# US 8,739,728 B2 · Methods and apparatuses for roll-on coating > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,728 B2 - Document ID: US8739728B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/081,506 - Filed: 2011-04-07 - Published: 2012-10-11 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-07 - Assignees: Dynamic Micro Systems, Semiconductor Equipment GmbH - Applicants: Lutz Rebstock; Klaus Conrad Wolke - Inventors: Lutz Rebstock; Klaus Conrad Wolke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739728B2 ## CPC - B05C 1/0808: {Details thereof, e.g. surface characteristics} - B05C 1/10: the liquid or other fluent material being supplied from inside the roller - H10F 10/14: Photovoltaic cells having only PN homojunction potential barriers - H10F 71/121: {The active layers comprising only Group IV materials} - H10F 71/125: {The active layers comprising only Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdS, ZnS or CdTe} - B05C 1/025: {to flat rectangular articles, e.g. flat sheets (B05C1/027 takes precedence)} - B05C 9/04: for applying liquid or other fluent material to opposite sides of the work - B05D 1/28: performed by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. brushes, pads, rollers - B05D 2252/00: Sheets - B05D 2252/10: Applying the material on both sides - Y02E 10/543: Solar cells from Group II-VI materials - Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - 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 Methods and apparatuses for a deposition system are provided to deposit a thin coating layer on flat substrates, such as semiconductors or panels. In an embodiment, liquid supplied rollers accepting liquid media provide liquid chemicals to the substrates for coating the substrates. The liquid delivery system can control the flow and the pressure of the liquid to achieve optimum process condition with minimum excess waste. In another embodiment, rollers with non-uniform distribution of liquid media provide a non-uniform thickness profile on the substrates, which can be used to compensate for the non-uniformity of subsequent processes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A deposition system for depositing a coating on a substrate, comprising: a plurality of rotatable fluid-supplied rollers, wherein the rollers are configured to deliver a fluid coating on the substrate, wherein the coating is non-uniform in thickness in a direction along a length of the rollers, wherein the thickness non-uniformity delivered by the rollers is configured to compensate for a non-uniform subsequent process so that after the non-uniform subsequent process, a uniform substrate is achieved from the combination of the non-uniform coating and the non-uniform subsequent process, each roller comprising an elongated rod comprising a coupler for accepting a fluid at an end of the rod, the elongated rod configured to transfer the fluid from the end of the rod to a portion of the elongated outer surface of the rod; a porous layer covering a portion of the elongated outer surface of the rod, wherein the porous layer receives the fluid at the outer surface of the rod; a fixed fluid delivery line coupled to the coupler for delivering fluid to the rollers, wherein the coupler comprises a rotatable element for enabling coupling the rotating roller to the fixed fluid delivery line; and a rotating mechanism for rotating the fluid-supplied rollers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the rotating mechanism comprises a motor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the rollers are rotated at an identical speed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the rollers are rotated at different speeds. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the rotation speed is adjustable for each roller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the fluid-supplied rollers comprise first rollers which are disposed at two sides of the substrates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A deposition system as in claim 6 wherein the fluid delivery system delivers a same fluid to the top and bottom fluid-supplied rollers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A deposition system as in claim 6 wherein the fluid delivery line delivers different fluids to the first rollers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the fluid-supplied rollers are disposed at the bottom of the substrates, and further act as transport rollers for transporting the substrates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the fluid-supplied rollers are disposed at the top of the substrates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery line delivers different fluids to alternate fluid-supplied rollers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery line is coupled with a fluid system comprising at least one of a reservoir, a pump, a pressure controller, a flow controller, and a temperature controller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 further comprising: one or more non fluid supplied rollers disposed parallel to the fluid-supplied rollers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 further comprising: one or more heaters disposed in the vicinity of the fluid-supplied rollers for conditioning the deposited coating. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 further comprising: means for adjusting and controlling the contact pressure between the fluid-supplied rollers and the substrates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the rollers comprise perforation holes, wherein the distribution of the perforation holes is non uniform along the length of the rollers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the rollers comprise perforation holes, wherein the perforation holes at an edge of the rollers is larger than the perforation holes at a middle of the rollers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the porous layer comprises a non uniform distribution of pore sizes or pore densities along the length of the rollers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the elongated rod has a concave inward surface, and wherein the porous layer has a higher thickness at a middle of the roller than the thickness at an edge of the roller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the elongated rod has a concave outward surface, and wherein the porous layer has a higher thickness at an edge of the roller than the thickness at a middle of the roller. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the porous layer has a concave inward surface. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A deposition system as in claim 1 wherein the porous layer has a concave outward surface.