Back to results
US 10,309,012 B2Granted
Wafer carrier for reducing contamination from carbon particles and outgassing
AssigneeTesla, Inc.
InventorsYongkee Chae, Jiunn Benjamin Heng, Jianming Fu, Zheng Xu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wafer carrier for carrying solar cell wafers during a deposition process is described. The carrier is coated with pyrolytic carbon, silicon carbide, or a ceramic material, and is adapted to receive and support the wafers.
Claims12
An apparatus for carrying one or more wafers, the apparatus comprising:
- a carrier coated with a pyrolytic carbon layer:
- wherein the carrier comprises a number of pockets configured to accommodate the wafers, wherein a respective pocket has a ridged bottom comprising a number of ridges, wherein a top edge of a respective ridge is rounded, and wherein a radius of the rounded top edge is at least 0.1 mm;
- wherein the pyrolytic carbon layer has a porosity between 0 and 0.1%;
- wherein at least one edge of the carrier comprises an L-shaped interlocking mechanism that has a horizontal portion and a vertical portion;
- and
- wherein the L-shaped interlocking mechanism is configured to interlock with a corresponding L-shaped interlocking mechanism of an adjacent carrier, thereby facilitating an interlocked joint between the carrier and the adjacent carrier to prevent relative lateral shifts between the carrier and the adjacent carrier.
3 more elements
A semiconductor deposition tool, comprising:
- a deposition chamber;
- and
- a carrier coated with a pyrolytic carbon layer:
- wherein the carrier comprises a number of pockets configured to accommodate the wafers, wherein a respective pocket has a ridged bottom comprising a number of ridges, wherein a top edge of a respective ridge is rounded, and wherein a radius of the rounded top edge is at least 0.1 mm;
- wherein the pyrolytic carbon layer has a porosity between 0 and 0.1%;
- wherein at least one edge of the carrier comprises an L-shaped interlocking mechanism that has a horizontal portion and a vertical portion;
- and
- wherein the L-shaped interlocking mechanism is configured to interlock with a corresponding L-shaped interlocking mechanism of an adjacent carrier, thereby facilitating an interlocked joint between the carrier and the adjacent carrier to prevent relative lateral shifts between the carrier and the adjacent carrier.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.