicon wafer provided by the application comprises the following steps:

[0043] 1) using aluminum-manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, an AlMnRu coating layer is synthesized by a single magnetron co-sputtering process;

[0044] 2) the AlMnRu coating layer is deposited on a silicon wafer by a physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, the sputtering power of all the targets is 10-200 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 1-180 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, thereby obtaining a medium entropy alloy thin film.

[0045] It should be noted that the present application adopts advanced single magnetron co-sputtering process and physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology to prepare a new type of Al-Mn-Ru film. This film can not only significantly reduce the surface temperature of the silicon wafer, but also improve its electrical conductivity and effectively reduce the Schottky barrier. The single magnetron co-sputtering process can uniformly deposit a thin film with excellent performance on the surface of silicon by using multiple targets for sputtering in a high vacuum environment. The advantage of this process is that it can accurately control the thickness and composition of the thin film, thereby optimizing the electrical and thermal properties of the material. The PVD technology uses evaporation or sputtering targets to deposit a thin film on the surface of silicon through gas phase reaction, which has excellent thin film adhesion and high deposition efficiency. The combination of the two makes the prepared Al-Mn-Ru film have good stability and high-quality performance.

[0046] Research shows that coating Al-Mn-Ru film on the silicon wafer can effectively improve the electrical conductivity. The reason is that the Al-Mn-Ru film can significantly reduce the Schottky barrier and improve the transmission efficiency of electrons, making the film not only suitable for suppressing the rise in surface temperature in photovoltaic devices, but also providing a feasible solution for improving the efficiency of silicon-based solar devices, such as polycrystalline silicon solar cells and silicon-based photoelectrochemical cells. At the same time, Al-Mn-Ru alloy can effectively reduce the heat accumulation caused by solar energy absorption, thereby preventing the battery from overheating and improving the long-term stability and durability of the photovoltaic cell.

[0047] In addition, it should be noted that the application of middle-entropy alloy film (such as Al-Mn-Ru) in the field of material science is of great significance. It not only provides a feasibility for developing more efficient and durable silicon-based solar devices, but also provides new technical options for the transmission, storage and use of solar energy. By optimizing the electrical conductivity and surface cooling characteristics of silicon-based materials, the overall performance of solar cells can be greatly improved. In the future, with the growing global demand for green energy, middle-entropy alloy film improved silicon substrate is expected to become an important solution in the application of solar technology, promoting the development of solar industry towards more efficient and sustainable direction.

[0048] Example one

[0049] The preparation method of the middle-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of silicon wafer according to the present application comprises the following steps:

[0050] 1) Using aluminum-manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, an AlMnRu coating layer is synthesized by single magnetron co-sputtering process;

[0051] 2) the AlMnRu coating is deposited on a silicon wafer by a physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, the sputtering power of all targets is 80 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 60 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, to obtain a medium-entropy alloy film (Si / AlMnRu-1), and the Al:Mn:Ru elements in Si / AlMnRu-1 are 60:10:30.

[0052] Example Two

[0053] The preparation method of the medium-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer provided by the application comprises the following steps:

[0054] 1) using an aluminum-manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, an AlMnRu coating is synthesized by a single-magnetic-control co-sputtering process;

[0055] 2) the AlMnRu coating is deposited on a silicon wafer by a physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, the sputtering power of all targets is 80 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 100 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, to obtain a medium-entropy alloy film (Si / AlMnRu-2), and the Al:Mn:Ru elements in Si / AlMnRu-2 are 40:5:55.

[0056] Example Three

[0057] The preparation method of the medium-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer provided by the application comprises the following steps:

[0058] 1) using an aluminum-manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, an AlMnRu coating is synthesized by a single-magnetic-control co-sputtering process;

[0059] 2) the AlMnRu coating is deposited on a silicon wafer by a physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, the sputtering power of all targets is 100 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 150 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, to obtain a medium-entropy alloy film (Si / AlMnRu-3), and the Al:Mn:Ru elements in Si / AlMnRu-3 are 8:7:85.

[0060] Figure 1 Si, Si / AlMnRu-1 (Si / AlMnRu 0.30 ), Si / AlMnRu-2 (Si / AlMnRu 0.55 ) and Si / AlMnRu-3 (Si / AlMnRu 0.85Thermal images from 0 to 300 s of irradiation under simulated sunlight source. At the same time, the details of the preparation and characterization of the samples are in the auxiliary information, i.e. the X-ray diffraction pattern of the samples, the apparent temperature rise 11.3℃, 7.9℃, 1.7℃, corresponding to Si / AlMnRu-1, Si / AlMnRu-2 and Si / AlMnRu-3, respectively.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2a and 2b , by transmission electron microscopy, Si / AlMnRu-1, Si / AlMnRu-2 and Si / AlMnRu-3 were observed, and it was confirmed that the different proportions of Al:Mn:Ru elements were 60:10:30, 40:5:55 and 8:7:85 samples, respectively, and it can be seen from Figure 4 that the AlMnRu layer thickness of Si / AlMnRu-3 measured by scanning electron microscopy is about 787.86 nm.

[0062] As shown in Figure 2c , the conductivity of the sample was measured by the two-electrode method, and an alternating voltage of 1V was applied to the sample at a time interval of 5 seconds. The results show that the current of the original silicon wafer is 0.001A, the current of Si / AlMnRu-1 is 0.024A, the current of Si / AlMnRu-2 is 0.086A, and the current of Si / AlMnRu-3 is 0.187-0.193A. The current of Si / AlMnRu-3 is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the original silicon wafer. This result shows that the coating of Al-Mn-Ru film improves the electrical conductivity, which in turn is beneficial to solar devices.

[0063] Example Four

[0064] The preparation method of the medium-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer provided by the application comprises the following steps:

[0065] 1) Using aluminum-manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, an AlMnRu coating layer is synthesized by a single magnetic control co-sputtering process;

[0066] 2) The AlMnRu coating layer is deposited on a silicon wafer by a physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, the sputtering power of all the targets is 10 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 1 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, thereby obtaining a medium-entropy alloy film.

[0067] Example Five

[0068] The preparation method of the medium-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer provided by the application comprises the following steps:

[0069] 1) using aluminum manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, AlMnRu coating is synthesized by single magnetron co-sputtering process;

[0070] 2) AlMnRu coating is deposited on a silicon wafer by physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under 0.5 Pa argon pressure, the sputtering power of all targets is 200 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 180 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, thereby obtaining a medium-entropy alloy thin film.

[0071] Example six

[0072] The preparation method of the medium-entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer comprises the following steps:

[0073] 1) using aluminum manganese (AlMn) alloy and ruthenium (Ru) as sputtering targets, AlMnRu coating is synthesized by single magnetron co-sputtering process;

[0074] 2) AlMnRu coating is deposited on a silicon wafer by physical vapor deposition process, wherein, during the deposition process, it is carried out under 0.5 Pa argon pressure, the sputtering power of all targets is 200 W, the deposition rate is 0.14 nm / s, the total duration is 180 min, and the temperature of the substrate is 100℃, thereby obtaining a medium-entropy alloy thin film.

[0075] Other embodiments of the application will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the application disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the application being indicated by the following claims.

[0076] It is to be understood that the application is not limited to the precise construction described in the specification and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be effected therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the application. The scope of the application is limited only by the claims appended hereto.

[0077] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the present application in any way, and any simple modification, change and equivalent structural change made according to the technical essence of the present application to the above embodiment are still within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a medium-entropy alloy thin film for improving the performance of a silicon wafer, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: 1) Synthesis of AlMnRu coating; 2) Depositing an AlMnRu coating onto a silicon wafer using a physical vapor deposition process to obtain a medium-entropy alloy film for improving the performance of the silicon wafer; The deposition process in step 2) is carried out under an argon pressure of 0.5 Pa, a deposition rate of 0.14 nm / s, and a silicon wafer temperature of 100°C to obtain a medium-entropy alloy thin film; The atomic ratio of Al: Mn: Ru in the medium-entropy alloy film is 8:7:85; The medium-entropy alloy film can reduce the surface temperature of the silicon wafer and improve the electrical conductivity of the silicon wafer.

2. The method for preparing a medium-entropy alloy thin film for improving silicon wafer performance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific process of step 1) is: AlMnRu coatings were synthesized by single magnetron co-sputtering process with Al-Mn alloy and ruthenium as sputtering targets.

3. The method for preparing a medium-entropy alloy thin film for improving silicon wafer performance according to claim 1, characterized in that: The total duration of the deposition process in step 2) is 1 to 180 min.

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