PRODUCTION LINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MULTIPLE SIZED PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES

• US 20100273279A1
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Morishige, David, Su, Tzay-Fa
• Application Number:
  US12/430,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20100273279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/17
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/172 wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/364 for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67092 Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting, see the relevant groups in subclasses B24B or B28D
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67236 the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67727 using a general scheme of a conveying path within a factory
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/028 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0296 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, HgCdTe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0304 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0322 comprising only AIBIIICVI chalcopyrite compounds, e.g. Cu In Se2, Cu Ga Se2, Cu In Ga Se2
• 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: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system used to form solar cell devices using processing modules adapted to perform one or more processes in the formation of the solar cell devices. In one embodiment, the system is adapted to form thin film solar cell devices by accepting a large unprocessed substrate and performing multiple deposition, material removal, cleaning, bonding, testing, and sectioning processes to form multiple complete, functional, and tested solar cell devices that can then be shipped to an end user for installation in a desired location to generate electricity. The system is adapted to receive a single large substrate and form multiple silicon thin film solar cell devices from the single large substrate.

Claims

1. A system for fabricating solar cell devices, comprising:

a substrate receiving module that is adapted to receive a front substrate;

a cluster tool having a processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the front substrate;

a back contact deposition chamber configured to deposit a back contact layer on the silicon-containing layer;

a bonding module configured to encapsulate the silicon-containing layer and the back contact layer between the front substrate and a back substrate into a composite structure;

a sectioning module configured to section the composite structure into two or more sections; and

a system controller for controlling and coordinating functions of each of the substrate receiving module, the cluster tool, the processing chamber, the back contact deposition chamber, the bonding module, and the sectioning module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sectioning module comprises a CNC glass cutter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sectioning module comprises a laser cutting device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sectioning module comprises:

a scoring station configured to score a line into a surface of the composite structure;

a sectioning mechanism configured to split the composite structure along the line; and

a positioning mechanism for positioning the composite structure such that the line scored into the substrate is substantially aligned with the sectioning mechanism.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the sectioning mechanism is a laser cutting device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the laser cutting device comprises a laser and a laser positioning mechanism.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the sectioning mechanism is a break mechanism comprising a roller and an actuator configured to position the roller.

8. A system for fabricating solar cell devices, comprising:

a substrate receiving module that is adapted to receive a front substrate;

a cluster tool having a processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the front substrate;

a back contact deposition chamber configured to deposit a back contact layer on the silicon-containing layer;

a bonding module configured to encapsulate the silicon-containing layer and the back contact layer between the front substrate and a back substrate into a composite structure;

a testing module configured to test performance characteristics of the composite structure;

a sectioning module configured to section the tested composite structure into two or more sections, wherein the sectioning module comprises a composite structure positioning mechanism and a composite structure sectioning mechanism; and

a system controller for controlling and coordinating functions of each of the substrate receiving module, the cluster tool, the processing chamber, the back contact deposition chamber, the bonding module, the testing module, and the sectioning module.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sectioning mechanism is a CNC glass cutting device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the sectioning mechanism is a laser cutting device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the composite structure positioning mechanism comprises:

an inlet conveyor configured to receive commands from the system controller and transfer the composite structure into a scoring station of the sectioning module; and

a first positioning device configured to receive commands from the system controller and accurately position the scored composite structure with respect to a first sectioning device of the sectioning mechanism.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sectioning device is a laser cutting device comprising a laser and a laser positioning mechanism.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first sectioning device is a break mechanism comprising a roller and a roller positioning mechanism.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the composite structure positioning mechanism further comprises:

a second positioning device configured to receive commands from the system controller and accurately position a section of the scored composite structure with respect to a second sectioning device of the sectioning mechanism; and

an exit conveyor configured to receive commands from the system controller and transfer a portion of the section of the scored composite structure out of the sectioning module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second sectioning device is a laser cutting device comprising a laser and a laser positioning mechanism.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second sectioning device is a break mechanism comprising a roller and a roller positioning mechanism.

17. A method of processing a solar cell device, comprising:

cleaning a substrate to remove one or more contaminants from a surface of the substrate;

depositing a photoabsorbing layer on the surface of the substrate;

removing at least a portion of the photoabsorbing layer from a region on the surface of the substrate;

depositing a back contact layer over the photoabsorbing layer on the substrate;

removing at least a portion of the back contact layer and the photoabsorbing layer from a region on the surface of the substrate;

bonding a back glass substrate to the substrate to form a composite structure, wherein the back contact layer and the photoabsorbing layer are bonded between the back glass substrate and the substrate;

attaching one or more junction boxes to the composite structure;

testing performance characteristics of the composite structure; and

sectioning the composite structure into two or more sections.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein sectioning the composite structure comprises cutting the composite structure with a CNC glass cutter.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein sectioning the composite structure comprises cutting the composite structure with a laser cutting device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein sectioning the composite structure comprises scoring one or more lines in one or more surfaces of the composite structure and sectioning the composite structure along the one or more scored lines.