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:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 19, 1998
Ricky C Powell, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
Gary L Dorer, Taunton, MA (US);
Nicholas A Reiter, Gibsonburg, OH (US);
Harold A McMaster, Perrysburg, OH (US);
Steven M Cox, Whitehouse, OH (US);
Terence D Kahle, Perrysburg, OH (US);
First Solar, LLC, Toledo, OH (US);
Abstract
Apparatus (12, 12a) and a method for depositing a semiconductor material on a glass sheet substrate (G) utilizes a distributor (22) including a heated permeable member (24) through which a carrier gas and a semiconductor material are passed to provide a vapor that is deposited as a semiconductor layer on the conveyed glass sheet substrate. The permeable member (24) is tubular and has an electrical voltage applied along its length to provide the heating, and the carrier gas and the semiconductor as a powder are introduced into the tubular permeable member for flow outwardly therefrom as the vapor. A shroud (34) extending around the tubular permeable member (24) has an opening (36) through which the vapor flows for the semiconductor layer deposition. In one embodiment of apparatus (12), the semiconductor layer is deposited on an upwardly facing surface (56) of the glass sheet substrate (G) while another embodiment of the apparatus (12a) deposits the semiconductor layer on a downwardly facing surface (54) of the substrate.