High throughput surface treatment on coiled flexible substrates
AssigneeNanosolar, Inc.
InventorsMartin Roscheisen, Karl Pichler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.
Claims22
A method for treating a substrate surface, comprising the steps of:
- coiling one or more substrates into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another;
- placing the one or more coiled substrates in a treatment chamber;
- and
- in the treatment chamber, treating substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates with a surface treatment process.
2-5. (canceled)
14-23. (canceled)
A substrate surface treatment system, comprising:
- a surface treatment chamber;
- a carousel adapted to receive a flexible substrate material as a coil, the carousel being sized to be received within the chamber with the substrate material coiled around the carousel in one or more turns;
- a winding mechanism configured to coil the substrate material about the carousel to form a coiled substrate;
- and
- one or more spacers, the spacers being configured to space apart adjacent turns of the coiled substrate in such a way that the adjacent turns of the coiled substrate do not touch one another;
- and
- a mechanism adapted to place one or more of the spacers between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before the winding mechanism winds a full turn of the substrate material about the carousel.
The system of claim 22, further comprising one or more sources of reactant gas coupled to the chamber, the reactant gas being of a type suitable for performing atomic layer deposition.
The system of claim 22, wherein the chamber is an anodization chamber.
The system of claim 22, wherein the carousel is in the shape of a polygonal cylinder.
The system of claim 22 wherein the spacers can be secured in place with respect to the carousel.
The system of claim 22 wherein the spacers can stack on top of one another.
The system of claim 22, wherein the spacers include one or more spacer tapes.
An apparatus for treating a substrate surface, comprising:
- means for coiling one or more substrates into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another;
- treatment chamber means;
- and
- means for treating in the treatment chamber substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates with a surface treatment process,
- wherein the surface treatment process includes one or more atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.