Chalcogen Semiconductor Processing With Waste Gas Phase Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of chalcogen-containing compound semiconductors for thin-film solar cells is costly and environmentally challenging due to the need for precise temperature control, high temperatures, and the use of corrosive, toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen selenide, which require costly scrubbing and result in chalcogen loss and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A process and device that involve a two-stage production method where the precursor is thermally converted in a gas atmosphere containing chalcogen compounds, followed by cryogenic separation of waste gases to remove and recycle chalcogen compounds, reducing waste and increasing efficiency by reusing the chalcogen compounds in the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional scrubbing methods are used to remove chalcogen compounds from waste gas, then the waste gas is purified, but chalcogen compounds are lost and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste gas containing chalcogen compounds into a beneficial resource by recycling it. The waste gas is redirected to a buffer chamber and then reused in subsequent deposition processes, transforming what was previously a harmful waste stream into a valuable material source that reduces both purification costs and chalcogen loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the chalcogen compounds through conventional scrubbing, the patent recovers them by capturing the waste gas and redistributing it to the buffer chamber for reuse. This recovery process eliminates the need for costly purification while preventing material loss, as the chalcogen compounds are continuously circulated and reused in the deposition process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional scrubbing systems are implemented to handle toxic gases, then environmental safety is improved, but production costs increase due to equipment and material loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for costly conventional scrubbing equipment by converting the harmful waste gas into a beneficial resource. The waste gas containing chalcogen compounds is captured and reused in the deposition process, thereby improving environmental safety without incurring the high equipment and operational costs associated with traditional purification systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs its own waste gas treatment by redirecting and reusing the waste gas internally. Instead of requiring external scrubbing equipment and chemicals, the process uses its own waste output as input for subsequent operations, creating a self-sustaining system that reduces both environmental impact and production costs.
3Productivity
If rapid thermal processing is used for heat treatment, then processing speed is improved, but temperature control precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is divided into multiple distinct phases: a rapid heating phase to quickly reach the target temperature, followed by a controlled holding phase to maintain precise temperature conditions during the heat treatment. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high processing speed during the heating phase and precise temperature control during the holding phase, resolving the contradiction between speed and precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces production costs and environmental impact by efficiently recycling chalcogen compounds, improving the reproducibility and efficiency of chalcogen-containing compound semiconductor production while minimizing hazardous waste.
Implementation Method 1
cooling in a gas processor to convert several gaseous chalcogen compounds into a liquid or solid form
Implementation Method 2
the substrate coated with the precursor is heat-treated in a gas atmosphere containing at least one chalcogen compound
Implementation Method 3
The heat treatment, typically a so-called RTP heat treatment (RTP=Rapid Thermal Processing) or in a slower hatch furnace process, results in the crystal formation and phase transformation of the precursor to the semiconductor layer
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing a chalcogen-containing compound semiconductor includes providing at least one substrate coated with a precursor for the chalcogen-containing compound semiconductor in a process chamber; heat treating the at least one coated substrate in the process chamber, wherein during a heat treatment, a gas atmosphere comprising at least one gaseous chalcogen compound is provided in the process chamber; removing the gas atmosphere present after the heat treatment of the at least one coated substrate as a waste gas from the process chamber; cooling the waste gas in a gas processor, wherein a plurality of gaseous chalcogen compounds-present in the waste gas after the heat treatment of the at least one coated substrate are separated in time and space from one another from the waste gas by respective conversion into a liquid or solid form. Further provided is a device designed to carry out the process.