An equipment for producing a film comprises a linear plasma generating module and a plasma distributing module. When the plasma flows out from the slit opening of the linear plasma generating module, the sleeve of the plasma distributing module rotates with respect to the liner plasma generating module, so that the plasma flowing out from the slit opening is further uniformly distributed outward by passing through the plurality of holes of the sleeve. The equipment for producing a film is applicable to selenization sulfuring process of the glass substrate.

An apparatus for performing a selenization and sulfurization process on a glass substrate is introduced. A low-cost, non-toxic selenization and sulfurization process is performed on a large-area glass substrate in a normal-pressure environment with the apparatus to turn element selenium or sulfur into small molecules of high activity at high temperature by pyrolysis or by plasma, especially linear atmospheric pressure plasma. The process is finalized by dispersing the selenium or sulfur molecules uniformly and allowing the glass substrate to undergo reciprocating motion precisely, thereby achieving large-area, uniform selenization and sulfurization of the one-piece glass substrate.

The present invention provides methods to sputter deposit films comprising alkali metal compounds. At least one target comprising one or more alkali metal compounds and at least one metallic component is sputtered to form one or more corresponding sputtered films. The at least one target has an atomic ratio of the alkali metal compound to the at least one metallic component in the range from 15:85 to 85:15. The sputtered film(s) incorporating such alkali metal compounds are incorporated into a precursor structure also comprising one or more chalcogenide precursor films. The precursor structure is heated in the presence of at least one chalcogen to form a chalcogenide semiconductor. The resultant chalcogenide semiconductor comprises up to 2 atomic percent of alkali metal content, wherein at least a major portion of the alkali metal content of the resultant chalcogenide semiconductor is derived from the sputtered film(s) incorporating the alkali metal compound(s). The chalcogenide semiconductors are useful in microelectronic devices, including solar cells.

The present invention provides strategies for making high quality CIGS photoabsorbing materials from precursor films that incorporate a sub-stoichiometric amount of chalcogen(s). Chalcogen(s) are incorporated into the CIGS precursor film via co-sputtering with one or more other constituents of the precursor. Optional annealing also may be practiced to convert precursor into more desirable chalcopyrite crystalline form in event all or a portion of the precursor has another constitution. The resultant precursors generally are sub-stoichiometric with respect to chalcogen and have very poor electronic characteristics. The conversion of these precursors into CIGS photoabsorbing material via chalcogenizing treatment occurs with dramatically reduced interfacial void content. The resultant CIGS material displays excellent adhesion to other layers in the resultant photovoltaic devices. Ga migration also is dramatically reduced, and the resultant films have optimized Ga profiles in the top or bottom portion of the film that improve the quality of photovoltaic devices made using the films.

A method of fabricating transition metal dichalcogenides includes a preparing step, a steaming step and a depositing step. The preparing step is performed for providing a transition metal substrate, a reactive gas and a solid chalcogenide. The steaming step is performed for heating the solid chalcogenide to generate a chalcogenide gas in a steaming space. The depositing step is performed for introducing the reactive gas into the chalcogenide gas to ionize the chalcogenide gas so as to generate a chalcogenide plasma in a depositing space. The depositing step is performed under a process vacuum pressure from low vacuum pressure to atmospheric pressure. The reactive gas and the chalcogenide gas are flowed from top to bottom through a top of the transition metal substrate. The loading substrate is heated at a loading substrate temperature, and the steaming space is different from the depositing space.

Provided is a method of forming a transition metal chalcogenide thin-film and the method includes preparing a first substrate having formed thereon a transition metal-containing precursor thin-film; displacing a second substrate separately with a constant distance from the first substrate by using a bridge unit while the second substrate is facing the first substrate, thereby securing a gas flowing path between the first substrate and the second substrate; heating the first and second substrates to a reaction temperature; and introducing a chalcogen-containing gas from an end of a reactor, such that the chalcogen-containing gas flows via the path.

A selenization/sulfurization process apparatus for use with a single-piece glass substrate is characterized by two chambers for heating up a glass substrate quickly and performing selenization/sulfurization on the glass substrate to not only prevent the glass substrate from staying at a soaking temperature of a softening point for a long period of time but also increase the thin-film selenization/sulfurization temperature according to the needs of the process to thereby reduce the duration of soaking selenization/sulfurization, save energy, and save time. The glass substrate undergoes reciprocating motion in the chambers to not only attain uniform temperature throughout the glass substrate but also distribute a selenization/sulfurization gas across the glass substrate uniformly during the selenization/sulfurization operation. The recycled liquid selenium/sulfur and inert gas are reusable to thereby reduce material costs.

A method of fabricating transition metal dichalcogenides includes a preparing step, a steaming step and a depositing step. The preparing step is performed for providing a transition metal substrate, a reactive gas and a solid chalcogenide. The steaming step is performed for heating the solid chalcogenide to generate a chalcogenide gas in a steaming space. The depositing step is performed for introducing the reactive gas into the chalcogenide gas to ionize the chalcogenide gas so as to generate a chalcogenide plasma in a depositing space. The depositing step is performed under a process vacuum pressure from low vacuum pressure to atmospheric pressure. The reactive gas and the chalcogenide gas are flowed from top to bottom through a top of the transition metal substrate. The loading substrate is heated at a loading substrate temperature, and the steaming space is different from the depositing space.

The invention claims a three dimensional sputter target comprising CuZnSn material, CuZn material or CuSn material. Exemplary has a CuZnSn material a Cu content ranging from 40 atomic percent to 60 atomic percent; a Zn content ranging from 20 atomic percent to 30 atomic percent; and a Sn content ranging from 20 atomic percent to 30 atomic percent, wherein the three dimensional sputter target has at least one principal axis dimension greater than 500 mm and the CuZnSn material has a grain size ranging from 0.005 mm to 5 mm. Additional to that claims the invention a method of producing the three dimensional sputter target.

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.