| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080210301 | METAL CONTACT STRUCTURE FOR SOLAR CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE - In a solar cell having p doped regions and n doped regions alternately formed in a surface of a semiconductor wafer in offset levels through use of masking and etching techniques, metal contacts are made to the p regions and n regions by first forming a base layer contacting the p doped regions and n doped regions which functions as an antireflection layer, and then forming a barrier layer, such as titanium tungsten or chromium, and a conductive layer such as copper over the barrier layer. Preferably the conductive layer is a plating layer and the thickness thereof can be increased by plating. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080230372 | Deposition system with electrically isolated pallet and anode assemblies - A system for substrate deposition. The system includes a wafer pallet and an anode. The wafer pallet has a bottom and a top. The top of the wafer pallet is configured to hold a substrate wafer. The anode has a substantially fixed position relative to the wafer pallet and is configured to move with the wafer pallet through the deposition chamber. The anode is electrically isolated from the substrate wafer. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20090022572 | Cluster tool with a linear source - Systems and methods combining a cluster chamber with linear sources are described. A plurality of wafers is mounted on a pallet. A central robot in a cluster chamber moves the pallet among chambers connected to the cluster chamber chamber. At least one of the chambers connected to the cluster chamber includes a linear deposition source, the pallet moveable relative to the linear deposition source. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090134034 | PREVENTION OF SUBSTRATE EDGE PLATING IN A FOUNTAIN PLATING PROCESS - A plating apparatus and method for plating a surface of a substrate are described. Generally, the apparatus includes a double wall plating vessel having an inner cup and an outer cup peripherally surrounding and spaced apart from the inner cup. The inner cup has an inlet for receiving a plating solution and an outlet from which the plating solution overflows into a plenum defined between the inner and outer cups. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20120003788 | High Throughput Solar Cell Ablation System - A solar cell is formed using a solar cell ablation system. The ablation system includes a single laser source and several laser scanners. The laser scanners include a master laser scanner, with the rest of the laser scanners being slaved to the master laser scanner. A laser beam from the laser source is split into several laser beams, with the laser beams being scanned onto corresponding wafers using the laser scanners in accordance with one or more patterns. The laser beams may be scanned on the wafers using the same or different power levels of the laser source. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120067406 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A SOLAR CELL - Methods of fabricating solar cells are described. A porous layer may be formed on a surface of a substrate, the porous layer including a plurality of particles and a plurality of voids. A solution may be dispensed into one or more regions of the porous layer to provide a patterned composite layer. The substrate may then be heated. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120199474 | PREVENTION OF SUBSTRATE EDGE PLATING IN A FOUNTAIN PLATING PROCESS - A plating apparatus and method for plating a surface of a substrate are described. Generally, the apparatus includes a double wall plating vessel having an inner cup and an outer cup peripherally surrounding and spaced apart from the inner cup. The inner cup has an inlet for receiving a plating solution and an outlet from which the plating solution overflows into a plenum defined between the inner and outer cups. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120312791 | HIGH THROUGHPUT SOLAR CELL ABLATION SYSTEM - A solar cell is formed using a solar cell ablation system. The ablation system includes a single laser source and several laser scanners. The laser scanners include a master laser scanner, with the rest of the laser scanners being slaved to the master laser scanner. A laser beam from the laser source is split into several laser beams, with the laser beams being scanned onto corresponding wafers using the laser scanners in accordance with one or more patterns. The laser beams may be scanned on the wafers using the same or different power levels of the laser source. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20130081680 | SOLAR CELL WITH DOPED GROOVE REGIONS SEPARATED BY RIDGES - Solar cells with doped groove regions separated by ridges and methods of fabricating solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a surface with a plurality of grooves and ridges. A first doped region of a first conductivity type is disposed in a first of the grooves. A second doped region of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, is disposed in a second of the grooves. The first and second grooves are separated by one of the ridges. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130196464 | LASER SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE LASER PULSES FOR FABRICATION OF SOLAR CELLS - A laser system with multiple laser pulses for removing material from a solar cell being fabricated. The laser system includes a single pulse laser source and a multi-pulse generator. The multi-pulse generator receives a single pulse laser beam from the single pulse laser source and converts the single pulse laser beam into a multi-pulse laser beam. A laser scanner scans the multi-pulse laser beam onto the solar cell to remove material from the solar cell. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20140014499 | DEPOSITION SYSTEM WITH ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED PALLET AND ANODE ASSEMBLIES - A system for substrate deposition is disclosed. The system includes a wafer pallet and an anode. The wafer pallet has a bottom and a top. The top of the wafer pallet is configured to hold a substrate wafer. The anode has a substantially fixed position relative to the wafer pallet and is configured to move with the wafer pallet through the deposition chamber. The anode is electrically isolated from the substrate wafer. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140034455 | IN-LINE FURNACE CONVEYORS WITH INTEGRATED WAFER RETAINERS - In one embodiment, an in-line furnace includes a continuous conveyor configured to hold wafers at an angle relative to ground. The conveyor may have fixedly integrated wafer retainers configured to hold the wafers in slots. The conveyor may be formed by several segments that are joined together. Each of the segments may include a base and a set of wafer retainers formed thereon. The conveyor may be driven to move the wafers through a chamber of the furnace, where the wafers are thermally processed. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140127849 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A SOLAR CELL - Methods of fabricating solar cells are described. A porous layer may be formed on a surface of a substrate, the porous layer including a plurality of particles and a plurality of voids. A solution may be dispensed into one or more regions of the porous layer to provide a patterned composite layer. The substrate may then be heated. | 05-08-2014 |
