Exchange and flip chamber design for heterojunction solar cell formation

• US 10,453,728 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung-Tae, Cho, Su Ho, Kitamura, Tsunehiko, Abe, Shinobu, Sheng, Shuran
• Primary Examiner(s): Booth, Richard A
• Application Number:
  US15/812,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67712 the substrate being handled substantially vertically
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67718 Changing orientation of the substrate, e.g. from a horizontal position to a vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6776 Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67796 with angular orientation of workpieces H01L21/67787 and H01L21/67793 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

In one embodiment, a chamber is provided that includes a chamber body and a lid defining an interior volume, a frame within the interior volume, the frame sized to receive a plurality of substrates in a first orientation, and a rotational drive assembly coupled to the frame for rotating the frame and flipping each of the plurality of substrates to a second orientation that is different than the first orientation.

Claims

1. A chamber, comprising:

a chamber body and a lid defining an interior volume;

a frame within the interior volume, the frame sized to receive a plurality of substrates in a first orientation;

a first actuator operable to move a first clamp away from a center of the frame; and

a rotational drive assembly coupled to the frame for rotating the frame and flipping each of the plurality of substrates to a second orientation that is different than the first orientation, wherein;

the plurality of substrates are supported by a first carrier that is transferred to an inner perimeter of the frame,

a second carrier is positioned over the first carrier and the first carrier and the second carrier are received in the inner perimeter of the frame, and

the frame includes a second clamp, wherein the first and second clamps contact the first carrier during rotation of the frame, and the first actuator is disengaged from the first and second clamps during rotation of the frame.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of substrates are exchanged to the second carrier in the second orientation.

3. The chamber of claim 1, further comprising a lift plate that selectively contacts one or both of the first carrier and the second carrier.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the rotational drive assembly rotates the frame 180 degrees during movement between the first orientation and the second orientation.

5. A chamber, comprising:

a chamber body and a lid defining an interior volume;

a frame within the interior volume, the frame adapted to receive a first carrier having a plurality of substrates disposed therein;

a stabilizer assembly coupled to and movable with the frame, the stabilizer assembly including a blade that moves in a rotational axis across the first carrier;

a second carrier disposable over the first carrier;

a rotational drive assembly coupled to the frame for rotating the first carrier and the second carrier; and

a lift plate that selectively contacts one of the first carrier or the second carrier.

6. The chamber of claim 5, wherein the first carrier includes openings formed therethrough sized to receive a plurality of lift pins coupled to the lift plate.

7. The chamber of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of clamps coupled to an inner perimeter of the frame.

8. The chamber of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of clamps are biased inwardly.

9. The chamber of claim 7, further comprising an actuator coupled to each of the plurality of clamps.

10. The chamber of claim 5, further comprising a stabilizer assembly adapted to secure the first carrier and the second carrier within the frame.

11. A chamber, comprising:

a chamber body and a lid defining an interior volume;

a frame within the interior volume, the frame sized to receive a first carrier having a plurality of substrates disposed in the first carrier in a face-up orientation;

one or more stabilizer assemblies coupled to and movable with the frame, each of the one or more stabilizer assemblies including a blade that moves in a rotational axis across the first carrier;

a second carrier disposable over the first carrier; and

a rotational drive assembly coupled to the frame for rotating the first carrier and the second carrier in a rotational axis relative to the chamber body.

12. The chamber of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of clamps coupled to an inner perimeter of the frame.

13. The chamber of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of clamps are biased inwardly.

14. The chamber of claim 12, further comprising an actuator coupled to each of the plurality of clamps.

15. The chamber of claim 11, further comprising a lift plate that selectively contacts one or both of the first carrier and the second carrier.

16. The chamber of claim 15, wherein the lift plate is coupled to a drive assembly.