Applied Materials, Inc.

Sunpower Corporation

Applied Komatsu Technology, Inc.

Applied Technology, Inc.

Sheng Sun

Quanyuan Shang

Kam S Law

John M White

William Reid Harshbarger

Emanuel Beer

Takako Takehara

Robert I Greene

David D Smith

Peter John Cousins

Richard Hamilton Sewell

Thomas Pass

Steven E Molesa

Robert M Robertson

Sanjay D Yadav

Michael Cudzinovic

Jeff C Olsen

Ben Wahlstrom

Dennis Jason Fuhrman

Taekyung Won

Andy Luan

Timothy D Dennis

Si-Kyoung Kim

Rob Rogers

Ray-Hon Sun

Kyle David Altendorf

Diffusion regions of a solar cell are formed using a blanket layer of film that is doped with dopants of a first conductivity type. Dopants of a second conductivity type are implanted in select regions of the blanket layer of film to form dopant source regions of the second conductivity type. Diffusion regions of the solar cell are formed by diffusing dopants of the first conductivity type and dopants of the second conductivity type from the blanket layer of film into an underlying silicon material. The blanket layer of film may be a P-type dopant source layer doped with boron, with phosphorus being implanted in select regions of the P-type dopant source layer to form N-type dopant source regions in the P-type dopant source layer.

Ion implantation of dopants for forming spatially located diffusion regions of solar cells

Leakage pathway layers for solar cells and methods of forming leakage pathway layers for solar cells are described.

Leakage pathway layer for solar cell

A substrate patterning method including the steps of spraying ink on a surface of a substrate, the spraying of the ink resulting in an overspray of excess ink past an edge of the substrate; changing a temperature of the excess ink to cause a change in a viscosity of the excess ink; and removing the excess ink having the changed viscosity.

Apparatuses and methods for removal of ink buildup

Method of and apparatus for depositing a spacer on a substrate is provided. The invention includes depositing a first ink including an adhesive agent on a first area of the substrate and depositing a second ink including supporting elements on a second area of the substrate, the second area greater than and encompassing the first area. A portion of the second ink evaporates such that the supporting elements within the second ink migrate into the first area and bond to the adhesive agent in the first ink, forming a spacer. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Methods and apparatus for inkjetting spacers in a flat panel display

A method for making a film stack containing one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal-containing layers and a substrate processing system for forming the film stack on a substrate are provided. The substrate processing system includes one or more transfer chambers coupled to one or more load lock chambers and two or more different types of process chambers. The two or more types of process chambers are used to deposit the one or more silicon-containing layers and the one or more metal-containing layers in the same substrate processing system without breaking the vacuum, taking the substrate out of the substrate processing system to prevent surface contamination, oxidation, etc., such that additional cleaning or surface treatment steps can be eliminated. The substrate processing system is configured to provide high throughput and compact footprint for in-situ substrate processing and carry out different types of processes.

Hybrid PVD-CVD system

A system for processing substrates within a chamber and for cleaning accumulated material from chamber components is provided. The system includes a reactive species generator adapted to generate a reactive gas species for chemically etching accumulated material from chamber components, and a processing chamber having at least one component with a mirror polished surface which is exposed to the reactive species. Preferably to have the greatest impact on chamber cleaning efficiency, the mirror polished surface is a surface of a component such as a gas distribution plate or a backing plate, and/or is a surface of a plurality of smaller components (e.g., chamber wall liners, a gas conductance line, etc.) so as to constitute a large percentage of the surface area exposed to the reactive species. Most preferably all bare aluminum surfaces which the reactive species contacts are mirror polished.

Method and apparatus for enhanced chamber cleaning

An apparatus and method for fabricating an electronic workpiece in which first and second electrodes within a plasma chamber are respectively connected to low frequency and high frequency RF power supplies. At least one capacitor is connected between the first electrode and electrical ground. The one or more capacitors can reduce or eliminate the coupling of high frequency RF power to any plasma outside the region directly between the two electrodes. Consequently, the invention can improve the performance of the plasma process by concentrating more of the RF power in the region between the two electrodes.

Multiple frequency plasma chamber with grounding capacitor at cathode

A method for cleaning a process chamber, comprising the steps of introducing at least one cleaning gas to the process chamber; and employing a rapid heating module located in the process chamber, wherein the rapid heating module increases the temperature of chamber parts and improves the surface temperature uniformity of chamber parts when the module is turned on, thereby assisting the cleaning activity of the cleaning gas such that the process chamber is cleaned.

Chamber cleaning via rapid thermal process during a cleaning period

Provided herein is a method for cleaning a process chamber by employing high power density light beam(s) to assist dissociating cleaning gaseous species at the cleaning site. Also provided herein is a method for cleaning the process chamber with laser ablation, wherein no cleaning gas is necessary.

Photo-assisted chemical cleaning and laser ablation cleaning of process chamber

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and a plasma source located external to the chamber. A conduit connects the plasma source to an interior region of the chamber to provide a reactive species to the chamber interior for cleaning interior surfaces of the chamber. A shower head, disposed between the plasma source and an interior region of the chamber, can serve as an electrode and also can serve as a gas distribution mechanism. The shower head includes a surface treatment, such as a non-anodized aluminum outer layer, an electro-polished surface of bare aluminum, or a fluorine-based protective outer layer. The surface-treated shower head improves the rate of removal of materials deposited on the interior surfaces of the chamber during cleaning, reduces contamination of substrates during processing, and provides more efficient use of the power source used for heating the substrate during processing.

Surface-treated shower head for use in a substrate processing chamber

Method and apparatus for enhancing chamber cleaning

A system and method for annealing a film on a substrate in a processing chamber, including a microwave generator disposed to provide microwaves to an area within the interior of the chamber. The microwaves have a frequency such that the film is substantially absorptive at the frequency but the substrate is not substantially absorptive at the frequency. A waveguide distributes the microwaves over the surface of the film to provide a substantially uniform dosage of microwaves over the surface of the film. The method includes depositing a film on a substrate in the processing chamber. During at least a portion of the time of the depositing step, microwaves are generated having a frequency such that the film has an absorption peak at the frequency but the substrate lacks a substantial absorption peak at the frequency. The microwaves are directed towards the film.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Sheng Sun