PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION LINE

• US 20090077805A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kankanala, Penchala N., Frei, Michael R., Lo, Wing Hoo (Hendrick), Hawkins, Parris, Saunders, Matthew J.B., Ho, Choi (Gene), Hunter, James Craig, BACHRACH, Robert Z., Patel, Srujal (Steve), Walker, Brice, Trowbridge, Teresa, De Vries, Nicholas G.J., Lu, Danny Cam Toan, Tanner, David, Murphy, Stephen P., Li, Liwei, Englhardt, Eric A., Choi, Soo Young, White, John M., Gay, Charles, Mei, Fang, Sheng, Shuran, Sullivan, Jeffrey S., Chae, Yong-Kee, Elgar, Yacov, Won, Tae K., Su, Tzay-Fa (Jeff), Schlezinger, Asaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/890.33
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/364 for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/002 Precutting and tensioning or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/004 by means of a fluid jet methods for use of abrasive blasting for cutting B24C1/045; guns for abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet B26F1/26
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/02 Controlled or contamination-free environments or clean space conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/04 Arrangements of vacuum systems or suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/064 in a horizontal position B65G49/066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/03 Glass cutting tables; Apparatus for transporting or handling sheet glass during the cutting or breaking operations
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/033 Apparatus for opening score lines in glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67132 Apparatus for placing on an insulating substrate, e.g. tape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67236 the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67712 the substrate being handled substantially vertically
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67715 Changing the direction of the conveying path
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67721 the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips, lead frames H01L21/6773 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67727 using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory
• 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 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03921 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0504 specially adapted for series or parallel connection of solar cells in a module
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/10 : Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 : Amorphous silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/57 : Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/10 : Methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/325 : With means to apply moment of force to weakened work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/329 : Plural breakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49355 : Solar energy device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 : Multiple station with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53113 : Heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 : Means to assemble electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5317 : Laminated device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53187 : Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 : Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53417 : Means to fasten work parts together

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a system that can be used to form a photovoltaic device, or solar cell, using processing modules that are adapted to perform one or more steps in the solar cell formation process. The automated solar cell fab is generally an arrangement of automated processing modules and automation equipment that is used to form solar cell devices. The automated solar fab will thus generally comprise a substrate receiving module that is adapted to receive a substrate, one or more absorbing layer deposition cluster tools having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, one or more back contact deposition chambers, one or more material removal chambers, a solar cell encapsulation device, an autoclave module, an automated junction box attaching module, and one or more quality assurance modules that are adapted to test and qualify the completely formed solar cell device.

Claims

1. An automated integrated solar cell production line, comprising:

a substrate loading station to load substrates into the integrated production line that comprises a plurality of automation devices which are configured to serially transfer substrates along a path;

a front contact isolation module disposed along the path and downstream from the substrate loading station, and adapted to etch a front contact layer deposited thereon to provide isolation therebetween;

a plurality of cluster tools disposed along the path and downstream from the front contact isolation module, and having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the substrate;

an interconnect formation module disposed along the path and downstream from the plurality of cluster tools, and adapted to etch the silicon-containing layer;

one or more metal deposition chambers disposed along the path and downstream from the back contact isolation module, and adapted to deposit a metal layer over the silicon-containing layer;

a back contact isolation module disposed along the path and downstream from the one or more metal deposition chambers;

one or more edge deletion modules disposed along the path and downstream from the one or more metal deposition chambers that are adapted to remove material from a perimeter area of a substrate;

a bonding wire attach module disposed along the path and downstream from the one or more material removal chambers; and

a lamination device disposed along the path and downstream from the bonding wire attach module that is adapted to bond a second substrate to the first substrate by applying heat and pressure to the first and second substrates which have the silicon-containing layer and a bonding layer disposed therebetween.

2. The automated solar cell production line of claim 1, further comprising an autoclave disposed downstream from the lamination device.

3. The automated solar cell production line of claim 2, wherein the autoclave comprises:

a vessel;

a compressor that is in fluid communication with a processing region of the vessel and is adapted to expose the first substrate, second substrate and bonding layer to a gas at a pressure greater than 13 Bar;

a heating element disposed in the processing region;

a substrate support that is adapted to support a plurality of first and second substrates that have been bonded together in the processing region; and

at least one spacer adapted to position each of the plurality of first and second substrates that have been bonded together in a spaced apart relationship during processing in the autoclave.

4. The automated solar cell production line of claim 1, wherein the bonding wire attach module comprises:

a substrate handling system that is adapted to transfer the substrate from a first position to a second position;

a vision system that is positioned to view the surface of the substrate;

two or more conductive element deposition devices that are each adapted to substantially simultaneously position a conductive element on the conductive layer formed on the surface of the substrate as the substrate is moved from the first position to the second position by the substrate handling system; and

two or more solder points that can be positioned to provide heat to two or more regions of at least one of the conductive elements that is disposed on the conductive layer.

5. The automated solar cell production line of claim 1, further comprising one or more test modules, wherein each of the one or more test modules comprise:

a plurality of contact pins;

a measurement device that is in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of contact pins;

a vision system that is positioned to view a surface of the substrate, and is adapted to view features formed on the substrate by use of a camera, a controller and one or more robotic devices; and

an actuator that is adapted to position the contact pins relative to the substrate so that the contact pins can make electrical contact with a desired surface of the substrate.

6. The automated solar cell production line of claim 1, further comprising a solar cell support structure attachment module that comprises:

a cleaning region that is disposed downstream of the lamination device, and is configured to remove contamination from the second substrate;

a rail attach region having a robotic device that is adapted to place an elongated support member on the second substrate;

an attachment section having an automated roller that is adapted to urge the elongated support member against the second substrate; and

an automation system that is configured to transfer the first and second substrates through the cleaning region, the rail attach region, and the attachment section.

7. A method of processing a solar cell substrate in an automated and integrated solar cell production system, comprising:

loading a substrate into an automated and integrated solar cell production system that comprises a plurality of automation devices which are configured to serially transfer substrates along a path;

depositing a plurality of photoabsorbing layers on a surface of a substrate having a front contact layer deposited thereon in a cluster tool disposed along the path;

removing at least a portion of the photoabsorbing layers from a region on a surface of the substrate to form a plurality of interconnects therethrough in a first scribe module disposed along the path;

depositing a conductive back contact layer on the photoabsorbing layers and in the interconnects formed therethrough in a processing module disposed along the path;

removing at least a portion of the back contact layer from a region on the surface of the substrate to form isolated regions of the back contact layer in a second scribe module disposed along the path;

bonding a back glass substrate to the surface of the substrate to form a composite structure in a bonding module disposed along the path;

positioning the composite structure in a processing region of an autoclave chamber that is disposed along the path; and

heating the composite structure and delivering a gas into the processing region of the autoclave to form an improved bond between the back glass and substrate.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising attaching a two or more buss wires to the substrate prior to the step of bonding a back glass substrate, wherein attaching the two or more buss wires comprises substantially simultaneously disposing two or more metal ribbons on two or more regions of the conductive back contact layer and bonding portions of the two or more metal ribbons to the conductive back contact layer.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising removing a portion of the plurality of photoabsorbing layers and the back contact layer around at least a perimeter of the substrate to provide an isolation area in an edge delete module disposed along the path.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising substantially simultaneously positioning two or more buss lines on the back contact layer prior to bonding a back glass substrate to the surface of the substrate, and

forming a bond between a conductive element in a junction box and one of the two or more buss lines.

11. A method of processing a solar cell substrate in an automated and integrated solar cell production system, comprising:

depositing a plurality of photoabsorbing layers on a surface of a substrate having a front contact layer deposited thereon, wherein depositing a plurality of photoabsorbing layers comprises;

forming a p-type silicon containing layer over the surface of the substrate in a first processing chamber coupled to a first cluster tool;

transferring the substrate from the first processing chamber to one of at least four second processing chambers coupled to the first cluster tool; and

forming an intrinsic type silicon containing layer and an n-type silicon containing layer over the p-type silicon containing layer in one of the at least four second processing chambers;

removing at least a portion of the photoabsorbing layers from a region on the surface of the substrate to form a plurality of interconnects therethrough using a first scribe module;

depositing a back contact layer over the plurality of photoabsorbing layers and in the plurality of interconnects formed therethrough using a processing module;

removing at least a portion of the back contact layer and at least a portion of the plurality of photoabsorbing layers from two or more regions on the surface of the substrate generally simultaneously using two or more material removal devices disposed in an edge deletion module; and

bonding a back glass substrate to the surface of the substrate to form a composite structure using a bonding module.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

loading a substrate that has a front contact layer disposed on the surface of the substrate; and

cleaning the substrate to remove one or more contaminants from the surface of the substrate, where loading the substrate and cleaning the substrate is performed before depositing the plurality of photoabsorbing layers.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising positioning the composite structure in a processing region of an autoclave chamber;

and

heating the composite structure and delivering a gas into the processing region of the autoclave to form an improved bond between the back glass and substrate.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

disposing two or more cross-busses over the back contact layers wherein each of the two or more cross-busses comprise a metal strip and an insulating layer which is disposed on the back contact layer;

disposing two or more side-busses over the back contact layer and a portion of the two or more cross-busses, wherein each of the two or more side-busses comprise a metal strip, and the step of disposing two or more cross-busses over the back contact layer is completed before the step of disposing the two or more side busses is completed; and

bonding a junction box to the composite structure after the substrate has been treated in the autoclave chamber, wherein at least one conductive element disposed within the junction box is in electrical communication with one of the two or more cross-busses after bonding.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising attaching a support structure to the composite structure after the junction box has been attached, wherein attaching a support structure comprises bonding one or more support rails to the back glass substrate.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first cluster tool, the first scribe module, the processing module, the edge deletion module, and the bonding module are each disposed along a production line, the production line having a plurality of automation devices which are configured to serially transfer substrates between the first cluster tool and the bonding module.

17. An automated and integrated system for forming a solar cell, comprising:

one or more cluster tools having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of a first substrate, wherein each of the one or more cluster tools is disposed proximate an automation transfer line which is configured to serially transfer substrates there along;

one or more processing modules that are adapted to deposit a metal layer on a surface of the first substrate;

an edge deletion module that is adapted to remove at least a portion of the metal layer and at least a portion of the silicon-containing layer from two or more regions on the surface of the first substrate generally simultaneously using two or more material removal devices;

a bonding wire attach module that is adapted to substantially simultaneously positioning two or more buss lines on the metal layer; and

a bonding module that is adapted to bond a second substrate to the first substrate by applying heat and pressure to the first and second substrates which have the silicon-containing layer and a bonding layer disposed therebetween.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an autoclave module positioned to heat and expose the first substrate, second substrate and bonding layer to a gas at a pressure greater than 13 Bar after the substrate has been bonded in the bonding module.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a test module that is adapted to characterize the output of one or more of the processes performed in the system, wherein the test module comprises:

a plurality of contact pins;

a measurement device that is in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of contact pins;

a vision system that is positioned to view a surface of the substrate, and is adapted to view features formed on the first substrate by use of a camera, a controller and one or more robotic devices; and

an actuator that is adapted to position the contact pins relative to the first substrate so that the contact pins can make electrical contact with a desired surface of the first substrate.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the autoclave comprises:

a vessel;

a compressor that is in fluid communication with a processing region of the vessel and is adapted to expose the first substrate, second substrate and bonding layer to a gas at a pressure greater than 13 Bar;

a heating element disposed in the processing region;

a substrate support that is adapted to support a plurality of first and second substrates that have been bonded together in the processing region; and

at least one spacer adapted to position each of the plurality of first and second substrates that have been bonded together in a spaced apart relationship during processing in the autoclave.