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Electroplating apparatus with improved throughput

  • US 9,624,595 B2
  • Filed: 05/23/2014
  • Issued: 04/18/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A wafer-holding jig for electroplating of a plurality of photovoltaic structures, comprising:

  • a common connector electrically coupled to a cathode, wherein the common connector is a metal beam;

    a wafer-holding mechanism consisting of a pair of wafer-mounting frames electrically coupled to the common connector,wherein each wafer-mounting frame comprises a plurality of openings and a plurality of spring-loaded mechanisms that hold to-be-plated photovoltaic structures in the openings,wherein each wafer-mounting frame comprises a plurality of through holes that are positioned between the openings, thereby facilitating flow of metal ions and electric field through the frame,wherein each spring-loaded mechanism comprises a back part in a fixed position, a rotatable front part, and a spring coupling the back part and the front part,wherein one end of the spring is directly attached to the wafer-mounting frame,wherein the wafer-mounting frames are arranged in such a way that a first to-be-plated photovoltaic structure mounted on a first wafer-mounting frame is positioned substantially parallel to a second to-be-plated photovoltaic structure mounted on a second wafer-mounting frame,wherein an open space exists between the first to-be-plated photovoltaic structure and the second to-be-plated photovoltaic structure to facilitate simultaneous plating of front and back surfaces of the plurality of the photovoltaic structures, andwherein a distance between the wafer-mounting frames is between 2 and 20 cm.

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