Applied Materials, Inc.

Yong-Kee Chae

Shuran Sheng

Liwei Li

Soo Young Choi

John M White

Eric Andrew Englhardt

Tae Kyung Won

David Tanner

Robert Z Bachrach

Danny Cam Toan Lu

Jeffrey S Sullivan

Yacov Elgar

Asaf Schlezinger

Stephen P Murphy

James Craig Hunter

Charles Gay

Penchala N Kankanala

Fang Mei

Nicholas G J De Vries

Parris Hawkins

Tzay-Fa (Jeff) Su

Michel Ranjit Frei

Teresa Trowbridge

Choi (Gene) Ho

Wing Hoo (Hendrick) Lo

Srujal (Steve) Patel

Matthew J B Saunders

Brice Walker

Xiesen Yang

Soo-Young Choi

The present invention generally relates to a system that can be used to form a photovoltaic device, or solar cell, using processing modules that are adapted to perform one or more steps in the solar cell formation process. The automated solar cell fab is generally an arrangement of automated processing modules and automation equipment that is used to form solar cell devices. The automated solar fab will thus generally comprise a substrate receiving module that is adapted to receive a substrate, one or more absorbing layer deposition cluster tools having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, one or more back contact deposition chambers, one or more material removal chambers, a solar cell encapsulation device, an autoclave module, an automated junction box attaching module, and one or more quality assurance modules that are adapted to test and qualify the completely formed solar cell device.

Automated integrated solar cell production line composed of a plurality of automated modules and tools including an autoclave for curing solar devices that have been laminated

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods of forming a microcrystalline silicon layer on a substrate in a deposition chamber. In, one embodiment, the method includes flowing a processing gas into a diffuser region between a backing plate and a showerhead of the deposition chamber, flowing the processing gas through a plurality of holes in the showerhead and into a process volume between the showerhead and a substrate support in the deposition chamber, igniting a plasma in the process volume, back-flowing gas ions formed in the plasma through the plurality of holes in the showerhead and into the diffuser region, mixing the gas ions and the processing gas in the diffuser region, re-flowing the gas ions and processing gas through the plurality of holes in the showerhead and into the process volume, and depositing a microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate.

Gas mixing method realized by back diffusion in a PECVD system with showerhead

Embodiments of the present invention include an improved method of forming a thin film solar cell device using a plasma processing treatment between two or more deposition steps. Embodiments of the invention also generally provide a method and apparatus for forming the same. The present invention may be used to advantage to form other single junction, tandem junction, or multi-junction solar cell devices.

Plasma treatment between deposition processes

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to thin film multi-junction solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same.

Multi-junction solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Yong-Kee Chae