System and method for transferring substrates in large scale processing of cigs and/or cis devices

Abstract

According to an embodiment, the present invention provide method for fabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film. The method includes providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a copper and indium composite structure, each of the substrate including a peripheral region, the peripheral region including a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening and a second opening. The also includes transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N, where N is greater than 5, the furnace including a holding apparatus, the holding apparatus including a first elongated member being configured to hang each of the substrates using at least the first opening. The method further includes introducing a gaseous species including a hydrogen species and a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature ranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to at least initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates.

1 . A method for fabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film comprising:
 providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a copper and indium composite structure, each of the substrate including a peripheral region, the peripheral region including a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening and a second opening;   transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N, where N is greater than 5, the furnace including a holding apparatus, the holding apparatus including a first elongated member being configured to hang each of the substrates using at least the first opening;   introducing a gaseous species including a hydrogen species and a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature ranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to at least initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates;   maintaining the temperature at about the second temperature for a period of time;   removing at least the selenide species from the furnace;   introducing a hydrogen sulfide species into the furnace;   increasing a temperature to a third temperature, the third temperature ranging from about 500 to 525° C. while the plurality of substrates are maintained in an environment including a sulfur species to extract out one or more selenium species from the copper indium diselenide film.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising removing the plurality of substrates from the furnace using a transferring device, the transferring device including at least an elongated member that is configured to go through at least the second opening. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising removing the peripheral region. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the copper and indium composite structure further comprises gallium. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a first amount of the selenium is replaced by a second amount of sulfur at the copper indium diselenide film. 
     
     
         7 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second temperature ranges from about 390° C. to about 410° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the gaseous species comprises H 2 Se. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the hanging device includes a plurality of elongated members, the plurality of elongated members includes a second elongated member; 
 the first elongated member is configured to hang a first set of substrates, the first set of substrates including less than 8 substrates; 
 the second the first elongated member configured to hang a second set of substrates, the second set of substrates including less than 8 substrates. 
 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the carrier gas comprises nitrogen gas. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the furnace is characterized by a temperature profile having a uniformity of about less than 5% difference within the furnace. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each of the substrates is maintained in substantially a planar configuration free from warp or damage. 
     
     
         22 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising maintaining the hydrogen sulfide species to a concentration ranging from about 10 to about 25% of a total volume within the furnace. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the removing of the selenide species from the furnace occurs until the furnace is in a vacuum configuration. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the substrates further comprises gallium material. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a copper and indium alloyed material. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a layer of copper material and a layer of indium material. 
     
     
         31 . A partially processed semiconductor device, the device comprises:
 a substrate member characterized by a first thickness and a first surface area, the substrate member being characterized by a substantially rectangular shape, the substrate member including a peripheral region, the peripheral region being smaller 15% of the first surface area, the peripheral region including a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including at least a first opening and a second opening;   a first contact layer overlaying the substrate member, the second contact layer being characterized by a second thickness and a first conductivity; and   a semiconductor layer overlaying the first contact layer, the semiconductor comprises copper and indium material.   
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 30  wherein the substrate member comprises glass material. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 31  the semiconductor layer further comprises gallium material. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 31  wherein the semiconductor layer further comprises selenium material.