Edge film removal process for thin film solar cell applications
First Claim
1. A method for manufacturing solar cell devices on a substrate, comprising:
- disposing a shadow frame positioned in a chemical vapor deposition chamber over a periphery region of a substrate;
depositing a silicon-containing layer on the substrate through an aperture defined by the shadow frame;
transferring the substrate to a physical vapor deposition chamber;
depositing a transparent conductive layer on the silicon-containing layer and at least a portion of the periphery region of the substrate in the physical vapor deposition chamber;
transferring the substrate to a laser edge removal tool; and
removing the transparent conductive layer formed on the periphery region of the substrate using a laser disposed in the laser edge removal tool.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for edge film stack removal process for fabricating photovoltaic devices. In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing solar cell devices on a substrate includes providing a substrate into a chemical vapor deposition chamber, contacting a shadow frame disposed in the deposition chamber to a periphery region of the substrate, depositing a silicon-containing layer on the substrate through an aperture defined by the shadow frame, transferring the substrate to a physical vapor deposition chamber, depositing a transparent conductive layer on the silicon-containing layer, transferring the substrate to a laser edge removal tool, and laser scribing the layers formed on the periphery region of the substrate.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for manufacturing solar cell devices on a substrate, comprising:
-
disposing a shadow frame positioned in a chemical vapor deposition chamber over a periphery region of a substrate; depositing a silicon-containing layer on the substrate through an aperture defined by the shadow frame; transferring the substrate to a physical vapor deposition chamber; depositing a transparent conductive layer on the silicon-containing layer and at least a portion of the periphery region of the substrate in the physical vapor deposition chamber; transferring the substrate to a laser edge removal tool; and removing the transparent conductive layer formed on the periphery region of the substrate using a laser disposed in the laser edge removal tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for removing one or more layers from a periphery region of a substrate, comprising:
-
disposing a shadow frame positioned in a chemical vapor deposition chamber over a periphery region of a substrate, wherein the substrate has the peripheral region and a cell integrated region; depositing a silicon-containing layer on the cell integrated region of the substrate exposed through an aperture formed in the shadow frame; transferring the substrate to a physical vapor deposition chamber; depositing a transparent conductive layer over the peripheral region and the cell integrated region of the substrate using a physical vapor deposition chamber; transferring the substrate to a laser edge removal tool; and removing the layers formed on the periphery region of the substrate using a laser. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for removing layers on a peripheral region of a substrate, comprising:
-
providing a substrate having a peripheral region and a cell integrated region, wherein the peripheral region has a second transparent conductive layer formed on a first transparent conductive layer and the cell integrated region has the second transparent conductive layer formed on a silicon containing film layer disposed on the first transparent conductive layer; and removing at least one of the layers formed on the peripheral region of the substrate using a laser, wherein the peripheral region of the substrate has a width between about 8 mm and about 12 mm.
-
Specification