SUBSTRATE SUPPORT IN A REACTIVE SPUTTER CHAMBER

• US 20100163406A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: LE, HIEN-MINH HUU, Tanner, David
• Application Number:
  US12/346,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/192.290
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3464 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/56 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
• 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 21/6776 Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

An apparatus for sputter depositing a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer are provided in the present invention. The transparent conductive oxide layer may be utilized as a contact layer on a substrate or a back reflector in a photovoltaic device. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a processing chamber having an interior processing region, a substrate carrier system disposed in the interior processing region, the substrate carrier system having a plurality of rollers for conveying a substrate through the interior processing region, and an insulating member electrically isolating the rollers from the processing chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for depositing a transparent conductive oxide layer, comprising:

a processing chamber having an interior processing region;

a substrate carrier system disposed in the interior processing region, the substrate carrier system having a plurality of rollers for conveying a substrate through the interior processing region; and

an insulating member electrically isolating the rollers from the processing chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of PVD targets disposed in the interior processing region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulating member further comprises:

an insulating support configured to support and insulate the roller from ground.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulating member further comprises:

an insulating pad disposed on a bottom wall of the processing chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulating member further comprises:

an upper roller support disposed on a lower insulating pad.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the upper support is fabricated from a metallic material selected from a group consisting of aluminum, copper stainless steel, or metallic alloys.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lower insulating pad is fabricated from an insulating material selected from a group consisting of glass, plastic, polymer, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the target has dopants doped into a base material, wherein the base material is a zinc oxide containing material and the dopants are selected from a group consisting of boron containing materials, titanium containing materials, tantalum containing materials, aluminum containing materials, tungsten containing materials, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the insulating support is fabricated from an insulating material selected from a group consisting of glass, plastic, polymer, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insulating member further comprises:

a coating layer disposed on an outer surface of the roller.

11. An apparatus for depositing a transparent conductive oxide layer, comprising:

a processing chamber having an interior processing region and two substrate transfer ports;

a substrate carrier system disposed in the interior processing region, the substrate carrier system having a plurality of rollers for conveying substrate between the transfer ports through the interior processing region;

a plurality of PVD targets disposed in the processing chamber and facing the substrate carrier system; and

an insulating member electrically isolating the rollers from the processing chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the target has dopants doped into a base material, wherein the base material is a zinc oxide containing material and the dopants are selected from a group consisting of boron containing materials, titanium containing materials, tantalum containing materials, aluminum containing materials, tungsten containing materials, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the insulating member further comprises:

an insulating pad or support disposed on a bottom wall of the processing chamber, wherein the insulating pad or support is fabricated from an insulating material selected from a group consisting of glass, plastic, polymer, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a bearing support coupled to the processing chamber and supporting the roller in a predefined position, wherein the insulating member substantially prevents electrical current from flowing through the bearing support to the processing chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the insulating member is part or all of at least of a bearing is support coupled to the processing chamber and supporting the roller in a predefined position, a shaft on which the roller rotates or the roller.

16. A method of sputter depositing a transparent conductive oxide layer, comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate carrier system disposed in a processing chamber;

sputtering source material from a target disposed in the processing chamber as the substrate advances on the substrate carrier system; and

electrically floating the substrate from ground during sputtering.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

depositing the sputtered material to form a TCO layer on the substrate.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the substrate further comprises:

advancing the substrate on a plurality of rollers of the substrate carrier system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein electrically floating the substrate further comprises:

Interrupting an electrical path between the rollers and ground by an insulating member disposed between the rollers and the processing chamber.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the insulating member is fabricated from an insulating material selected from a group consisting of glass, plastic, polymer, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).