# US 2014/0193939 A1 · Method and system for forming absorber layer on metal coated glass for photovoltaic devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193939 A1 - Document ID: US20140193939A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/733,989 - Filed: 2013-01-04 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: TSMC Solar Ltd. - Applicants: Tsmc Solar Ltd. - Inventors: Edward TENG; Ying-Chen CHAO; Chih-Jen YANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193939A1 ## CPC - 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 71/128: {Annealing} - C23C 14/18: on other inorganic substrates - C23C 14/34: Sputtering - C23C 14/5806: {Thermal treatment} - F27B 5/14: Arrangements of heating devices - F27D 5/0037: {Supports specially adapted for semi-conductors} - H10F 77/126: {comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS]} - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel} - H10P 72/7621: {characterised by supporting two or more semiconductor substrates} - F27D 2003/0087: {Rotation about a vertical axis} - Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells - 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) - F27B: FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS - F27D: DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS OR RETORTS, IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FURNACE - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An apparatus for forming a solar cell includes a housing defining a vacuum chamber, a rotatable substrate support, at least one inner heater and at least one outer heater. The substrate support is inside the vacuum chamber configured to hold a substrate. The at least one inner heater is between a center of the vacuum chamber and the substrate support, and is configured to heat a back surface of a substrate on the substrate support. The at least one outer heater is between an outer surface of the vacuum chamber and the substrate support, and is configured to heat a front surface of a substrate on the substrate support. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for forming a solar cell, comprising: a housing defining a vacuum chamber; a rotatable substrate support inside the vacuum chamber configured to hold a substrate; at least one inner heater between a center of the vacuum chamber and the substrate support, and configured to heat a back surface of a substrate on the substrate support; and at least one outer heater between the housing and the substrate support, the at least one outer heater configured to heat a front surface of a substrate on the substrate support. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable substrate support comprises a plurality of metal posts and a plurality of metal frames connected to the plurality of metal posts, each of the plurality of metal frames comprising at least one fixture, the plurality of metal posts and the plurality of metal frames configured to hold a respective substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of metal frames are configured to hold rectangular substrates, and the plurality of metal frames and the plurality of metal posts are made of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium and molybdenum. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of metal frames is configured to support a respective substrate along its entire length, and each substrate edge is held along its entire length through the at least one fixture on the plurality of metal frames. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each respective substrate is attached with a respective one of the metal frames contacting along a portion of its length, and each substrate edge is retained by a respective fixture at selected points on the respective metal frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: one or more additional heaters coupled to the plurality of metal frames or metal posts in the rotatable substrate support, and configured to rotate with the substrate support and heat a respective substrate during rotation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more additional heaters are lamp heaters configured to emit infra-red radiation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable substrate support is polygonally-shaped, and the at least one inner heater is configured to have circular shape to avoid collision between the substrate support and the at least one inner heater during the rotation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a rotatable drum disposed within the vacuum chamber and coupled to a top or bottom surface of the vacuum chamber, the rotatable drum having a shape that is substantially the same as the shape of the substrate support and comprising supporting beams connected with the rotatable substrate support, wherein the rotatable drum is configured to rotate the substrate support inside the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one outer heater is attached on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: at least one sputtering source, each of the at least one sputtering source configured to deposit a respective first ingredient for an absorber layer over a front surface of the substrate; at least one evaporation source disposed in the vacuum chamber and configured to deposit a second ingredient of the absorber layer over the front surface of the substrate; and at least one isolation pump, each of the least one isolation pump configured to prevent materials from the at least one evaporation source from contaminating the at least one sputtering source, wherein a respective isolation pump is disposed between each of the at least one sputtering source and an adjacent one of the at least one evaporation source. ### Claim 12 An apparatus for forming a solar cell, comprising: a vacuum chamber; a rotatable substrate support of a polygonal shape inside the vacuum chamber configured to hold at least one substrate; a rotatable drum disposed within the vacuum chamber, the rotatable drum having a polygonal shape, comprising supporting beams; at least one sputtering source, configured to deposit a respective first ingredient; at least one evaporation source in the vacuum chamber and configured to deposit a second ingredient; at least one inner heater, each of the at least one inner heater configured to heat a back surface of a respective substrate on the substrate support; and at least one outer heater between a shell of the vacuum chamber and the rotatable substrate support, the at least one outer heater configured to heat a front surface of a substrate on the substrate support. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the rotatable substrate support comprises a plurality of metal posts and a plurality of metal frames attached with the plurality of metal posts, each of the plurality of metal frames comprising at least one fixture, the plurality of metal posts and the plurality of metal frames configured in a shape that is substantially the same as the shape of the substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: one or more additional heaters coupled to the plurality of metal frames or metal posts in the rotatable substrate support, and configured to rotate with the substrate support and heat a respective substrate during rotation. ### Claim at position 15 15-20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more additional heaters are lamp heaters configured to emit infra-red radiation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one outer heater is attached on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 23 An apparatus for forming a solar cell, comprising: a housing defining a vacuum chamber; a rotatable substrate support inside the vacuum chamber configured to hold a substrate; at least one inner heater between a center of the vacuum chamber and the substrate support, and configured to heat a back surface of a substrate on the substrate support; at least one outer heater between the housing and the substrate support, the at least one outer heater configured to heat a front surface of the substrate on the substrate support; and at least one sputtering source, each of the at least one sputtering source configured to deposit a respective first ingredient for an absorber layer over a front surface of the substrate. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising: one or more additional heaters coupled to the plurality of metal frames or metal posts in the rotatable substrate support, and configured to rotate with the substrate support and heat a respective substrate during rotation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the one or more additional heaters are lamp heaters configured to emit infra-red radiation; and the at least one outer heater is attached on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: at least one evaporation source disposed in the vacuum chamber and configured to deposit a second ingredient of the absorber layer over the front surface of the substrate; and at least one isolation pump, each of the least one isolation pump configured to prevent materials from the at least one evaporation source from contaminating the at least one sputtering source, wherein a respective isolation pump is disposed between each of the at least one sputtering source and an adjacent one of the at least one evaporation source.