The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 1984
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1983
Joachim Doehler, Union Lake, MI (US);
Kevin R Hoffman, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Timothy D Laarman, Almont, MI (US);
Gary M DiDio, Drayton Plains, MI (US);
Therese McDonough, Detroit, MI (US);
Energy Conversion Devices, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
A process gas introduction and channeling system for use with apparatus adapted to produce photovoltaic devices by depositing semiconductor layers onto continuously moving substrate material. The deposition apparatus preferably includes at least one deposition chamber having (1) a region in which process gases are decomposed and (2) a manifold from which process gases are introduced to flow through the downstream decomposition region. In the preferred embodiment, as the process gases flow through the decomposition region, they are disassociated and recombined under the influence of an electromagnetic field. The species and combinations of process gases thus formed are deposited onto the substrate material. The process gas introduction and channeling system described herein, is adapted to direct the process gases introduced into each of the at least one deposition chamber to pass through the decomposition region thereof in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the substrate material, whereby substantially uniform semiconductor layers are deposited atop the entire surface of the substrate material.