OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

Abstract

An optoelectronic device and method of producing the same. The optoelectronic device comprising a substrate having a first and a second substantially planar face and an aperture therein, the aperture passing through and penetrating the first and second substantially planar faces of the substrate. The aperture has a first and a second face defining a space therebetween. The space is at least partially filled with a first semiconductor material, the first face is coated with a conductor material and the second face is coated with a second semiconductor material.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic device comprising: a substrate having a first and a second substantially planar face and an aperture therein, the aperture passing through and penetrating the first and second substantially planar faces of the substrate; the aperture having a first and a second face defining a space therebetween; and wherein the space is at least partially filled with a first semiconductor material, the first face is coated with a conductor material and the second face is coated with a second semiconductor material; and wherein the conductor material coated on the first face extends out of the aperture and onto the second substantially planar face of the substrate and the second semiconductor material coated on the second face extends out of the aperture and onto the first substantially planar face of the substrate.

2. The optoelectronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aperture is one of a series of apertures, the substrate having a first and a second series of apertures therein, the device further comprising a channel between the first and second series of apertures, the channel separating the first and second series of apertures such that an electrical current can be taken from or supplied to the first series of apertures in isolation from the second series of apertures.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second faces of the aperture are coated with the conductor material and the second semiconductor material.

7. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first conductor material is a p-type semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material is an n-type semiconductor material.

8. The optoelectronic device according to claim 7, wherein the n-type semiconductor comprises one or more of silicon, germanium, phosphorus, selenium, tellurium, cadmium sulphide, Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS), a Quantum Dot (QD) material and an organic material.

9. The optoelectronic device according claim 7, wherein the p-type semiconductor comprises one or more of silicon, germanium, cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), copper indium gallium diselenide, copper oxide, boron, beryllium, zinc, cadmium, Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS), a Quantum Dot (QD) material and an organic material.

10. (canceled)

11. The optoelectronic device according to claim 2, wherein the channel has first and second faces and a channel cavity therebetween, the channel cavity being U-shaped, V-shaped or semi-spherical.

12. The optoelectronic device according to claim 11, wherein a bottom of the channel cavity is rutted.

13. The optoelectronic device according to claim 2, wherein the series of apertures includes a first outermost aperture and a second outermost aperture and wherein there is a hole in the substrate, the hole providing electrical communication between the first or second outermost aperture and the second substantially planar face of the substrate.

14. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second substantially planar face of the substrate further comprises a first and a second electrical conductor, the first and second electrical conductors being electrically insulated from one another.

15. The optoelectronic device according to claim 13, wherein the hole has a diameter of from 0.5 to 2000 microns.

16. The optoelectronic device according to claim 13, wherein the hole is at least partially filled with an electrical conductor.

17. The optoelectronic device according to claim 16, wherein the electrical conductor is an ink.

18. The optoelectronic device according to claim 16, wherein the electrical conductor provides the electrical communication between the outermost aperture and the second substantially planar face of the substrate.

19. A method of producing an optoelectronic device, the method including the steps of: providing a substrate comprising a first and a second substantially planar face and an aperture therein, the aperture passing through and penetrating the first and second substantially planar faces of the substrate, the aperture having a first and a second face defining a space therebetween; coating at least the first face of the aperture with a conductor material and coating the second face of the aperture with a semiconductor material; and at least partially filling the space with another semiconductor material.

20. The method of producing an optoelectronic device according to claim 19, the substrate further comprising a hole therein, wherein the step of coating at least the first face with the conductor material and coating the second face with the semiconductor material or the step of at least partially filling the space with the another semiconductor material, also at least partially coats a side of or fills the hole with one or more of the conductor material, the semiconductor material and the another semiconductor material.

21. The method of producing an optoelectronic device according to claim 20, the method separately including the step of creating the hole in the substrate, the step being before or after the step of coating at least the first face of the aperture with the conductor material and coating the second face of the aperture with the semiconductor material or the step of at least partially filling the cavity space with the another semiconductor material.

22. The method of producing an optoelectronic device according to claim 19, wherein the step of coating at least the first face of the aperture with the conductor material and coating the second face of the aperture with the semiconductor material comprises an off-axis directional coating process.

23. The method of producing an optoelectronic device according to claim 19, wherein the step of at least partially filling the space with the another semiconductor material comprises one or more of an off-axis directional coating process, directional coating process and uniform coating process.

24. The method of producing an optoelectronic device according to claim 22, wherein the off-axis directional coating process includes spraying the conductor material or the semiconductor material at an angle relative to the plane of the substrate, and therefore also the aperture such that only the first or second face of the aperture is coated.

Description

[0093] An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0094] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of part of an optoelectronic device of the present invention;

[0095] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the optoelectronic device also shown in FIG. 1; and

[0096] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the optoelectronic device also shown in part in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0097] FIG. 1 shows an optoelectronic device 10. The optoelectronic device 10 comprises a substrate 12 having a first 14 and a second 16 substantially planar face and an aperture 18 therein. The aperture 18 passes through the substrate 12 and penetrates the first 14 and second 16 substantially planar faces of the substrate 12 at 20 & 22.

[0098] The aperture 18 has a first 24 and a second 26 face defining a space 28 therebetween. The space 28 is at least partially filled with a first semiconductor material 30, the first face 24 is coated with a conductor material 32 and the second face 26 is coated with a second semiconductor material 34.

[0099] The conductor material 32 coated on the first face 24 extends out of the aperture 18 and onto the second substantially planar face 16 of the substrate 12. The second semiconductor material 34 coated on the second face 26 extends out of the aperture 18 and onto the first substantially planar face 14 of the substrate 12.

[0100] The aperture 18 is one of a series of apertures 18, 18a and 18b; each aperture is the same.

[0101] In use, light contacts either side of the substrate, the first 14 and second 16 substantially planar faces. The first semiconductor material 30 in the space 28, second semiconductor material 34 on the second face 26 and conductor material 32 on the first face 14 of each aperture 18 are all in electrical communication. The electrical communication is such that an electrical current, generated as a result of light contacting the first 30 and the second 34 semiconductor materials, can flow between the first 30 and second 34 semiconductor materials and the conductor material 32.

[0102] The first 30 and second 34 semiconductor materials meet at an interface 36. The interface 36 is a p-n junction.

[0103] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of part of the optoelectronic device 10 also shown in FIG. 1. The cross-section shown in FIG. 1 is along the line A-A shown in FIG. 2.

[0104] The aperture 18 in the substrate 12 is elongate in one dimension 40. The aperture is 100 mm long and 5 m wide. There are ten (not shown) apertures 18 in the substrate 12.

[0105] FIG. 2 also shows the x-axis 60 of the apertures 18.

[0106] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the optoelectronic device 10 also shown in part in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0107] FIG. 3 shows two channels 42a and 42b between a first 18a and second 18b series of apertures. The channels 42a and 42b separate the first and second series of apertures 18a and 18b such that in use, an electrical current can be taken from the first series of apertures 18a in isolation from the second series of apertures 18b. The channel is electrically non-conductive.

[0108] The series of apertures 18a includes a first outermost aperture 19a and a second outermost aperture (not shown). The series of apertures 18b includes a first outermost aperture (not shown) and a second outermost aperture 19b.

[0109] There is a 44 hole in the substrate 12. The hole 44 provides electrical communication between the first outermost aperture 19a and the second substantially planar face (not shown) of the substrate 12.

[0110] In use, the hole 44 is used to carry electrical charge between the first and the second substantially planar faces of the substrate 12.

[0111] The inner surfaces (not shown) of the hole 44 extending between, and in electrical communication with, the first and second substantially planar faces of the substrate 12, are coated with a conductor material to provide a pathway for an electrical current between the first outermost aperture 19a and the second substantially planar face (not shown) of the substrate 12 and the second outermost aperture 19b and separately the second substantially planar face (not shown) of the substrate 12.

[0112] Modifications and improvements can be incorporated herein without departing from the scope of the invention.