There is a method for forming an oxide or chalcogenide 2D semiconductor. The method includes a step of growing on a substrate, by a deposition method, a precursor epitaxy oxide or chalcogenide film; and a step of sulfurizing the precursor epitaxy oxide or chalcogenide film, by replacing the oxygen atoms with sulfur atoms, to obtain the oxide or chalcogenide 2D semiconductor. The oxide or chalcogenide 2D semiconductor has an epitaxy structure inherent from the precursor epitaxy oxide or chalcogenide film.

Provided is a method for fabricating high-uniformity and high-quality metal chalcogenide thin films. The method for fabricating metal chalcogenide thin films may include forming a metal precursor thin film including a metal thin film and a chalcogen thin film disposed on the upper surface or lower surface of the metal thin film; and performing a chalcogenization process for providing a chalcogen source on the metal precursor thin film to form a first metal chalcogenide thin film.

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.

Methods of producing a self-aligned structure comprising a metal chalcogenide are described. Some methods comprise forming a metal-containing film in a substrate feature and exposing the metal-containing film to a chalogen precursor to form a self-aligned structure comprising a metal chalcogenide. Some methods comprise forming a metal-containing film in a substrate feature, expanding the metal-containing film to form a pillar and exposing the pillar to a chalogen precursor to form a self-aligned structure comprising a metal chalcogenide. Some methods comprise directly forming a metal chalcogenide pillar in a substrate feature to form a self-aligned structure comprising a metal chalcogenide. Methods of forming self-aligned vias are also described.

A preparation method of a copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) absorption layer, including: forming a prefabricated copper indium gallium film on a substrate; placing the prefabricated copper indium gallium film in a reaction chamber having a first temperature threshold; introducing a selenium atmosphere having a first carrier gas flow value into the reaction chamber, such that the prefabricated copper indium gallium film reacts within a first duration to form an unsaturated InSe binary phase and an unsaturated CuSe binary phase on a surface of the prefabricated copper indium gallium film; introducing a selenium atmosphere having a second carrier gas flow value into the reaction chamber, such that the prefabricated copper indium gallium film reacts within a second preset duration to obtain a prefabricated CIGS film; annealing the prefabricated CIGS film within a second preset temperature threshold and a third preset duration to obtain a solar cell absorption layer.

A heterostructured catalyst includes a 2-dimensional (2D) array of titanium including nanocavities that are all directly attached to a substrate. Each of the titanium including nanocavities have a pore with a nanopore size and a wall with a nanowall thickness. The titanium including nanocavities can be titania nanocavities with a metal layer or a metal compound layer on the titania nanocavities including inside the pores, or the titanium including nanocavities can include SrTiO.sub.3 or consist of SrTiO.sub.3, each with a surface layer of reduced SrTiO.sub.3.

A substrate carrier, includes: a unitary body fabricated from a single block of graphite, wherein the body comprises a back plate, and a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, side rails, wherein each of the side rails comprises: an inwardly facing surface extending outwardly of the back plate; a longitudinally extending selenium vapor bore formed therein, a top end of the selenium vapor bore being open and configured for coupling to a selenium supply container for receiving selenium vapor by gravity, a bottom end of the selenium vapor bore being closed; an inwardly directed selenium vapor channel; a plurality of selenium vapor outlets disposed between the selenium vapor bore and the inwardly directed selenium vapor channel so as provide a plurality of conduits between the selenium vapor bore and the selenium vapor channel; and, a longitudinally extending engagement slot formed in the inwardly facing surface of each side rail adjacent the back plate to engage and hold a substrate in proximity to the back plate.

Provided is a method for fabricating high-uniformity and high-quality metal chalcogenide thin films. The method for fabricating metal chalcogenide thin films may include forming a metal precursor thin film including a metal thin film and a chalcogen thin film disposed on the upper surface or lower surface of the metal thin film; and performing a chalcogenization process for providing a chalcogen source on the metal precursor thin film to form a first metal chalcogenide thin film.

The present disclosure relates to photovoltaic devices that include a chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic light-absorber having a composition profile defined by at least a first region, a second region, and a third region. The second region is located between the first region and the third region. Each region of the chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic light-absorber includes Cu, In, Ga, Al, and at least one chalcogen. The concentration of Al present in the second region is less than the concentration of Al present in each of the first region and third region. Methods of making such chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic light-absorbers are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a thin film solar cell including a substrate, a first electrode, a light absorbing layer, a buffer layer, a window layer, and a second electrode, wherein a compound layer of M.sub.xS.sub.y or M.sub.xSe.sub.y (here, M is metal, and x and y each are a natural number) is present in an interface between the first electrode and the light absorbing layer, the thickness of the compound layer of M.sub.xS.sub.y or M.sub.xSe.sub.y being 150 nm or less.