Methods of making optoelectronic devices

Abstract

The invention includes optoelectronic devices containing one or more layers of semiconductor-enriched insulator (with exemplary semiconductor-enriched insulator being silicon-enriched silicon oxide and silicon-enriched silicon nitride), and includes solar cells containing one or more layers of semiconductor-enriched insulator. The invention also includes methods of forming optoelectronic devices and solar cells.

1 - 174 . (canceled)  
   
   
       175 . A method of forming an optoelectronic device, comprising: 
 providing a lightly-doped semiconductor material, and defining a body region within such material; the light doping being with a first type of dopant;    forming a gate stack over the body region; the gate stack comprising, in ascending order from the body region, a layer of semiconductor-enriched insulator, and a covering material; the covering material being at least partially transparent to one or more wavelengths of light; and    forming a pair of heavily-doped regions within the semiconductor material on opposing sides of body region, the heavily-doped regions being directly against the body region, and being doped with a second type of dopant; one of the first and second types of dopant being n-type and the other being p-type.    
   
   
       176 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the semiconductor-enriched insulator comprises one or both of silicon-enriched silicon oxide and silicon-enriched silicon nitride.  
   
   
       177 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the covering material comprises one or both of indium tin oxide and Si 3 N 4 .  
   
   
       178 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the covering material consists essentially of one or both of indium tin oxide and Si 3 N 4 .  
   
   
       179 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the covering material consists of one or both of indium tin oxide and Si 3 N 4 .  
   
   
       180 . The method of  claim 175  further comprising forming dielectric material over the semiconductor material; and forming the layer of semiconductor-enriched insulator over the dielectric material.  
   
   
       181 . The method of  claim 180  wherein the dielectric material comprises silicon dioxide.  
   
   
       182 . The method of  claim 180  wherein the dielectric material is formed directly against the semiconductor material, wherein the semiconductor-enriched insulator is formed directly against the dielectric material, and wherein the dielectric material consists essentially of silicon dioxide.  
   
   
       183 . The method of  claim 175  further comprising electrically grounding the semiconductor-enriched insulator and the body region.  
   
   
       184 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the first type of dopant is p-type and the second type of dopant is n-type.  
   
   
       185 . The method of  claim 184  wherein the semiconductor material comprises silicon, and wherein the p-type dopant of the body region is substantially entirely one or both of boron and indium.  
   
   
       186 . The method of  claim 184  wherein the semiconductor material comprises silicon, and wherein the p-type dopant of the body region comprises both boron and indium.  
   
   
       187 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the first type of dopant is n-type and the second type of dopant is p-type.  
   
   
       188 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the semiconductor-enriched insulator consists essentially of silicon-enriched silicon nitride, and comprises from about 1 atomic percent excess silicon to about 20 atomic percent excess silicon, with the excess silicon being measured relative to Si 3 N 4 .  
   
   
       189 . The method of  claim 175  wherein the semiconductor-enriched insulator consists essentially of silicon-enriched silicon oxide, and comprises from about 1 atomic percent excess silicon to about 20 atomic percent excess silicon, with the excess silicon being measured relative to SiO 2 .