Techniques for manufacturing solar cells
AssigneeVarian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
InventorSteven Anella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for manufacturing solar cells are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be comprise disposing the solar cell downstream of an ion source; disposing a mask between the ion source and the solar cell, the mask including a front surface, a back surface, and at least one aperture extending in an aperture direction from the front surface to the back surface; and directing ions from the ion source to the solar cell along an ion beam path and through the at least one aperture of the mask, where the ion beam path may be non-parallel relative to the aperture direction.
Claims25
A method of processing a solar cell, the method comprising:
- disposing the solar cell downstream of an ion source;
- disposing a mask between the ion source and the solar cell, the mask including a front surface, a back surface, and at least one aperture extending in an aperture direction from the front surface to the back surface;
- and
- directing ions from the ion source to the solar cell along an ion beam path and through the at least one aperture of the mask, wherein the ion beam path is non-parallel relative to the aperture direction.
An ion implanter for processing a solar cell, the ion implanter comprising:
- an ion source for generating ions;
- a target support disposed downstream of the ion source for supporting the solar cell in a target plane;
- a mask disposed between the ion source and the target support, the mask including a front surface, a back surface, and at least one aperture extending from the front surface to the back surface and along an aperture direction;
- and
- a beam-line component for directing ions to the solar cell along an ion beam path, wherein the ion beam path is non-parallel relative to the aperture direction.
A mask for processing a solar cell, the mask comprising:
- a front surface;
- a back surface;
- a first and second aperture side extending from the front surface to the back surface to define an aperture extending along an aperture direction and,
- wherein at least a portion of the first aperture side surface is non-perpendicular to at least one of the front and back surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.