# US 9,435,848 B2 · Chucks for supporting solar cell in hot spot testing

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- Number: US 9,435,848 B2
- Document ID: US9435848B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/806,262
- Filed: 2015-07-22
- Published: 2015-11-12
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-10
- Assignees: SunPower Corporation
- Applicants: SunPower Corporation
- Inventors: Jose Francisco Capulong; Emmanuel Abas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435848B2

## CPC

- G01R 31/26: Testing of individual semiconductor devices (testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10; testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment {H10P74/00})
- B23Q 3/18: for positioning only
- G01R 1/04: Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
- H02S 50/10: Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00})
- H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction}
- H10P 72/7616: {characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material}
- H10P 72/7622: {characterised by supporting substrates others than wafers, e.g. chips}
- H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y10T 279/11: Vacuum
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- 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
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

In an embodiment, a chuck to support a solar cell in hot spot testing is provided. This embodiment of the chuck comprises a base portion and a support portion disposed above the base portion. The support portion is configured to support the solar cell above the base portion and to define a cavity between a bottom surface of the solar cell and the base portion that thermally separates a portion of the bottom surface of the solar cell from the base portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrical or thermal substrate testing apparatus, comprising: a thermal imaging camera to detect heat distribution over a top surface of a substrate; a chuck disposed below the thermal imaging camera, the chuck comprising a base portion and a support portion coupled to the base portion, the support portion to support the substrate above the base portion and to define a cavity between a bottom surface of the substrate and the base portion that thermally separates a portion of the bottom surface of the substrate from the base portion, and the chuck further having a bore through at least the base portion; a testing probe disposed below the chuck, the testing probe to make contact with the bottom surface of the substrate through the bore; and vacuum tunnels disposed in the chuck, the vacuum tunnels configured to hold the substrate in place during the electrical or thermal testing; and
wherein the chuck is heated during the electrical or thermal testing, and wherein the cavity reduces an amount of heat transferred from the base portion of the chuck to the substrate; and
wherein the amount of heat transferred is reduced to between about 0.020 W/(m*k) and 0.030 W/(m*K).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrical or thermal substrate testing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional chuck disposed below the thermal imaging camera, the additional chuck comprising an additional base portion and an additional support portion to support the substrate above the additional base portion and to define an additional cavity, between the bottom surface of the substrate and the additional base portion, that thermally separates an additional portion of the bottom surface of the substrate from the additional base portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrical or thermal substrate testing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the chuck is separated from the additional chuck comprises vacuum tunnels configured to hold a substrate in place during electrical or thermal testing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The electrical or thermal substrate testing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the additional chuck by a channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The electrical or thermal substrate testing apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least about 26% of the bottom surface of the substrate is supported by the support portion and the additional support portion.