WO2006023262A2 - Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition - Google Patents

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2006023262A2
WO2006023262A2 PCT/US2005/027368 US2005027368W WO2006023262A2 WO 2006023262 A2 WO2006023262 A2 WO 2006023262A2 US 2005027368 W US2005027368 W US 2005027368W WO 2006023262 A2 WO2006023262 A2 WO 2006023262A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
substrate
atmospheric pressure
semiconductor material
degrees
fluid mixture
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2005/027368
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2006023262A3 (en
Inventor
Norman W. Johnston
Original Assignee
Solar Fields, Llc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to CA2577304A priority Critical patent/CA2577304C/en
Priority to MX2007001914A priority patent/MX2007001914A/en
Priority to US11/573,768 priority patent/US7635647B2/en
Priority to CN2005800282420A priority patent/CN101432457B/en
Priority to EP05782453.4A priority patent/EP1799878B1/en
Priority to JP2007527845A priority patent/JP5026971B2/en
Priority to ES05782453.4T priority patent/ES2467161T3/en
Priority to PL05782453T priority patent/PL1799878T3/en
Application filed by Solar Fields, Llc filed Critical Solar Fields, Llc
Priority to KR1020077003864A priority patent/KR101119863B1/en
Priority to BRPI0514490-6A priority patent/BRPI0514490A/en
Publication of WO2006023262A2 publication Critical patent/WO2006023262A2/en
Priority to TNP2007000064A priority patent/TNSN07064A1/en
Priority to IL181394A priority patent/IL181394A/en
Publication of WO2006023262A3 publication Critical patent/WO2006023262A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/06—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the coating material
    • C23C14/0623—Sulfides, selenides or tellurides
    • C23C14/0629—Sulfides, selenides or tellurides of zinc, cadmium or mercury
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/22—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
    • C23C14/228—Gas flow assisted PVD deposition
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/22—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
    • C23C14/56—Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
    • C23C14/562—Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks for coating elongated substrates
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/58—After-treatment
    • C23C14/5806—Thermal treatment
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00—Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/58—After-treatment
    • C23C14/5846—Reactive treatment
    • 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
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02367—Substrates
    • H01L21/0237—Materials
    • H01L21/02422—Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
    • 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
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
    • H01L21/02521—Materials
    • 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
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
    • H01L21/02521—Materials
    • H01L21/02551—Group 12/16 materials
    • H01L21/02557—Sulfides
    • 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
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02518—Deposited layers
    • H01L21/02521—Materials
    • H01L21/02551—Group 12/16 materials
    • H01L21/02562—Tellurides
    • 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
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02365—Forming inorganic semiconducting materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02612—Formation types
    • H01L21/02617—Deposition types
    • H01L21/02631—Physical deposition at reduced pressure, e.g. MBE, sputtering, evaporation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers
    • H01L31/072—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
    • H01L31/073—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type comprising only AIIBVI compound semiconductors, e.g. CdS/CdTe solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers
    • H01L31/072—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
    • H01L31/0749—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by potential barriers the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type including a AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CdS/CulnSe2 [CIS] heterojunction solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/1828—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof the active layers comprising only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, CdTe
    • H01L31/1836—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof the active layers comprising only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, CdTe comprising a growth substrate not being an AIIBVI compound
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/186—Particular post-treatment for the devices, e.g. annealing, impurity gettering, short-circuit elimination, recrystallisation
    • H01L31/1872—Recrystallisation
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/541—CuInSe2 material PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/543—Solar cells from Group II-VI materials
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the deposition of a vaporized chemical material on a substrate, and more particularly to a process for depositing a vaporized chemical material on a substrate at atmospheric pressure.
  • Chemical vapor deposition processes such as pyrolytic processes and hydrolytic processes are well known in art of coating substrates.
  • the physical characteristics of the coating reactants utilized in such processes may be liquid, vapor, liquids or solids dispersed in gaseous mixtures, aerosols, or vaporized or vaporous coating reactants dispersed in gaseous mixtures.
  • the vaporized chemical compound is typically deposited in a vacuum atmosphere.
  • the systems for carrying out such process have typically included a housing having an enclosed deposition chamber formed of a lower portion and an upper portion with a horizontal junction with each other.
  • a seal assembly is interposed at the junction between the lower and upper housings.
  • a conveyor means is provided to transport glass sheet substrates through the chamber.
  • a chemical vapor distributor is located within the deposition chamber to provide a coating on the glass substrate as the substrate passes through the chamber.
  • the system includes a vacuum source for drawing a vacuum within the deposition chamber.
  • the deposition chamber typically includes elongate heaters for heating the glass sheets as they are conveyed through the system.
  • the glass sheets pass into the deposition chamber from a vacuum-heating furnace to the vacuum deposition chamber that is maintained at a similar vacuum and temperature setting as the heating furnace.
  • Powdered cadmium sulfide and powdered cadmium telluride are fed into the vaporization deposition chamber. The films are then deposited onto the previously coated and heated glass substrates sequentially.
  • the coated substrates are next transferred through a load lock and thence into a cooling chamber wherein cooling is effected by compressed nitrogen and finally conveyed to atmosphere pressure though an exit load lock to an air cooling section for reduction to ambient temperature.
  • the cadmium telluride thin- film material requires a follow-on processing step to re-crystallize its polycrystalline structure so that effective photovoltaic devices can be made from the film stack. Typically this step is accomplished by applying a solution of cadmium chloride to the cadmium telluride surface of the cooled coated glass and re-heating the glass to a temperature of about 390 0 C to 42O 0 C for a period of about 15 to 20 minutes. Care must be taken to slowly heat and cool the glass to avoid breakage during this treatment which extends the overall process time of the required step.
  • the photovoltaic materials are subsequently treated to re-crystallize the cadmium telluride surface making the film stack ready for further processing into photovoltaic devices. While the above-described system is capable of producing photovoltaic panels suitable for the production of electrical energy, it would be desirable to reduce the cost for such production to render the system commercially viable.
  • Another object of the present invention is to produce a photovoltaic panel by vaporizing cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride and depositing the same on the surface of a heated substrate to form a first thin film of cadmium sulfide and a second thin film of cadmium telluride at atmospheric pressure.
  • Another object of the present invention is to produce a photovoltaic panel by rapid high temperature re-crystallization of the thin-film cadmium telluride polycrystalline material to yield high efficiency photovoltaic devices.
  • a process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure comprising the steps of: (1) providing sources of semiconductor materials such as cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride; (2) heating and vaporizing the semiconductor materials at substantially atmospheric pressure, and maintaining the vaporized materials at temperatures above their temperatures of condensation; and (3) sequentially depositing the vaporized materials on a heated surface of a substrate such as glass at substantially atmospheric pressure, to form a laminar structure.
  • a cadmium telluride layer may be treated with a reactive gas to effect a re-crystallization of the cadmium telluride.
  • Subsequent processing of the laminar film stack may be accomplished to produce active thin-film photovoltaic devices.
  • Individually metered masses of semiconductor material preferably cadmium sulfide (CdS) or cadmium telluride (CdTe) in powdered form, are introduced into a zone which is continuously purged by a stream of inert gas, preferably nitrogen, flowing between an inlet and an outlet at approximately atmospheric pressure.
  • the powder is carried from the inlet, by the inert gas flowing at a controlled rate, into a vaporizer consisting of a heated packed bed in which the powder is vaporized as it passes through the interstitial voids of the packed bed's media.
  • the outlet of the heated packed bed is caused to communicate with the interior of a heated zone to distribute the vaporized material to the substrate.
  • Alternative powder vaporization methods through which the metered powder mass and carrier inert gas are heated may be employed for generating the vaporized material fluid stream.
  • the alternative methods may include, but are not necessarily limited to, heated fluidized beds in which the carrier inert gas is heated and the powder is vaporized, thermal "flash" vaporizers that heat the carrier inert gas and vaporize the powder, and atmospheric pressure thermal spray units that heat the carrier inert gas and vaporize the powder.
  • the fluid preferably including cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride powder and the carrier inert gas, is a high temperature flowing mixture comprising the carrier inert gas and vaporized material at a temperature above its condensation temperature.
  • the temperature of the fluid mixture is typically in a range of from about 800 0 C to about I 5 IOO 0 C.
  • the heated fluid mixture is then directed into an apparatus for producing a laminar flow of constant velocity toward the surface of a substrate at substantially atmospheric pressure.
  • the substrate is typically a soda- lime glass, preferably having a low-E coating that is transparent and electrically conductive.
  • An example of such glass is produced by Pilkington Glass Co. and is designated as TEC- 15.
  • the surface of the substrate is maintained at a temperature of from about 585°C to about 650°C.
  • the apparatus for producing the desired laminar flow of fluid mixture comprises of a series of individual passageways adapted to cause a series of velocity changes in the transient fluid as the fluid flows through the passageways.
  • the apparatus is maintained above the vaporization temperature of the cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride, to prevent condensation of the material within the passageways.
  • Such fluid flow evenly distributes the fluid mixture to an elongate outlet nozzle, and enables uniform laminar flow at constant mass flow distribution to flow tangentially of and supplied to the surface of the substrate.
  • the above action causes the molecules of the fluid mixture to be evenly distributed throughout the length of the elongate outlet nozzle, and causes the molecules to travel from the outlet nozzle in a generally parallel path and at a constant velocity, producing a laminar flow of constant velocity and mass distribution directed toward the substrate.
  • the velocity of the fluid mixture exiting the outlet nozzle may be regulated by controlling the mass flow rate at which the fluid mixture is introduced at the inlet.
  • the mass flow rate of the fluid mixture and the velocity of the substrate are controlled while controlling the temperature of the substrate below the vaporized material's condensation point.
  • the heated fluid mixture impinges onto the cooler substrate, it cools to a temperature below the condensation temperature of the vaporized material.
  • the material condenses from the fluid mixture, in a polycrystalline form, onto the moving substrate as a continuous thin-film layer.
  • a fluid extraction device is disposed upstream and downstream of the outlet nozzle, to enable the controlled withdrawal of the non-film generating constituents of the fluid mixture directed to the surfaces of the substrate.
  • a re-crystallization step would be required to allow the production of photovoltaic devices from the laminar thin-film stack. It has been found that this step can be achieved in less than one minute by subjecting the hot cadmium telluride film to a hot gaseous atmosphere of dilute hydrogen chloride in nitrogen at substantially one atmosphere of pressure.
  • the ability to control the re- crystallization of the cadmium telluride while maintaining the temperature of the substrate eliminates cool-down and re-heating of the substrate/film-stack assembly during the re-crystallization step.
  • a glass substrate exiting the in-line re-crystallization process would have a temperature from about 62O 0 C to about 630 0 C. This temperature range allows the glass to be thermally tempered by cool quenching gas flows as the substrate/film-stack exits the processing line.
  • the above-described process relates to a method for producing a thin- film cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride photovoltaic material on the surface of a soda-lime glass substrate, to provide large area photovoltaic panels.
  • the concept of atmospheric vapor deposition can be extended to include other thin-film materials that are normally deposited in a vacuum.
  • Thin-film photovoltaic materials that could be considered are CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-diselenide), CdS/CIS-alloy (cadmium sulfide/copper- indium-selenium alloy), amorphous silicon or thin-film polycrystalline silicon, and Zn (O, S 5 OHyCIGS (zinc oxide sulfide hydroxide/copper-indium-gallium- diselenide).
  • Other thin-film materials that can be considered for application to glass substrates are optical coatings such as multi-layer stacks used for very low emissivity films and anti-reflection films.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
  • Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
  • Electrodes Of Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Physical Deposition Of Substances That Are Components Of Semiconductor Devices (AREA)

Abstract

A process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure comprises the steps of vaporizing a controlled mass of semiconductor material at substantially atmospheric pressure within a heated inert gas stream, to create a fluid mixture having a temperature above the condensation temperature of the semiconductor material, directing the fluid mixture at substantially atmospheric pressure onto the substrate having a temperature below the condensation temperature of the semiconductor material, and depositing a layer of the semiconductor material onto a surface of the substrate.

Description

TITLE
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Serial No. 60/602,405, filed August 18, 2004.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the deposition of a vaporized chemical material on a substrate, and more particularly to a process for depositing a vaporized chemical material on a substrate at atmospheric pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Chemical vapor deposition processes such as pyrolytic processes and hydrolytic processes are well known in art of coating substrates. The physical characteristics of the coating reactants utilized in such processes may be liquid, vapor, liquids or solids dispersed in gaseous mixtures, aerosols, or vaporized or vaporous coating reactants dispersed in gaseous mixtures. [0004] In the process of deposition of a vaporized chemical compound on a glass substrate in the production of photovoltaic devices, the vaporized chemical compound is typically deposited in a vacuum atmosphere. The systems for carrying out such process have typically included a housing having an enclosed deposition chamber formed of a lower portion and an upper portion with a horizontal junction with each other. A seal assembly is interposed at the junction between the lower and upper housings. A conveyor means is provided to transport glass sheet substrates through the chamber. A chemical vapor distributor is located within the deposition chamber to provide a coating on the glass substrate as the substrate passes through the chamber.
[0005] The system includes a vacuum source for drawing a vacuum within the deposition chamber. The deposition chamber typically includes elongate heaters for heating the glass sheets as they are conveyed through the system. The glass sheets pass into the deposition chamber from a vacuum-heating furnace to the vacuum deposition chamber that is maintained at a similar vacuum and temperature setting as the heating furnace. Powdered cadmium sulfide and powdered cadmium telluride are fed into the vaporization deposition chamber. The films are then deposited onto the previously coated and heated glass substrates sequentially. The coated substrates are next transferred through a load lock and thence into a cooling chamber wherein cooling is effected by compressed nitrogen and finally conveyed to atmosphere pressure though an exit load lock to an air cooling section for reduction to ambient temperature. The cadmium telluride thin- film material requires a follow-on processing step to re-crystallize its polycrystalline structure so that effective photovoltaic devices can be made from the film stack. Typically this step is accomplished by applying a solution of cadmium chloride to the cadmium telluride surface of the cooled coated glass and re-heating the glass to a temperature of about 3900C to 42O0C for a period of about 15 to 20 minutes. Care must be taken to slowly heat and cool the glass to avoid breakage during this treatment which extends the overall process time of the required step.
[0006] Since it is well recognized that renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly more important, it is deemed that commercial production of photovoltaic devices for the generation of electrical energy is important in satisfying the renewable energy needs. The utilization of thin-film coatings of semiconductor materials on glass substrates is considered to be a viable mechanism in the field of photovoltaic-based electrical energy generation systems. [0007] It has been found that thin-film coating systems, based upon the above referred to technology, are capable of depositing thin film of cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride photovoltaic material onto commercially available soda- lime glass substrates in a vacuum. The photovoltaic materials are subsequently treated to re-crystallize the cadmium telluride surface making the film stack ready for further processing into photovoltaic devices. While the above-described system is capable of producing photovoltaic panels suitable for the production of electrical energy, it would be desirable to reduce the cost for such production to render the system commercially viable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to produce a photovoltaic panel by depositing thin-films of semiconductor materials from chemical vapors on a substrate at atmospheric pressure.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to produce a photovoltaic panel by vaporizing cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride and depositing the same on the surface of a heated substrate to form a first thin film of cadmium sulfide and a second thin film of cadmium telluride at atmospheric pressure. [0010] Another object of the present invention is to produce a photovoltaic panel by rapid high temperature re-crystallization of the thin-film cadmium telluride polycrystalline material to yield high efficiency photovoltaic devices. [0011] It has surprisingly been found that the above objects may be achieved by a process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: (1) providing sources of semiconductor materials such as cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride; (2) heating and vaporizing the semiconductor materials at substantially atmospheric pressure, and maintaining the vaporized materials at temperatures above their temperatures of condensation; and (3) sequentially depositing the vaporized materials on a heated surface of a substrate such as glass at substantially atmospheric pressure, to form a laminar structure. Optionally, while the laminar structure is still substantially at the temperature of deposition and at substantially atmospheric pressure, a cadmium telluride layer may be treated with a reactive gas to effect a re-crystallization of the cadmium telluride. Subsequent processing of the laminar film stack may be accomplished to produce active thin-film photovoltaic devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0012] The above as well as other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:
[0013] The drawing shows in schematic form the inventive steps of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0014] Referring to the drawing, there is schematically illustrated the steps of the process for coating a surface of a substrate with a film of cadmium telluride at atmospheric pressure.
[0015] Individually metered masses of semiconductor material, preferably cadmium sulfide (CdS) or cadmium telluride (CdTe) in powdered form, are introduced into a zone which is continuously purged by a stream of inert gas, preferably nitrogen, flowing between an inlet and an outlet at approximately atmospheric pressure. The powder is carried from the inlet, by the inert gas flowing at a controlled rate, into a vaporizer consisting of a heated packed bed in which the powder is vaporized as it passes through the interstitial voids of the packed bed's media. The outlet of the heated packed bed is caused to communicate with the interior of a heated zone to distribute the vaporized material to the substrate. Alternative powder vaporization methods through which the metered powder mass and carrier inert gas are heated may be employed for generating the vaporized material fluid stream. The alternative methods may include, but are not necessarily limited to, heated fluidized beds in which the carrier inert gas is heated and the powder is vaporized, thermal "flash" vaporizers that heat the carrier inert gas and vaporize the powder, and atmospheric pressure thermal spray units that heat the carrier inert gas and vaporize the powder. [0016] The fluid, preferably including cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride powder and the carrier inert gas, is a high temperature flowing mixture comprising the carrier inert gas and vaporized material at a temperature above its condensation temperature. The temperature of the fluid mixture is typically in a range of from about 8000C to about I5IOO0C. The heated fluid mixture is then directed into an apparatus for producing a laminar flow of constant velocity toward the surface of a substrate at substantially atmospheric pressure. The substrate is typically a soda- lime glass, preferably having a low-E coating that is transparent and electrically conductive. An example of such glass is produced by Pilkington Glass Co. and is designated as TEC- 15. The surface of the substrate is maintained at a temperature of from about 585°C to about 650°C.
[0017] The apparatus for producing the desired laminar flow of fluid mixture comprises of a series of individual passageways adapted to cause a series of velocity changes in the transient fluid as the fluid flows through the passageways. The apparatus is maintained above the vaporization temperature of the cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride, to prevent condensation of the material within the passageways. Such fluid flow evenly distributes the fluid mixture to an elongate outlet nozzle, and enables uniform laminar flow at constant mass flow distribution to flow tangentially of and supplied to the surface of the substrate. The above action causes the molecules of the fluid mixture to be evenly distributed throughout the length of the elongate outlet nozzle, and causes the molecules to travel from the outlet nozzle in a generally parallel path and at a constant velocity, producing a laminar flow of constant velocity and mass distribution directed toward the substrate.
[0018] The velocity of the fluid mixture exiting the outlet nozzle may be regulated by controlling the mass flow rate at which the fluid mixture is introduced at the inlet.
[0019] In order to control the thin-film deposition rate of the vaporized material within the fluid emitted from the apparatus being applied to the substrate, the mass flow rate of the fluid mixture and the velocity of the substrate are controlled while controlling the temperature of the substrate below the vaporized material's condensation point. As the heated fluid mixture impinges onto the cooler substrate, it cools to a temperature below the condensation temperature of the vaporized material. The material condenses from the fluid mixture, in a polycrystalline form, onto the moving substrate as a continuous thin-film layer. A fluid extraction device is disposed upstream and downstream of the outlet nozzle, to enable the controlled withdrawal of the non-film generating constituents of the fluid mixture directed to the surfaces of the substrate. [0020] While there may be a number of different systems for evenly distributing the vaporized cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride on the surface of the transient glass substrate, it is contemplated that the apparatus illustrated and described in U.S. Patent 4,509,526 to Hofer et al. may provide satisfactory results. [0021] The deposition of any number of consecutive layers of cadmium sulfide and/or cadmium telluride by the apparatus described above, to prepare a laminar structure, is contemplated by the present invention.
[0022] Subsequent to the deposition of a cadmium telluride polycrystalline thin-film, a re-crystallization step would be required to allow the production of photovoltaic devices from the laminar thin-film stack. It has been found that this step can be achieved in less than one minute by subjecting the hot cadmium telluride film to a hot gaseous atmosphere of dilute hydrogen chloride in nitrogen at substantially one atmosphere of pressure. The ability to control the re- crystallization of the cadmium telluride while maintaining the temperature of the substrate eliminates cool-down and re-heating of the substrate/film-stack assembly during the re-crystallization step. The use of a "dry" re-crystallization step eliminates the use of a toxic cadmium chloride solution and its application apparatus. Typically, a glass substrate exiting the in-line re-crystallization process would have a temperature from about 62O0C to about 6300C. This temperature range allows the glass to be thermally tempered by cool quenching gas flows as the substrate/film-stack exits the processing line.
[0023] The above-described process relates to a method for producing a thin- film cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride photovoltaic material on the surface of a soda-lime glass substrate, to provide large area photovoltaic panels. However, it must be understood that the concept of atmospheric vapor deposition can be extended to include other thin-film materials that are normally deposited in a vacuum.
[0024] Thin-film photovoltaic materials that could be considered are CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-diselenide), CdS/CIS-alloy (cadmium sulfide/copper- indium-selenium alloy), amorphous silicon or thin-film polycrystalline silicon, and Zn (O, S5 OHyCIGS (zinc oxide sulfide hydroxide/copper-indium-gallium- diselenide). [0025] Other thin-film materials that can be considered for application to glass substrates are optical coatings such as multi-layer stacks used for very low emissivity films and anti-reflection films. Other value added features such as improved durability films, self-cleaning films, photo-optic, and electro-optic films could be developed using the inventive atmospheric pressure deposition concept. [0026] The process of atmospheric pressure deposition of thin-film materials could be applied to a variety of substrate materials for enhancement of their surface properties. Substrates that could be considered include polymeric materials, ceramics, metals, wood, and others.

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: vaporizing a controlled mass of semiconductor material at substantially atmospheric pressure within a heated inert gas stream, to create a fluid mixture having a temperature above the condensation temperature of the semiconductor material; directing the fluid mixture at substantially atmospheric pressure onto the substrate having a temperature below the condensation temperature of the semiconductor material; and depositing a layer of the semiconductor material onto a surface of the substrate.
2. The process according to Claim I5 wherein the semiconductor material comprises cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride.
3. The process according to Claim 1, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen.
4. The process according to Claim 1, wherein the temperature of the fluid mixture ranges from about 800 degrees C to about 1,100 degrees C.
5. The process according to Claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises glass.
6. The process according to Claim 5, wherein the glass bears a transparent, electrically conductive low-E coating.
7. The process according to Claim I5 wherein the substrate has a temperature ranging from about 585 degrees C to about 650 degrees C.
8. The process according to Claim I5 wherein the steps of vaporizing, directing, and depositing are repeated at least once, to deposit at least one additional layer of semiconductor material on the substrate.
9. A process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: vaporizing a controlled mass of semiconductor material, comprising cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride, at substantially atmospheric pressure within a heated nitrogen gas stream, to create a fluid mixture having a temperature ranging from about 800 degrees C to about 1,100 degrees C; directing the fluid mixture at substantially atmospheric pressure onto a glass substrate bearing a transparent, electrically conductive low-E coating and having a temperature ranging from about 585 degrees C to about 650 degrees C; and depositing a layer of the semiconductor material onto a surface of the substrate.
10. The process according to Claim 9, wherein the steps of vaporizing, directing, and depositing are repeated at least once, to deposit at least one additional layer of semiconductor material onto the substrate.
11. A process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure, comprising the steps of: vaporizing a controlled mass of semiconductor material, comprising cadmium sulfide or cadmium telluride, at substantially atmospheric pressure within a heated nitrogen gas stream, to create a fluid mixture having a temperature ranging from about 800 degrees C to about 1,100 degrees C; directing the fluid mixture at substantially atmospheric pressure onto a glass substrate bearing a transparent, electrically conductive low-E coating and having a temperature ranging from about 585 degrees C to about 650 degrees C; depositing a layer of the semiconductor material onto a surface of the substrate; and repeating the steps of vaporizing, directing, and depositing at least once, to deposit at least one additional layer of semiconductor material onto the substrate.
PCT/US2005/027368 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition WO2006023262A2 (en)

Priority Applications (12)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES05782453.4T ES2467161T3 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Chemical deposition in vapor phase at atmospheric pressure
US11/573,768 US7635647B2 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
CN2005800282420A CN101432457B (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
EP05782453.4A EP1799878B1 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
JP2007527845A JP5026971B2 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure
CA2577304A CA2577304C (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
PL05782453T PL1799878T3 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
MX2007001914A MX2007001914A (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition.
KR1020077003864A KR101119863B1 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
BRPI0514490-6A BRPI0514490A (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure, and process for coating a substrate at atmospheric pressure
TNP2007000064A TNSN07064A1 (en) 2004-08-18 2007-02-15 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
IL181394A IL181394A (en) 2004-08-18 2007-02-18 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US60240504P 2004-08-18 2004-08-18
US60/602,405 2004-08-18

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2006023262A2 true WO2006023262A2 (en) 2006-03-02
WO2006023262A3 WO2006023262A3 (en) 2009-04-02

Family

ID=35968050

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2005/027371 WO2006023263A2 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
PCT/US2005/027368 WO2006023262A2 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2005/027371 WO2006023263A2 (en) 2004-08-18 2005-08-02 Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition

Country Status (17)

Country Link
US (2) US7674713B2 (en)
EP (2) EP1794349A2 (en)
JP (3) JP5026971B2 (en)
KR (1) KR101119863B1 (en)
CN (2) CN101432458A (en)
BR (1) BRPI0514490A (en)
CA (2) CA2577307A1 (en)
ES (1) ES2467161T3 (en)
IL (1) IL181394A (en)
MA (1) MA29364B1 (en)
MX (2) MX2007001914A (en)
PL (1) PL1799878T3 (en)
PT (1) PT1799878E (en)
RU (1) RU2421418C2 (en)
TN (1) TNSN07064A1 (en)
WO (2) WO2006023263A2 (en)
ZA (1) ZA200701374B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102010028277A1 (en) 2010-04-27 2011-10-27 Calyxo Gmbh Method and device for producing a glass pane coated with a semiconductor material

Families Citing this family (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9252318B2 (en) 2008-03-05 2016-02-02 Hanergy Hi-Tech Power (Hk) Limited Solution containment during buffer layer deposition
WO2009111054A1 (en) * 2008-03-05 2009-09-11 Global Solar Energy, Inc. Solution containment during buffer layer deposition
WO2009111055A1 (en) * 2008-03-05 2009-09-11 Global Solar Energy, Inc. Feedback for buffer layer deposition
WO2009111052A1 (en) * 2008-03-05 2009-09-11 Global Solar Energy, Inc. Heating for buffer layer deposition
US8062922B2 (en) * 2008-03-05 2011-11-22 Global Solar Energy, Inc. Buffer layer deposition for thin-film solar cells
CA2649322C (en) * 2008-09-30 2011-02-01 5N Plus Inc. Cadmium telluride production process
MY152036A (en) * 2008-12-08 2014-08-15 Calyxo Gmbh Thin-film deposition and recirculation of a semi-conductor material
US20110207301A1 (en) * 2010-02-19 2011-08-25 Kormanyos Kenneth R Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition with saturation control
CN103329245B (en) * 2010-12-17 2016-09-07 第一太阳能有限公司 Photovoltaic devices
WO2012158443A2 (en) 2011-05-13 2012-11-22 Sheperak Thomas J Plasma directed electron beam wound care system apparatus and method
DE102012102492A1 (en) 2012-03-22 2013-09-26 Calyxo Gmbh Thin layer solar cell for converting irradiated light into electrical power, has semiconductor layer provided on another dispersed semiconductor layer, where transition of carriers into conductive layer is not carried out at contact surface
US9324898B2 (en) 2012-09-25 2016-04-26 Alliance For Sustainable Energy, Llc Varying cadmium telluride growth temperature during deposition to increase solar cell reliability
TWI485276B (en) * 2013-12-05 2015-05-21 Nat Inst Chung Shan Science & Technology Evaporation apparatus with improved selenium compound film growing quality
CN106319479B (en) * 2015-07-06 2018-07-13 北大方正集团有限公司 Belt positioning device and aumospheric pressure cvd equipment
DE102017107836A1 (en) 2017-04-11 2018-10-11 Calyxo Gmbh Method and device for gas-phase deposition of layers
RU2683177C1 (en) * 2017-10-05 2019-03-26 Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает Государственная корпорация по космической деятельности "РОСКОСМОС" Method for plasma deposition of nanostructured heat shield

Family Cites Families (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4504526A (en) 1983-09-26 1985-03-12 Libbey-Owens-Ford Company Apparatus and method for producing a laminar flow of constant velocity fluid along a substrate
US5501744A (en) * 1992-01-13 1996-03-26 Photon Energy, Inc. Photovoltaic cell having a p-type polycrystalline layer with large crystals
US5248349A (en) * 1992-05-12 1993-09-28 Solar Cells, Inc. Process for making photovoltaic devices and resultant product
WO1997045880A1 (en) * 1996-05-28 1997-12-04 Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. METHOD FOR FORMING CdTe FILM AND SOLAR BATTERY USING THE FILM
JPH10303445A (en) * 1997-04-28 1998-11-13 Matsushita Denchi Kogyo Kk Manufacture of cdte film and solar battery using the same
US6037241A (en) * 1998-02-19 2000-03-14 First Solar, Llc Apparatus and method for depositing a semiconductor material
JP2001223209A (en) * 2000-02-08 2001-08-17 Seiko Epson Corp Method of manufacturing insulating, semiconducting, and conducting thin films
EP1176644B1 (en) * 2000-07-26 2007-12-19 ANTEC Solar Energy AG Method to activate CdTe thin film solar cells
CA2462590A1 (en) * 2001-10-05 2003-04-17 Solar Systems & Equipments S.R.L. A process for large-scale production of cdte/cds thin film solar cells
US7931937B2 (en) 2005-04-26 2011-04-26 First Solar, Inc. System and method for depositing a material on a substrate
US7927659B2 (en) * 2005-04-26 2011-04-19 First Solar, Inc. System and method for depositing a material on a substrate

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of EP1799878A4 *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102010028277A1 (en) 2010-04-27 2011-10-27 Calyxo Gmbh Method and device for producing a glass pane coated with a semiconductor material
WO2011134617A1 (en) 2010-04-27 2011-11-03 Calyxo Gmbh Process and apparatus for producing a glass sheet coated with a semiconductor material
US9076901B2 (en) 2010-04-27 2015-07-07 Calyxo Gmbh Process and apparatus for producing a glass sheet coated with a semiconductor material

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2006023263A2 (en) 2006-03-02
IL181394A0 (en) 2008-04-13
EP1799878A4 (en) 2011-10-12
RU2007105817A (en) 2008-09-27
CA2577304C (en) 2012-04-03
US7674713B2 (en) 2010-03-09
EP1799878B1 (en) 2014-03-05
CA2577307A1 (en) 2006-03-02
CN101432458A (en) 2009-05-13
PL1799878T3 (en) 2014-08-29
ES2467161T3 (en) 2014-06-12
US20080153268A1 (en) 2008-06-26
IL181394A (en) 2013-05-30
JP2011233920A (en) 2011-11-17
JP2008514808A (en) 2008-05-08
MX2007001909A (en) 2008-10-24
KR101119863B1 (en) 2012-02-22
US7635647B2 (en) 2009-12-22
JP5026971B2 (en) 2012-09-19
EP1799878A2 (en) 2007-06-27
MA29364B1 (en) 2008-04-01
EP1794349A2 (en) 2007-06-13
ZA200701374B (en) 2008-04-30
CA2577304A1 (en) 2006-03-02
TNSN07064A1 (en) 2008-06-02
RU2421418C2 (en) 2011-06-20
KR20070074545A (en) 2007-07-12
WO2006023262A3 (en) 2009-04-02
BRPI0514490A (en) 2008-06-17
US20080311729A1 (en) 2008-12-18
CN101432457A (en) 2009-05-13
MX2007001914A (en) 2008-10-24
JP2008514809A (en) 2008-05-08
PT1799878E (en) 2014-06-09
CN101432457B (en) 2013-06-12
WO2006023263A3 (en) 2009-04-02

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA2577304C (en) Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition
US7910166B2 (en) System and method for depositing a material on a substrate
TWI555864B (en) Method and arrangement for providing chalcogens
EP0173715B1 (en) Method and apparatus for the gas jet deposition of conducting and dielectric thin solid films and products produced thereby
US9337376B2 (en) Method and apparatus providing multi-step deposition of thin film layer
US10147838B2 (en) Vapor transport deposition method and system for material co-deposition
US20160197226A1 (en) Method and apparatus providing single step vapor chloride treatment and photovoltaic modules
US8076224B2 (en) Thin-film deposition and recirculation of a semi-conductor material
CN108603277B (en) Method for depositing CdTe layers on substrates
US20110207301A1 (en) Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition with saturation control
US20120017983A1 (en) Buffer layer formation
KR20140061610A (en) Device for preparation of compound semiconductor, and the preparation method of compound semiconductor using the same
BRPI0514490B1 (en) Process for coating a substrate under atmospheric pressure
US9076901B2 (en) Process and apparatus for producing a glass sheet coated with a semiconductor material
RU2354006C1 (en) METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF THIN FILM OF COPPER AND INDIUM DISELENIDE CuInSe2

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BW BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE EG ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KM KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NA NG NI NO NZ OM PG PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SE SG SK SL SM SY TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): BW GH GM KE LS MW MZ NA SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 12007500389

Country of ref document: PH

Ref document number: 2577304

Country of ref document: CA

Ref document number: MX/a/2007/001914

Country of ref document: MX

Ref document number: 11573768

Country of ref document: US

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2007/01374

Country of ref document: ZA

Ref document number: 2007527845

Country of ref document: JP

Ref document number: 1020077003864

Country of ref document: KR

Ref document number: 200701374

Country of ref document: ZA

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 200580028242.0

Country of ref document: CN

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 181394

Country of ref document: IL

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 1313/DELNP/2007

Country of ref document: IN

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: DZP2007000127

Country of ref document: DZ

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2005782453

Country of ref document: EP

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2007105817

Country of ref document: RU

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 2005782453

Country of ref document: EP

ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref document number: PI0514490

Country of ref document: BR