Asml Holding N.v.

Silicon Valley Group, Inc.

Integrated Materials, Incorporated

Other

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Asml Holdings N.v.

Ferrotec (USA) Corporation

Mrl Industries, Inc.

Sandvik Thermal Process Inc.

Reese Reynolds

Emir Gurer

Ed C Lee

Tom Zhong

John W Lewellen

Murthy Krishna

John Salois

Royal Cherry

Kevin Golden

Scott C Wackerman

James E Boyle

Tom L Cadwell

Robert W Mytton

Raanan Y Zehavi

Ranaan Y Zehavi

Wail George Mansour

Mark Dipietro

H William Lucas, Jr

Doris Mytton, Legal Representative

Tyke Johnson

The present invention relates to equipment used to manufacture PV cells or modules. In some embodiments, a gas delivery and gas exhaust system are provided for processing a plurality of substrates. The gas delivery and gas exhaust system are designed such that the substrates are exposed in a uniform manner to the gas.

Apparatus for manufacture of solar cells

Non-production wafers of polycrystalline silicon are placed in non-production slots of a support tower for thermal processing monocrystalline silicon wafers. They may have thicknesses of 0.725 to 2 mm and be roughened on both sides. Nitride may be grown on the non-production wafers to a thickness of over 2 &#x3bc;m without flaking. The polycrystalline silicon is preferably randomly oriented Czochralski polysilicon grown using a randomly oriented seed, for example, CVD grown silicon. Both sides are ground to introduce sub-surface damage and then oxidized and etch cleaned. An all-silicon hot zone of a thermal furnace, for example, depositing a nitride layer, may include a silicon support tower placed within a silicon liner and supporting the polysilicon non-production wafers with silicon injector tube providing processing gas within the liner.

Czochralski growth of randomly oriented polysilicon and use of randomly oriented polysilicon dummy wafers

The present invention relates to equipment used to manufacture PV cells or modules. In some embodiments, a support structure is provided that provides support for substrates used in the manufacture of PV cells or modules. The support structure provides support for the substrate at the edge, allows access to the rear of the substrate and is composed of materials that do not contaminate the substrate during processing.

Apparatus for manufacture of PV solar cells or thin film solar modules

Baffle wafers of polycrystalline silicon are placed in non-production slots of a support tower for thermal processing monocrystalline silicon wafers. The polycrystalline silicon is preferably randomly oriented Czochralski polysilicon grown using a randomly oriented seed, for example, CVD grown silicon. An all-silicon hot zone of a thermal furnace may include a silicon support tower placed within a silicon liner and supporting the polysilicon baffle wafers with silicon injector tube providing processing gas within the liner. The randomly oriented polysilicon may be used for other parts requiring a rugged member, for example, within a silicon processing chamber and for structural members.

Baffle wafers and randomly oriented polycrystalline silicon used therefor

A silicon shelf tower for hatch thermal processing of silicon wafers in a vertical furnace. The tower includes at least three silicon legs joined to bases and having a vertical arrangement of slots. Silicon shelves are detachably loaded by sliding them through the slots in the side legs and into the slot of the back leg. A interlocking mechanism detachably locks the shelves to the back leg while the slots in the two side legs laterally constrains the shelves. The shelves include cutouts to allow a robot paddle to load and unload wafers to the shelves. Circular holes in the shelves relieve stress and prevent wafer sticking Preferably, the shelves are formed from randomly oriented polycrystalline silicon. The shelves and towers can alternatively be made of other materials such as quartz and silicon carbide.

Silicon shelf towers

Systems and methods are described for improved yield and line width performance for liquid polymers and other materials. A method for minimizing precipitation of developing reactant by lowering a sudden change in pH includes: developing at least a portion of a polymer layer on a substrate with an initial charge of a developer fluid; then rinsing the polymer with an additional charge of the developer fluid so as to controllably minimize a subsequent sudden change in pH; and then rinsing the polymer with a charge of another fluid. An apparatus for minimizing fluid impingement force on a polymer layer to be developed on a substrate includes: a nozzle including: a developer manifold adapted to supply a developer fluid; a plurality of developer fluid conduits coupled to the developer manifold; a rinse manifold adapted to supply a rinse fluid; and a plurality of rinse fluid conduits coupled to the developer manifold. The developer manifold and the rinse manifold can be staggered so as to reduce an external width of the nozzle compared to a nominal external width of the nozzle achievable without either intersecting the fluid manifold and the another manifold or staggering the fluid manifold and the another manifold. The systems and methods provide advantages including improve yield via reduced process-induced defect and partial counts, and improved critical dimension (CD) control capability.

Yield and line width performance for liquid polymers and other materials

Polysilicon dummy wafers and process used therewith

Systems and methods are described for environmental exchange control for a polymer on a wafer surface. An apparatus for controlling an exchange between an environment and a polymer on a surface of a wafer located in the environment includes: a chamber adapted to hold the wafer, define the environment, and maintain the polymer in an adjacent relationship with the environment; and a heater coupled to the chamber. A method for improving performance of a spin-on material includes: forming the spin-on material on a surface of a wafer; then locating the spin-on material in an environment so that said environment is adjacent said spin-on material; and then controlling an exchange between the spin-on material and said environment. The systems and methods provide advantages because inappropriate deprotection is mitigated by careful control of the environmental temperature and environmental species partial pressures (e.g. relative humidity).

Environment exchange control for material on a wafer surface

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Reese Reynolds