Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Sovonics Solar Systems

David A Gattuso

Prem Nath

Masatsugu Izu

Joachim Doehler

Kevin R Hoffman

Timothy J Barnard

Herbert L Ovshinsky

A passageway which includes an annular region, the passageway adapted to isolate the gaseous contents of one of a pair of adjacent, vacuumized environments from the other of the pair while providing for the movement of a substrate therebetween.

Isolation passageway including annular region

A valve for isolating the interior of a glow discharge chamber from the atmosphere and other reactants. The valve includes a body mounted in an aperture of the chamber. A slit-like opening is provided therein to allow the interior of the chamber to communicate with interrelated elements of a deposition system. A source is provided for introducing inert gas into the opening under pressure somewhat greater than that of reaction gases and plasma within the chamber to create an effective, non-reactive gas curtain.

Isolation valve

An external isolation module adapted to operatively interconnect at least one pair of a plurality of adjacent vacuum chambers through which a substrate travels and into which reaction materials are introduced. The external isolation module provides a passageway for the substrate between adjacent chambers while substantially preventing the diffusion of reaction materials from one of the chambers into the adjacent chamber. An accessible, environmentally-sealed, reaction material-isolating passageway is thereby formed.

External isolation module

A magnetic gas gate adapted to operatively connect two adjacent dedicated chambers, in the first chamber of which a first layer is deposited upon a magnetic web of substrate material and in the second chamber of which a second layer is deposited onto the first layer. The first chamber has introduced thereinto gas constituents used to form the first layer while the second chamber (1) has introduced thereinto gas constituents used to form the second layer which constituents include at least one gas not introduced into the first chamber; and (2) is operatively associated with a mechanism for unidirectionally drawing the gases from the first chamber side of the gas gate toward the second chamber side of the gas gate. It is important that the second chamber gas constituents be substantially prevented from backflowing or diffusing through the gas gate to contaminate the gas constituents in the first chamber. To prevent contamination of the first chamber constituents from the second chamber gas constituents, the present invention substantially reduces the size of the passageway through the gas gate by creating a magnetic field adapted to urge the unlayered surface of the magnetic substrate into sliding contact with one of the walls of the passageway. Since the size of the gas gate passageway is reduced, the backflow of gas constituents from the second chamber is correspondingly reduced, thereby providing for the production of a more efficient product. The magnetic gas gate of the present invention provides the additional benefit of reducing warpage of the magnetic web of substrate material which also results in the production of a more efficient product.

Magnetic gas gate

An improved magnetic gas gate is adapted to operatively interconnect two adjacent chambers, in the first chamber of which process gases are introduced for depositing a first layer upon a magnetic substrate and in the second chamber of which process gases are introduced for depositing a second layer atop the first layer. Since it is important to prevent the second chamber gases from contaminating the first chamber gases, a constant pressure differential established between the chambers is employed to provide a substantially unidirectional flow of gases from the first chamber into the second chamber. Magnetic gas gates have been used in the prior art to reduce the size of gas gate passageways by creating a magnetic field which urges the unlayered surface of the substrate toward a wall of the passageway. Although the size of the passageway opening is thereby reduced with a corresponding reduction in back diffusion of gases from the second chamber, the passageway is simultaneously divided into a relatively large flow channel and a relatively narrow flow channel. The present invention reduces the back diffusion of gases through the relatively narrow flow channel by forming a plurality of elongated grooves in the passageway wall toward which the unlayered surface of the substrate is urged. The grooves are substantially coextensive with the length of the passageway so as to operatively interconnect the adjacent chambers. The flow channels thus established are adapted to accommodate a sufficient flow of inert sweep gases to further reduce the back diffusion of process gases through the narrow flow channel.

Grooved gas gate

A grooved passageway surface in a magnetic gas gate, the gas gate adapted to operatively connect two adjacent chambers, in the first chamber of which process gases are introduced for depositing a first layer upon a magnetic substrate and in the second chamber of which process gases are introduced for depositing a second layer atop the first layer. Since it is important to prevent the second chamber gases from contaminating the first chamber gases, a constant pressure differential established between the chambers is employed to provide a substantially unidirectional flow of gases from the first chamber into the second chamber. Magnetic gas gates have been used in the prior art to reduce the size of gas gate passageways by creating a magnetic field which urges the unlayered surface of the substrate toward a wall of the passageway. Although, thereby reducing the size of the passageway opening and correspondingly reducing the back diffusion of gases from the second chamber, the passageway is simultaneously divided into a relatively large flow channel and a relatively narrow flow channel. The present invention is concerned with reducing the back diffusion of gases through the relatively narrow flow channel. This is accomplished by forming a plurality of elongated grooves in the passageway wall toward which the unlayered surface of the substrate is urged. The grooves are substantially coextensive with the length of the passageway so as to operatively interconnect the adjacent chambers. The flow channels thus established are able to accommodate a sufficient flow rate of process gases to further reduce the back diffusion of process gases.

An improved glow discharge deposition apparatus for depositing amorphous layers upon at least one substrate, the apparatus including a housing capable of withstanding vacuum pressures, a substrate upon which the amorphous layers are deposited, an r.f. powered cathode adapted to cooperate with the substrate for producing a plasma region in the housing, layer-producing materials adapted to be introduced into the plasma region, and heating elements for warming the substrate to a deposition-effecting temperature. The improvement is provided by an electrically insulated base adapted to support the cathode in a non-horizontal, preferably a vertical, plane and a prop adapted to support the substrate in a plane adjacent and parallel to the non-horizontal plane in which the cathode is supported. The non-horizontal cathode is adapted for use either in a single deposition chamber for depositing a single amorphous layer onto the substrate, or in a machine having a plurality of successive deposition chambers for depositing successive amorphous layers onto the substrate. In either embodiment, opposite planar faces of the cathode may be employed in combination with a pair of substrates, deposed in planes parallel to the plane of the cathode faces, to develop two plasma regions for simultaneously depositing amorphous layer-producing material on each of the substrates. The substrate can be formed either of discrete plates or of a continuous web of material. In the embodiment wherein the substrate is formed of discrete plates, a rotatable arm, associated with each deposition chamber, is adapted to cyclically introduce the substrate into the deposition chamber and expel the substrate from the deposition chamber.

Glow discharge deposition apparatus including a non-horizontally

A cathode for use in a glow discharge chamber. A top surface electrode is adapted to provide a substantially uniform distribution of reaction gases at the active surface of an overlying substrate as it advances through the chamber. A plurality of baffles within the cathode creates equal path lengths for reaction gases from their source to the surface electrode and from the surface electrode to a vacuum. The electrode is electrically insulated from a plurality of gas exits so that the generation of plasma is confined solely to a region between the electrode and the active surface of the substrate.

Growing community of inventors

Pontiac, MI, United States of America

David A Gattuso