AU2002358050B2 - Baking oven for photovoltaic devices - Google Patents
Baking oven for photovoltaic devices Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU2002358050B2 AU2002358050B2 AU2002358050A AU2002358050A AU2002358050B2 AU 2002358050 B2 AU2002358050 B2 AU 2002358050B2 AU 2002358050 A AU2002358050 A AU 2002358050A AU 2002358050 A AU2002358050 A AU 2002358050A AU 2002358050 B2 AU2002358050 B2 AU 2002358050B2
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- oven
- semiconductor material
- rolls
- housing
- oven according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67098—Apparatus for thermal treatment
- H01L21/67109—Apparatus for thermal treatment mainly by convection
Description
1 BAKING OVEN FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES SThe present invention relates to a baking oven for photovoltaic devices e starting from semiconductor material.
d) A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was, in Australia, known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the claims.
For the production of photovoltaic devices, commonly known as solar cells, 00 (3O n slices of semiconductor material of varying thicknesses, are used.
c( 10 The production of these photovoltaic devices involves, among the different types of treatment, various baking processes of the material, whose function is to fix doping elements, dispersed in solutions or in serigraphic pastes, or metallic contacts, onto the semiconductor.
In order to effect these baking processes, continuous ovens are used, i.e.
ovens in which the material is charged and processed without any interruption.
The introduction of the semiconductor material into these ovens is typically carried out using a chain which, pulled by two rolls outside the muffle, passes through the oven.
The apparatus described above, however, has various disadvantages, of which the most important are: the chain is normally made of a metallic material which can cause contaminations on the part of metallic impurities in the semiconductor material treated; the temperature profiles at which the semiconductor material is subjected, depend on the transport chain. This generally has a thermal inertia higher than that of the semiconductor material to be baked and consequently when moving, carries with it a considerable quantity of heat. Strongly varying profiles (for example 10-20OC/s) often necessary for optimal processes, can only be obtained with great difficulty.
The Applicant is aware of patent application EP 1010960, which relates to a baking oven for photovoltaic devices which is based on the non-interaction of the entrainment system with the heating system of the oven. In particular, the rolls, which are made of quartz, are moved by means of a chain or belt, not individual, by friction.
P:\UserBelindaBEI72OO4572045 SPECI .doc 2 Operating according to this patent, baking profiles are obtained by means of lamp heating, which can cause problems of stability and consequently (Ni e uniformity; the entrainment, moreover, can be subjected to non-uniformity as the d) movement of the rolls is not individual. Furthermore, the quartz rolls transparent to 5 radiation selected for the heating of the semiconductors, are extremely expensive. (Ni According to the present invention, there is provided a baking oven for photovoltaic devices starting from semiconductor material wherein the entrainment In of the semiconductor material inside the oven is effected by means of a series of 00oO n rolls made of a ceramic material, which rotate on their own axis; said oven t'q N 10 including: a housing delimited by curved or flat lateral walls, a top, a bottom 0and side passages which allow the insertion of rolls; an electric engine which, by means of a shaft and belt drive, allows the contemporaneous movement of the rolls; a device for keeping the temperature inside the housing constant; an insulation system of the housing; a removal system of the gases formed during the baking process; the housing being a muffle consisting of ceramic material; and wherein the ceramic material is sintered silica.
Advantageously, the present invention can overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above drawbacks by using an oven in which the transporting of the semiconductor material through said oven, is effected by means of entrainment with ceramic rolls which rotate around their own axis by means of a shaft and belt drive.
The use of high purity ceramic material for the production of the rolls drastically reduces metallic contamination. Furthermore, as the rolls which move the semiconductor material are fixed in their position in the oven and the movement is transmitted by their rotation on their own axis, there are no temperature entrainment effects. In this way, even very sheer temperature profiles can be obtained.
Preferably, the distance between one roll and another inside the housing is such that the semiconductor material, during its rotating movement, rests on at least three of these.
The ceramic material used in the manufacturing of the oven is sintered silica, which is a material with a poor chemical interaction with the silicon.
The semiconductor material which can be used for the preparation of photovoltaic devices is preferably selected from slices of silicon, with thicknesses P:\UserBelinda\BEH720045\720045 SPECI .doc 3 of 100-500 microns, or semiconductor materials in thin layers (films) which Sthicknesses varying from a few microns to 100 microns.
SThe heating of the oven can be effected by the use of electric resistances or infrared lamps.
The temperatures inside the oven preferably range from 1000C to 1200C.
A description is provided of a typical embodiment of the invention with reference to figure 1. The embodiment is illustrative and should in no way be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.
00oO Figure 1 illustrates an oven consisting of a certain number of rolls in C 10 series made of sintered silica and the contemporaneous movement of all the rolls is due to an electric engine (16) by means of a shaft and belt drive (13, 11). The muffle and its top also made of sintered silica, are heated by a series of electrically-fed resistances The temperature is controlled with an electronic device to keep it constant. The oven is equipped with a frame which encloses the insulation system of the muffle, and has a removal system of the process fumes (18).
Roll Insulation Resistances Resistance support Muffle top Muffle Ball-bearing Bearing support Frame Shaft support (11) Crossed belt (12) Pulley (13) Shaft (14) Pinion Chain (16) Engine (17) Crown (18) Stack P:\User\Belinda BEH720045\720045 SPECI .doc 4 The devices obtained using the oven according to the present invention can provide the advantage that they are free of metallic contaminants and can be Scharacterized by an excellent quality, allowing them to be used, for example, for C the production of photovoltaic cells.
An example is provided hereunder for a better illustration of the functioning of the apparatus according to the invention.
EXAMPLE 1 An oven was produced for the diffusion of impurities of the phosphorous 00oO n type with an entrainment system consisting of 300 rolls in series, made of sintered silica. The contemporaneous movement of all the rolls is due to an electric engine (16) by means of a shaft and belt drive (13, 11). The muffle made of sintered silica is heated by a series of electrically-fed resistances The temperature is controlled with an electronic device for maintaining a constant value. On selecting a set point of 900 0 C, the variation observed was less than 0.5 0
C.
Slices of silicon on which a phosphorous doping agent had been deposited, were passed into the oven. The passage lasted about twenty minutes.
The silicon slices thus obtained had an excellent diffusion of phosphorous impurities and could be used for the production of high-quality photovoltaic cells.
P:UseBeindaXBEI72OO45X720045 SPECI doc
Claims (6)
1. A baking oven for photovoltaic devices starting from semiconductor material wherein the entrainment of the semiconductor material inside the oven is effected by means of a series of rolls made of a ceramic material, which rotate on their own axis; said oven including: In a housing delimited by curved or flat lateral walls, a top, a bottom and side 00 oO n passages which allow the insertion of rolls; C 10 an electric engine which, by means of a shaft and belt drive, allows the contemporaneous movement of the rolls; a device for keeping the temperature inside the housing constant; an insulation system of the housing; a removal system of the gases formed during the baking process; the housing being a muffle consisting of ceramic material; and wherein the ceramic material is sintered silica.
2. An oven according to claim 1, wherein the distance between one roll and another is such that the semiconductor material, in its rotating movement, rests on at least three of these.
3. An oven according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating is effected with electric resistances or with infrared lamps.
4. An oven according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the semiconductor material which can be used for the preparation of photovoltaic devices is selected from slices of silicon, with thicknesses of 100-500 microns, or semiconductor materials in thin layers (films) with thicknesses varying from a few microns to 100 microns.
An oven according to the embodiment substantially as herein described and illustrated.
6. An oven according to the embodiment substantially as herein described according to the Example. P:\UsekBeljnda\BEI720045\720045 SPECI doc
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITMI20012628 ITMI20012628A1 (en) | 2001-12-13 | 2001-12-13 | BAKING OVEN FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES |
| ITMI01A002628 | 2001-12-13 | ||
| PCT/EP2002/013372 WO2003054975A2 (en) | 2001-12-13 | 2002-11-27 | Baking oven for photovoltaic devices |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2002358050A1 AU2002358050A1 (en) | 2003-07-09 |
| AU2002358050B2 true AU2002358050B2 (en) | 2007-10-11 |
Family
ID=11448688
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2002358050A Ceased AU2002358050B2 (en) | 2001-12-13 | 2002-11-27 | Baking oven for photovoltaic devices |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP1454367A2 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP4511186B2 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN100356589C (en) |
| AU (1) | AU2002358050B2 (en) |
| IT (1) | ITMI20012628A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2003054975A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102008061537A1 (en) * | 2008-12-03 | 2010-06-10 | Aci-Ecotec Gmbh & Co. Kg | Curing device for photovoltaic thin-film solar cells |
| DE102009019127A1 (en) * | 2009-04-29 | 2011-05-05 | Eisenmann Anlagenbau Gmbh & Co. Kg | Furnace for producing thin-film photovoltaic cells |
| DE102010016512A1 (en) | 2010-04-19 | 2011-10-20 | Roth & Rau Ag | Flow-through system e.g. diffusion furnace, for heat treatment of glass panes in glass industry, has planar glass substrates comprising transport layers arranged one above other in process chamber, where substrates are processed by chamber |
| DE102010016509A1 (en) | 2010-04-19 | 2011-10-20 | Roth & Rau Ag | Flowthrough system for processing substrate in atmosphere, has gas inlets and gas outlets arranged on line parallel to rollers, where one of gas outlets is fixed on channels at transport direction while other gas outlet is placed on chamber |
| DE202010013032U1 (en) * | 2010-12-01 | 2011-02-17 | Roth & Rau Ag | transport roller |
| DE202011110836U1 (en) | 2011-02-21 | 2016-09-02 | Ctf Solar Gmbh | Device for coating substrates |
| US8720370B2 (en) | 2011-04-07 | 2014-05-13 | Dynamic Micro System Semiconductor Equipment GmbH | Methods and apparatuses for roll-on coating |
| US8739728B2 (en) | 2011-04-07 | 2014-06-03 | Dynamic Micro Systems, Semiconductor Equipment Gmbh | Methods and apparatuses for roll-on coating |
| US8795785B2 (en) | 2011-04-07 | 2014-08-05 | Dynamic Micro System | Methods and apparatuses for roll-on coating |
| CN102393139A (en) * | 2011-11-16 | 2012-03-28 | 杨桂玲 | Roller way type solar battery silicon wafer sintering furnace |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3867748A (en) * | 1974-03-07 | 1975-02-25 | Libbey Owens Ford Co | Supporting and driving frangible rollers |
| EP0908928A2 (en) * | 1997-10-09 | 1999-04-14 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Baking furnace and control method therefor |
| EP1010960A1 (en) * | 1998-12-17 | 2000-06-21 | O.T.B. Engineering B.V. | Furnace for heating articles |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2788957A (en) * | 1953-03-30 | 1957-04-16 | Drever Co | Refractory roller furnace conveyor system |
| US4343395A (en) * | 1977-11-10 | 1982-08-10 | Holcroft & Co. | Roller hearth furnace |
| JPS6332295U (en) * | 1986-08-12 | 1988-03-02 | ||
| JPH0714353Y2 (en) * | 1988-07-08 | 1995-04-05 | 中外炉工業株式会社 | Roller hearth type heat treatment furnace |
| DE3826523A1 (en) * | 1988-08-04 | 1990-02-08 | Juergen Gerlach | HEAT TREATMENT DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY MOVING MATERIAL |
| US5266027A (en) * | 1992-08-12 | 1993-11-30 | Ngk Insulators, Ltd. | Roller-hearth continuous furnace |
| JP2961295B2 (en) * | 1994-12-20 | 1999-10-12 | 光洋リンドバーグ株式会社 | Roller hearth furnace |
| CN1107618C (en) * | 1999-09-03 | 2003-05-07 | 北新建材(集团)有限公司 | Automatic plate packing line |
-
2001
- 2001-12-13 IT ITMI20012628 patent/ITMI20012628A1/en unknown
-
2002
- 2002-11-27 CN CNB028246241A patent/CN100356589C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-11-27 JP JP2003555596A patent/JP4511186B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-11-27 AU AU2002358050A patent/AU2002358050B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2002-11-27 EP EP02791725A patent/EP1454367A2/en not_active Ceased
- 2002-11-27 WO PCT/EP2002/013372 patent/WO2003054975A2/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3867748A (en) * | 1974-03-07 | 1975-02-25 | Libbey Owens Ford Co | Supporting and driving frangible rollers |
| EP0908928A2 (en) * | 1997-10-09 | 1999-04-14 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Baking furnace and control method therefor |
| EP1010960A1 (en) * | 1998-12-17 | 2000-06-21 | O.T.B. Engineering B.V. | Furnace for heating articles |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JP4511186B2 (en) | 2010-07-28 |
| WO2003054975A3 (en) | 2004-01-08 |
| CN1602554A (en) | 2005-03-30 |
| CN100356589C (en) | 2007-12-19 |
| WO2003054975A2 (en) | 2003-07-03 |
| JP2005513406A (en) | 2005-05-12 |
| ITMI20012628A1 (en) | 2003-06-13 |
| AU2002358050A1 (en) | 2003-07-09 |
| EP1454367A2 (en) | 2004-09-08 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) | ||
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |