Back to results
US 10,312,403 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for manufacturing thin-film solar cells
AssigneeGlobal Solar Energy, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey S. Britt, Scott Wiedeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved methods and apparatus for forming thin-film layers of semiconductor material absorber layers on a substrate web. According to the present teachings, a semiconductor layer may be formed in a multi-zone process whereby various layers are deposited sequentially onto a moving substrate web.
Claims17
An assembly for physical vapor deposition onto a moving substrate, comprising:
- an apparatus for translating a flexible substrate through a processing path between roll-out and roll-up devices;
- four effusion sources disposed below the processing path and across a width of the substrate, each source including:
- a body portion configured to contain material to be evaporated onto the substrate, and
- a lid disposed on top of the body portion, the lid containing at least one effusion port and defining an upper plane of the source, and
- a heating element connected to an electrical source, the heating element having a base with a thickness defined in a direction perpendicular to the upper plane of the source and toward the processing path, and a nozzle extending beyond the base toward the processing path, the nozzle forming an internal wall of one of the effusion ports;
- wherein each nozzle is formed by two looped portions of the heating element electrically insulated from each other by a gap filled with a dielectric material, each source further includes a pair of electrical contacts which supply power from the electrical source to the heating element, the electrical contacts are disposed symmetrically with respect to the at least one effusion port of the source, and the heating element defines a continuous conductive path between the electrical contacts.
3 more elements
An assembly for physical vapor deposition onto a moving substrate, comprising:
- an apparatus for translating a flexible substrate through a processing path between roll-out and roll-up devices;
- four effusion sources disposed below the processing path and across a width of the substrate, each source including:
- a body portion configured to contain material to be evaporated onto the substrate, and
- a lid disposed on top of the body portion, the lid containing at least one effusion port and defining an upper plane of the source, and
- a heating element connected to an electrical source, the heating element having a base with a thickness defined in a direction perpendicular to the upper plane of the source and toward the processing path, and a nozzle also perpendicular to the upper plane of the source and extending beyond the base toward the processing path, the nozzle forming an internal wall of one of the effusion ports;
- wherein each nozzle is formed by two curved portions of the heating element separated from each other by a gap including a dielectric material, each source includes a pair of electrical contacts to supply power to the corresponding heating element, the electrical contacts are disposed symmetrically with respect to the corresponding lid, and the heating element defines a continuous conductive path between the electrical contacts.
3 more elements
An assembly for physical vapor deposition onto a moving substrate, comprising:
- an apparatus for translating a flexible substrate through a processing path between roll-out and roll-up devices;
- four effusion sources disposed below the processing path and across a width of the substrate, each source including:
- a body portion configured to contain material to be evaporated onto the substrate, and
- a lid disposed on top of the body portion, the lid containing at least one effusion port and defining an upper plane of the source, and
- a heating element connected to an electrical source, the heating element having a base with a thickness defined in a direction perpendicular to the upper plane of the source and toward the processing path, and a nozzle also perpendicular to the upper plane of the source and extending beyond the base toward the processing path, the nozzle forming an internal wall of one of the effusion ports;
- wherein each nozzle is formed by two complementary portions of the heating element separated from each other by an electrically insulated gap, each source further includes a pair of electrical contacts to supply power to the heating element, the electrical contacts are disposed symmetrically with respect to a width of the source, and the heating element defines a continuous conductive path between the electrical contacts.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.