# US 10,312,403 B2 · Apparatus and methods for manufacturing thin-film solar cells

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- Number: US 10,312,403 B2
- Document ID: US10312403B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/659,141
- Filed: 2015-03-16
- Published: 2015-07-02
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2008-04-15
- Assignees: Global Solar Energy, Inc.
- Applicants: Global Solar Energy, Inc.
- Inventors: Jeffrey S. Britt; Scott Wiedeman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312403B2

## CPC

- H10F 71/137: {Batch treatment of the devices}
- C23C 14/024: {Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating (C23C14/027 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/0623: {Sulfides, selenides or tellurides}
- C23C 14/22: characterised by the process of coating
- C23C 14/243: {Crucibles for source material (C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence)}
- C23C 14/542: {Controlling the film thickness or evaporation rate}
- C23C 14/562: {for coating elongated substrates}
- H10F 10/167: comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells
- H10F 19/30: comprising thin-film photovoltaic cells
- H10F 71/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00)
- H10F 77/126: {comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS]}
- H10F 77/1694: {the films including Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CIS or CIGS}
- H10F 77/1699: {the films including Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CIS or CIGS on metal foils or polymer foils}
- Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein each source includes two effusion ports.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The assembly of claim 2, wherein each lid contains two effusion ports, and each heating element has two nozzles forming internal walls of the two effusion ports of the corresponding lid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate defines lateral edges, and the edges of the substrate extend to outer edges of the effusion ports disposed outermost across the width of the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate defines lateral edges, and the edges of the substrate extend beyond outer edges of the effusion ports disposed outermost across the width of the substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein spacing between the effusion ports in adjacent sources disposed in a central region of the processing path is greater than spacing between the effusion ports within sources disposed in lateral regions of the processing path.

### Claim 7

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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The assembly of claim 7, wherein each lid contains exactly two effusion ports.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The assembly of claim 8, wherein each lid contains two effusion ports, and each heating element has two nozzles forming internal walls of the two effusion ports of the corresponding lid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The assembly of claim 7, wherein edges of the substrate extend to approximately outer edges of outermost ones of the effusion ports.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The assembly of claim 7, wherein edges of the substrate extend beyond outer edges of outermost ones of the effusion ports.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The assembly of claim 7, wherein spacing between the effusion ports of adjacent sources in a central region of the processing path is greater than spacing between the effusion ports within sources in lateral regions of the processing path.

### Claim 13

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The assembly of claim 13, wherein each lid contains two effusion ports, and each heating element has two nozzles forming internal walls of the two effusion ports of the corresponding lid.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The assembly of claim 13, wherein lateral edges of the substrate extend to outer lateral edges of outermost ones of the effusion ports.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The assembly of claim 13, wherein lateral edges of the substrate extend beyond outer lateral edges of outermost ones of the effusion ports.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The assembly of claim 13, wherein spacing between the effusion ports of adjacent sources disposed in a central region of the processing path is greater than spacing between the effusion ports contained within sources disposed in lateral regions of the processing path.