GaSb THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERTERS MANUFACTURED BY SINGLE ZINC DIFFUSION USING SPIN-ON MASKING LAYERS

摘要

GaSb thermophotovoltaic converters have been widely used in thermophotovoltaic applications within the past ten years. One or two Zn diffusion steps are commonly used to form a p-type emitter in a Te doped GaSb substrate, usually covered by a CVD SiO_2 or Si_3N_4 masking layer to form a selective junction. In this work, we examine for the first time the possibility of replacing the CVD masking layer by a new generation of spin-on masking insulators extensively used in the microelectronic industry. Together with a single Zn diffusion step, this easy-to-use way is intended to decrease the cost and complexity of the manufacturing process without a significant drop in performance.