[go: up one dir, main page]

US2438923A - Method and means for making selenium elements - Google Patents

Method and means for making selenium elements Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US2438923A
US2438923A US475568A US47556843A US2438923A US 2438923 A US2438923 A US 2438923A US 475568 A US475568 A US 475568A US 47556843 A US47556843 A US 47556843A US 2438923 A US2438923 A US 2438923A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
selenium
pressure
chamber
gas
layer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US475568A
Inventor
Chester A Kotterman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Federal Telephone and Radio Corp
Original Assignee
Federal Telephone and Radio Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Federal Telephone and Radio Corp filed Critical Federal Telephone and Radio Corp
Priority to US475568A priority Critical patent/US2438923A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2438923A publication Critical patent/US2438923A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
    • H10D48/00—Individual devices not covered by groups H10D1/00 - H10D44/00
    • H10D48/01—Manufacture or treatment
    • H10D48/04—Manufacture or treatment of devices having bodies comprising selenium or tellurium in uncombined form
    • H10D48/043—Preliminary treatment of the selenium or tellurium, its application to foundation plates or the subsequent treatment of the combination
    • H10D48/044—Conversion of the selenium or tellurium to the conductive state
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02367—Substrates
    • H01L21/0237—Materials
    • H01L21/02425—Conductive materials, e.g. metallic silicides
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
    • H01L21/02521—Materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02612—Formation types
    • H01L21/02617—Deposition types
    • H01L21/02623—Liquid deposition
    • H01L21/02625—Liquid deposition using melted materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02656—Special treatments
    • H01L21/02664—Aftertreatments
    • H01L21/02667—Crystallisation or recrystallisation of non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials, e.g. regrowth

Definitions

  • This invention relates to selenium cells and particularly to a method useful in making them.
  • the object is to provide a method of compressing the selenium against its base plate which will not contaminate the. selenium.
  • Selenium elements have heretofore been made by placing vitreous selenium on a base plate, melting it, and spreading the molten selenium over the plate, after which the selenium has been allowed to solidify by cooling. Then the selenium would be crystallized by heat-treating it under pressure. This requires some kind of pressure plate pressed against the selenium surface. Difil culty was frequently encountered in this pressure treatment in applying the pressure, owing to the impurities imparted to the selenium by contact with the pressure plate.
  • this diillculty is overcome by the use of pressure imparted from an inert or harmless gas. This is carried out by placing the selenium-coated element in a gas-filled chamber and applying pressure to the gas. In this way the pressure can be easily controlled and an inert gas can be selected.
  • a heating element 1 is provided to heat the table and this may be of the electrical type comprising a heating coil 8 with powersupply wires 9 and I0 leading through the side of the chamber through a seal l i.
  • To melt the selenium powder 3 it is only necessary to raise the temperature due to the heating element above the melting point of the selenium which is about 220 C.
  • the heating current may be turned off and the selenium a1- lowed to cool and solidify over the surface of the Or if desired, any other type of gas might be selected to impart desirable properties to the selenium.
  • Fig. 4 shows another form of pressurechamber according to the invention.
  • Fig. 1 shows a well-known form of base plate for a selenium element, although it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this plate I.
  • pressure is applied within the chamber by means of gas pumped through pipe l2 into the chamber, and the gas pressure may be made as high as desired.
  • a pressure of for example 5,000 to 10,000 pounds per square inch or even up to 100,000 pounds per square inch might be .a satisfactory degree of pressure.
  • the gas supplied should be one which preferably does not react with the selenium.
  • An inert gas such as argon, helium or the like might be used for this purpose.
  • the temperature of the selenium should ordinarily be raised somewhat above the atmospheric temperature, for example about 125 C. which while not melting the selenium on the disc softens it and serves to accelerate the crystal growth.
  • the length of the heat-pressure treatment will depend on the manner in which the selenium is to be crystallized. It might be that under some conparticular form.
  • the base plate I is ordinarily a ditions only a few minutes of pressure need be disc which maybe of iron .or steel or other metal and may be nickel-plated and roughened as by sand-blasting. If desired, it may be provided with a center hole 2 for mounting the selenium applied, after which the heat-treatment might be continued without pressure, if desired, to increase the crystallization.
  • Fig. 4 shows a modification of the chamber in element after it is made.
  • a layer of selenium 3 which the base plate and the selenium layer are is then spread on top of the disc and melted on the surface of the disc. This may conveniently be done in the chamber 4 shown in Fig. 3.
  • the selenium-coated base plate may constrained against sidewise motion.
  • This chamber comprises a cylinder l5 closed at the bottom by the bottom portion l8; and iri portion ii there is provided a recess ll of the proper size be erected on a metallic table 5 held up by legs to receive the disc i.
  • the selenium layer It covposition in the chamber by some means for sun plying heat.
  • the gas pressure may be supplied by a plunger I!
  • Fig. 4 has an advantage over that of Fig. 3 in that protection is afforded the selenium layer against allowing the gas to get between the base plate and the selenium or between portions of the selenium layer itself. It will be important in both the embodiments of Figs. 3 and 4 to prevent the gas getting between the base plate and the selenium, otherwise there is apt to be a lack of adherence of the selenium to the plate. Consequently, all precautions should be taken that the selinum layer is closely adherent to the base before the pressure is applied. Another advantage is that the base plate is nested in the recess in the bottom of the cylinder, the wall or shoulder of the recess preventing the plastic selenium from oozing out over the edge of the supporting plate.
  • the use of the chamber to produce the pressure treatment has many advantages over the former process of applying pressure by a pressure plate, because by the 'use of the chamber the atmosphere within it can be maintained clean and free from impurities and there is no danger of impurities reaching the selenium surface through handling. Furthermore, there is no danger of impurities being imparted 1 through the pressure plates. Another advantage is that the degree of pressure on the selenium can be controlled very accurately by means of a gas pressure 'gauge'and valve.
  • the method of treating a selenium element comprising a carrier plate with an,adherent vitreous selenium layer 1 h comprises applying a gas pressure of about ,000 to 10,000 pounds per square inch against said selenium layer.
  • the method of making a selenium element which comprises forming a vitreous selenium layer on a carrier plate, placing said element in a closed chamber, applying gas pressure within said chamber and subjecting the plate and selenium layer in the chamber while the gas pressure is being applied to a temperature not exceeding the melting point of selenium .until the selenium is converted to the crystalline form.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)

Description

April 6, 1948. c. A. KOTTERMAN 2,438,923;
METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SELENIUM ELEMENTS Filed Feb. 11, 1945 FIG. 1.
JNVENTOR. Cnzs'rzn A.'KOTTERMAN Patented AP 1948 METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SELENIUM ELEMENTS chemi- A. Rotter-man, Livingston, N. 1., wine.
to Federal Telephone a Radio Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 11, 1843, Serial No. 475,568
This invention relates to selenium cells and particularly to a method useful in making them.
The object is to provide a method of compressing the selenium against its base plate which will not contaminate the. selenium.
Selenium elements have heretofore been made by placing vitreous selenium on a base plate, melting it, and spreading the molten selenium over the plate, after which the selenium has been allowed to solidify by cooling. Then the selenium would be crystallized by heat-treating it under pressure. This requires some kind of pressure plate pressed against the selenium surface. Difil culty was frequently encountered in this pressure treatment in applying the pressure, owing to the impurities imparted to the selenium by contact with the pressure plate.
In accordance with the present invention this diillculty is overcome by the use of pressure imparted from an inert or harmless gas. This is carried out by placing the selenium-coated element in a gas-filled chamber and applying pressure to the gas. In this way the pressure can be easily controlled and an inert gas can be selected.
5 Claiml. (Cl. 175-388) 6 resting on the floor of the chamber. A heating element 1 is provided to heat the table and this may be of the electrical type comprising a heating coil 8 with powersupply wires 9 and I0 leading through the side of the chamber through a seal l i. To melt the selenium powder 3 it is only necessary to raise the temperature due to the heating element above the melting point of the selenium which is about 220 C. When the selenium has completely melted and flows evenly over the surface of base element i the heating current may be turned off and the selenium a1- lowed to cool and solidify over the surface of the Or if desired, any other type of gas might be selected to impart desirable properties to the selenium.
The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, of
Fig. 4 shows another form of pressurechamber according to the invention.
Fig. 1 shows a well-known form of base plate for a selenium element, although it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this plate I.
It should be understood that the particular method, above described. of heating and melting the selenium in the chamber need not necessarily be followed, but is only given here as aconvenient method of doing it when the chamber is to be used. Instead of melting the selenium in the chamber, it could for example be melted outside the chamber, cooled down, and then placed within the chamber in its cooled and hardened condition.
Following the application of the selenium to the disc, pressure is applied within the chamber by means of gas pumped through pipe l2 into the chamber, and the gas pressure may be made as high as desired. A pressure of for example 5,000 to 10,000 pounds per square inch or even up to 100,000 pounds per square inch might be .a satisfactory degree of pressure. The gas supplied should be one which preferably does not react with the selenium. An inert gas such as argon, helium or the like might be used for this purpose. During the pressure treatment the temperature of the selenium should ordinarily be raised somewhat above the atmospheric temperature, for example about 125 C. which while not melting the selenium on the disc softens it and serves to accelerate the crystal growth. The length of the heat-pressure treatment will depend on the manner in which the selenium is to be crystallized. It might be that under some conparticular form. The base plate I is ordinarily a ditions only a few minutes of pressure need be disc which maybe of iron .or steel or other metal and may be nickel-plated and roughened as by sand-blasting. If desired, it may be provided with a center hole 2 for mounting the selenium applied, after which the heat-treatment might be continued without pressure, if desired, to increase the crystallization.
Fig. 4 shows a modification of the chamber in element after it is made. A layer of selenium 3 which the base plate and the selenium layer are is then spread on top of the disc and melted on the surface of the disc. This may conveniently be done in the chamber 4 shown in Fig. 3. For this purpose the selenium-coated base plate may constrained against sidewise motion. This chamber comprises a cylinder l5 closed at the bottom by the bottom portion l8; and iri portion ii there is provided a recess ll of the proper size be erected on a metallic table 5 held up by legs to receive the disc i. The selenium layer It covposition in the chamber by some means for sun plying heat. The gas pressure may be supplied by a plunger I! 'which' may be pushed down in a well-known manner to compress the gas in chamber 20 or if desired the gas may be introduced under pressure from a pipe "as shown in Fig. 3. The heat which will ordinarily be desired ,selenium'to a carrier plate, heating to cause melt-' ing of the selenium layer on the carrier plate,
during the pressuretreatment may be supplied g from an external heating source placed .under the portion IQ of the chamber.
The arrangement'of Fig. 4 has an advantage over that of Fig. 3 in that protection is afforded the selenium layer against allowing the gas to get between the base plate and the selenium or between portions of the selenium layer itself. It will be important in both the embodiments of Figs. 3 and 4 to prevent the gas getting between the base plate and the selenium, otherwise there is apt to be a lack of adherence of the selenium to the plate. Consequently, all precautions should be taken that the selinum layer is closely adherent to the base before the pressure is applied. Another advantage is that the base plate is nested in the recess in the bottom of the cylinder, the wall or shoulder of the recess preventing the plastic selenium from oozing out over the edge of the supporting plate.
The use of the chamber to produce the pressure treatment has many advantages over the former process of applying pressure by a pressure plate, because by the 'use of the chamber the atmosphere within it can be maintained clean and free from impurities and there is no danger of impurities reaching the selenium surface through handling. Furthermore, there is no danger of impurities being imparted 1 through the pressure plates. Another advantage is that the degree of pressure on the selenium can be controlled very accurately by means of a gas pressure 'gauge'and valve.
If desired, other gases than inert gases may be applied in the treatment of the selenium. It
and any of these known gases may be used for whatever length of time is required. If desired, the pressure may first be applied by an inert gas which may be followed by a treatment with a gas What is claimed is: 1. The method of making a selenium element is known that somegases have a beneficial effect UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,175,016 Brunke Oct. 3, 1939 2,266,922 Thompson et al. Dec. 23, 1941 2,271,219 Brunke et al. Jan. 27, 1942 1,935,383 Ballintine Nov. 14, 1933 2,228,564 Guthrie Jan. 14, 1941 2,109,711 Saives Mar. 1, 1938' 2,186,085 Wein Jan; 9, 1940 2,168,462 Williams Aug. 8, 1939 2,334,554 Hewlett Nov. 16, 1943 2,339,613 Becker Jan. 18, 1940 2,066,611 Christy Jan. 5, 1937 OTHER REFERENCES which it is desired to combine with the selenium.
which comprises applying a layer of vitreous' cooling the molten selenium to cause solidification and then subjecting the plate to an elevated -gas pressure while heating'it to a temperature not exceeding the melting pointvof selenium.
2. The method of treating a selenium element comprising a carrier plate with an,adherent vitreous selenium layer 1 h comprises applying a gas pressure of about ,000 to 10,000 pounds per square inch against said selenium layer.
3. The method according to claim 2 in which the selenium is heated to a temperature in the general order of around C. while the pressure is being applied.
4. The method of treating a selenium element comprising a carrier plate with an adherent vitreous selenium layer which comprises applying a gas pressure of about 5,000 to 100,000 pounds per square inch against saidselenium layer. 1
5. The method of making a selenium element which comprises forming a vitreous selenium layer on a carrier plate, placing said element in a closed chamber, applying gas pressure within said chamber and subjecting the plate and selenium layer in the chamber while the gas pressure is being applied to a temperature not exceeding the melting point of selenium .until the selenium is converted to the crystalline form.
CHESTER A. KOTIERMAN.-
REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:
A Treatise on Chemistry by Roscoe and Scharlemmer; vol. 1, Non-metallic elements, MacMillan 8: Co.. London 1920. Pages 467 to 472.
US475568A 1943-02-11 1943-02-11 Method and means for making selenium elements Expired - Lifetime US2438923A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US475568A US2438923A (en) 1943-02-11 1943-02-11 Method and means for making selenium elements

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US475568A US2438923A (en) 1943-02-11 1943-02-11 Method and means for making selenium elements

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2438923A true US2438923A (en) 1948-04-06

Family

ID=23888148

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US475568A Expired - Lifetime US2438923A (en) 1943-02-11 1943-02-11 Method and means for making selenium elements

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US2438923A (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2833675A (en) * 1953-10-01 1958-05-06 Rca Corp Method of imparting red response to a photoconductive target for a pickup tube
US2869057A (en) * 1951-12-18 1959-01-13 Itt Electric current rectifier
US2894314A (en) * 1954-05-12 1959-07-14 Philips Corp Method of making selenium rectifier
US3026930A (en) * 1960-04-14 1962-03-27 Vincent W Auber Oil burners

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1935383A (en) * 1931-01-22 1933-11-14 Rca Corp Rectifier element
US2066611A (en) * 1932-12-10 1937-01-05 G M Lab Inc Selenium cell
US2109711A (en) * 1936-07-16 1938-03-01 Renault Louis Gas case-hardening furnace
US2168462A (en) * 1937-07-27 1939-08-08 Union Switch & Signal Co Manufacture of alternating current rectifiers of the dry-contact type
US2175016A (en) * 1936-06-20 1939-10-03 Gen Electric Method of producing selenium rectifiers or the like
US2186085A (en) * 1938-04-22 1940-01-09 B L Electric Mfg Co Method of making selenium rectifier films
US2228564A (en) * 1939-08-04 1941-01-14 Chicago By Products Corp Heat treating furnace
US2266922A (en) * 1938-12-28 1941-12-23 Union Switch & Signal Co Manufacture of alternating current rectifiers
US2271219A (en) * 1938-08-23 1942-01-27 Gen Electric Dry plate element and method of producing the same
US2334554A (en) * 1942-06-22 1943-11-16 Gen Electric Method of producing blocking layer devices
US2339613A (en) * 1942-02-27 1944-01-18 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selenium rectifier and method of making it

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1935383A (en) * 1931-01-22 1933-11-14 Rca Corp Rectifier element
US2066611A (en) * 1932-12-10 1937-01-05 G M Lab Inc Selenium cell
US2175016A (en) * 1936-06-20 1939-10-03 Gen Electric Method of producing selenium rectifiers or the like
US2109711A (en) * 1936-07-16 1938-03-01 Renault Louis Gas case-hardening furnace
US2168462A (en) * 1937-07-27 1939-08-08 Union Switch & Signal Co Manufacture of alternating current rectifiers of the dry-contact type
US2186085A (en) * 1938-04-22 1940-01-09 B L Electric Mfg Co Method of making selenium rectifier films
US2271219A (en) * 1938-08-23 1942-01-27 Gen Electric Dry plate element and method of producing the same
US2266922A (en) * 1938-12-28 1941-12-23 Union Switch & Signal Co Manufacture of alternating current rectifiers
US2228564A (en) * 1939-08-04 1941-01-14 Chicago By Products Corp Heat treating furnace
US2339613A (en) * 1942-02-27 1944-01-18 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selenium rectifier and method of making it
US2334554A (en) * 1942-06-22 1943-11-16 Gen Electric Method of producing blocking layer devices

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2869057A (en) * 1951-12-18 1959-01-13 Itt Electric current rectifier
US2833675A (en) * 1953-10-01 1958-05-06 Rca Corp Method of imparting red response to a photoconductive target for a pickup tube
US2894314A (en) * 1954-05-12 1959-07-14 Philips Corp Method of making selenium rectifier
US3026930A (en) * 1960-04-14 1962-03-27 Vincent W Auber Oil burners

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US2462906A (en) Manufacture of metal contact rectifiers
GB1272251A (en) A method of applying material to a sintered part and a process for making a semiconductor device using this method
US2438110A (en) Electrical translating materials and devices and method of making them
US2438923A (en) Method and means for making selenium elements
US2961759A (en) Method of making stretched wire grids
US2960419A (en) Method and device for producing electric semiconductor devices
US2124306A (en) Electrical device
US2991347A (en) Magnetic jig for alloying
US3164489A (en) Silicon impregnated graphite part and process for producing same
US2817607A (en) Method of making semi-conductor bodies
US2575392A (en) Method of annealing a selenium coating
US2457169A (en) Method of manufacturing of rectifier elements
US2979024A (en) Apparatus for fusing contacts onto semiconductive bodies
US2229807A (en) Method of manufacturing selenium rectifiers
US2685728A (en) Translating material and method of manufacture
DE1083936B (en) Greater performance semiconductor electric device and method of manufacturing such a device
GB855382A (en) Method of producing a p-n junction in a crystalline semiconductor
US2464066A (en) Method of reducing the leakage current in selenium rectifiers
US3127285A (en) Vapor condensation doping method
US2168462A (en) Manufacture of alternating current rectifiers of the dry-contact type
GB959608A (en) A process for use in the production of semi-conductor arrangements
GB1273191A (en) Method of cleaning and optionally annealing coiled metal foil
US3038241A (en) Semiconductor device
US2888620A (en) High resistance semiconductor cells
US2861017A (en) Method of preparing semi-conductor devices