公开(公告)号：US08309374B2

公开(公告)日：2012-11-13

申请号：US12575088

申请日：2009-10-07

申请人： Keith Brian Porthouse ,  Peter G. Borden ,  Tristan R. Holtam ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Ian Scott Latchford ,  Derek Aqui ,  Vinay K. Shah

发明人： Keith Brian Porthouse ,  Peter G. Borden ,  Tristan R. Holtam ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Ian Scott Latchford ,  Derek Aqui ,  Vinay K. Shah

IPC分类号： H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/677

CPC分类号： H01L21/67236 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/67167 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67213 ,  H01L31/1876 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system, or cluster tool, for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. In one configuration, the film stack formed on each of the substrates in the batch contains one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal layers that are deposited and further processed within the various chambers contained in the substrate processing system. In one embodiment, a batch of solar cell substrates is simultaneously transferred in a vacuum or inert environment to prevent contamination from affecting the solar cell formation process.

摘要翻译： 本发明通常提供用于原位处理用于形成太阳能电池装置区域的薄膜叠层的批量基板处理系统或集群工具。 在一种构造中，在批次中形成在每个基板上的薄膜叠层包含一个或多个含硅层和一个或多个金属层，其在包含在基板处理系统中的各个室内被沉积和进一步处理。 在一个实施例中，一批太阳能电池基板在真空或惰性环境中同时转移，以防止污染影响太阳能电池的形成过程。

公开(公告)号：US20100087028A1

公开(公告)日：2010-04-08

申请号：US12575088

申请日：2009-10-07

申请人： Keith Brian Porthouse ,  Peter G. Borden ,  Tristan R. Holtam ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Ian Scott Latchford ,  Derek Aqui ,  Vinay K. Shah

发明人： Keith Brian Porthouse ,  Peter G. Borden ,  Tristan R. Holtam ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Ian Scott Latchford ,  Derek Aqui ,  Vinay K. Shah

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L21/677

CPC分类号： H01L21/67236 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/67167 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67213 ,  H01L31/1876 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system, or cluster tool, for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. In one configuration, the film stack formed on each of the substrates in the batch contains one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal layers that are deposited and further processed within the various chambers contained in the substrate processing system. The processing chambers may be, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chambers, hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) chambers, plasma nitridation (DPN) chambers, ion implant/doping chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, plasma etching chambers, annealing chambers, rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) chambers, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) chambers, substrate reorientation chambers, laser annealing chambers, and/or plasma cleaning stations. In one embodiment, a batch of solar cell substrates is simultaneously transferred in a vacuum or inert environment to prevent contamination from affecting the solar cell formation process.

摘要翻译： 本发明通常提供用于原位处理用于形成太阳能电池装置区域的薄膜叠层的批量基板处理系统或集群工具。 在一种构造中，在批次中形成在每个基板上的薄膜叠层包含一个或多个含硅层和一个或多个金属层，其在包含在基板处理系统中的各个室内被沉积和进一步处理。 处理室可以是例如物理气相沉积（PVD）或溅射室，等离子体增强化学气相沉积（PECVD）室，低压化学气相沉积（LPCVD）室，热线化学气相沉积（HWCVD）室，等离子体 氮化（DPN）室，离子注入/掺杂室，原子层沉积（ALD）室，等离子体蚀刻室，退火室，快速热氧化（RTO）室，快速热退火（RTA）室，基板重新取向室，激光退火室 ，和/或等离子体清洁站。 在一个实施例中，一批太阳能电池基板在真空或惰性环境中同时转移，以防止污染影响太阳能电池的形成过程。

公开(公告)号：US20110245957A1

公开(公告)日：2011-10-06

申请号：US12755255

申请日：2010-04-06

申请人： KEITH B. PORTHOUSE ,  Tristan R. Holtam ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Vinay K. Shah ,  Damon K. Cox

发明人： KEITH B. PORTHOUSE ,  Tristan R. Holtam ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Vinay K. Shah ,  Damon K. Cox

IPC分类号： G06F19/00 ,  B08B1/02

CPC分类号： H01L21/68742 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67236 ,  H01L21/67736 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/67769

摘要： The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. The batch processing system is configured to process an array of substrates positioned on a substrate carrier. The batch processing system includes a substrate transport interface that provides loading an unloading of the array of substrates in a production line environment. The substrate transport interface may include one or more of a substrate carrier cleaning module, a substrate carrier cooling module, and a substrate carrier buffer module.

摘要翻译： 本发明通常提供了用于原位处理用于形成太阳能电池装置的区域的薄膜叠层的批量衬底处理系统。 批处理系统被配置为处理位于衬底载体上的衬底阵列。 批量处理系统包括基板输送界面，其在生产线环境中提供加载基板阵列的卸载。 衬底传输界面可以包括衬底载体清洁模块，衬底载体冷却模块和衬底载体缓冲模块中的一个或多个。

公开(公告)号：US07993700B2

公开(公告)日：2011-08-09

申请号：US11734742

申请日：2007-04-12

申请人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit ,  Soo Young Choi

发明人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit ,  Soo Young Choi

IPC分类号： B05D5/12

CPC分类号： C23C16/345 ,  H01L31/1868 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： A silicon nitride layer may be formed with a suitable refractive index, mass density, and hydrogen concentration so that the layer may serve as an ARC/passivation layer on a solar cell substrate. The silicon nitride layer may be formed on a solar cell substrate by adding a hydrogen gas diluent to a conventional precursor gas mixture during the deposition process. Alternatively, the silicon nitride layer may be formed on a solar cell substrate by using a precursor gas mixture consisting essentially of silane and nitrogen. To improve deposition chamber throughput, the silicon nitride layer may be a dual stack film that includes a low-hydrogen interface layer and a thicker bulk silicon nitride layer. Placing a plurality of solar cell substrates on a substrate carrier and transferring the substrate carrier into the deposition chamber may further enhance deposition chamber throughput.

摘要翻译： 可以形成具有合适的折射率，质量密度和氢浓度的氮化硅层，使得该层可以用作太阳能电池基板上的ARC /钝化层。 氮化硅层可以通过在沉积工艺期间向常规的前体气体混合物中加入氢气稀释剂而形成在太阳能电池基板上。 或者，可以通过使用主要由硅烷和氮组成的前体气体混合物在太阳能电池基板上形成氮化硅层。 为了提高沉积室的生产量，氮化硅层可以是包括低氢界面层和较厚体积氮化硅层的双层叠膜。 将多个太阳能电池基板放置在基板载体上并将基板载体转移到沉积室中可进一步增强沉积室的生产量。

公开(公告)号：US20110136286A1

公开(公告)日：2011-06-09

申请号：US12962483

申请日：2010-12-07

申请人： Michael P. Stewart ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Jen Shu ,  Li (Sherry) Xu

发明人： Michael P. Stewart ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Jen Shu ,  Li (Sherry) Xu

IPC分类号： H01L31/18

CPC分类号： H01L31/1868 ,  C23C16/0245 ,  C23C16/345 ,  H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/02168 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： The present invention generally provides a method of forming a high efficiency solar cell device by preparing a surface and/or forming at least a part of a high quality passivation layer on a silicon containing substrate. Embodiments of the present invention may be especially useful for preparing a surface of a p-type doped region formed on a silicon substrate so that a high quality passivation layer can be formed thereon. In one embodiment, the methods include exposing a surface of the solar cell substrate to a plasma to clean and modify the physical, chemical and/or electrical characteristics of the surface.

摘要翻译： 本发明通常提供一种通过在含硅衬底上制备表面和/或形成至少一部分高质量钝化层来形成高效太阳能电池器件的方法。 本发明的实施例可以特别用于制备形成在硅衬底上的p型掺杂区的表面，从而可以在其上形成高质量的钝化层。 在一个实施例中，所述方法包括将太阳能电池基板的表面暴露于等离子体以清洁和修改表面的物理，化学和/或电特性。

公开(公告)号：US20100197145A1

公开(公告)日：2010-08-05

申请号：US12757740

申请日：2010-04-09

申请人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit ,  Soo Young Choi

发明人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit ,  Soo Young Choi

IPC分类号： H01L21/31

CPC分类号： C23C16/345 ,  H01L31/1868 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： A silicon nitride layer may be formed with a suitable refractive index, mass density, and hydrogen concentration so that the layer may serve as an ARC/passivation layer on a solar cell substrate. The silicon nitride layer may be formed on a solar cell substrate by adding a hydrogen gas diluent to a conventional precursor gas mixture during the deposition process. Alternatively, the silicon nitride layer may be formed on a solar cell substrate by using a precursor gas mixture consisting essentially of silane and nitrogen. To improve deposition chamber throughput, the silicon nitride layer may be a dual stack film that includes a low-hydrogen interface layer and a thicker bulk silicon nitride layer. Placing a plurality of solar cell substrates on a substrate carrier and transferring the substrate carrier into the deposition chamber may further enhance deposition chamber throughput.

摘要翻译： 可以形成具有合适的折射率，质量密度和氢浓度的氮化硅层，使得该层可以用作太阳能电池基板上的ARC /钝化层。 氮化硅层可以通过在沉积工艺期间向常规的前体气体混合物中加入氢气稀释剂而形成在太阳能电池基板上。 或者，可以通过使用主要由硅烷和氮组成的前体气体混合物在太阳能电池基板上形成氮化硅层。 为了提高沉积室的生产量，氮化硅层可以是包括低氢界面层和较厚体积氮化硅层的双层叠膜。 将多个太阳能电池基板放置在基板载体上并将基板载体转移到沉积室中可进一步增强沉积室的生产量。

公开(公告)号：US08268728B2

公开(公告)日：2012-09-18

申请号：US13196532

申请日：2011-08-02

申请人： Michael P. Stewart ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Jen Shu ,  Li (Sherry) Xu

发明人： Michael P. Stewart ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Jen Shu ,  Li (Sherry) Xu

IPC分类号： H01L21/302

CPC分类号： H01L31/1868 ,  C23C16/0245 ,  C23C16/345 ,  H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/02168 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： The present invention generally provides a method of forming a high efficiency solar cell device by preparing a surface and/or forming at least a part of a high quality passivation layer on a silicon containing substrate. Embodiments of the present invention may be especially useful for preparing a surface of a p-type doped region formed on a silicon substrate so that a high quality passivation layer can be formed thereon. In one embodiment, the methods include exposing a surface of the solar cell substrate to a plasma to clean and modify the physical, chemical and/or electrical characteristics of the surface.

摘要翻译： 本发明通常提供一种通过在含硅衬底上制备表面和/或形成至少一部分高质量钝化层来形成高效太阳能电池器件的方法。 本发明的实施例可以特别用于制备形成在硅衬底上的p型掺杂区的表面，从而可以在其上形成高质量的钝化层。 在一个实施例中，所述方法包括将太阳能电池基板的表面暴露于等离子体以清洁和修改表面的物理，化学和/或电特性。

公开(公告)号：US08008208B2

公开(公告)日：2011-08-30

申请号：US12962483

申请日：2010-12-07

申请人： Michael P. Stewart ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Jen Shu ,  Li (Sherry) Xu

发明人： Michael P. Stewart ,  Lisong Zhou ,  Jen Shu ,  Li (Sherry) Xu

IPC分类号： H01L21/302

CPC分类号： H01L31/1868 ,  C23C16/0245 ,  C23C16/345 ,  H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/02168 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： The present invention generally provides a method of forming a high efficiency solar cell device by preparing a surface and/or forming at least a part of a high quality passivation layer on a silicon containing substrate. Embodiments of the present invention may be especially useful for preparing a surface of a p-type doped region formed on a silicon substrate so that a high quality passivation layer can be formed thereon. In one embodiment, the methods include exposing a surface of the solar cell substrate to a plasma to clean and modify the physical, chemical and/or electrical characteristics of the surface.

摘要翻译： 本发明通常提供一种通过在含硅衬底上制备表面和/或形成至少一部分高质量钝化层来形成高效太阳能电池器件的方法。 本发明的实施例可以特别用于制备形成在硅衬底上的p型掺杂区的表面，从而可以在其上形成高质量的钝化层。 在一个实施例中，所述方法包括将太阳能电池基板的表面暴露于等离子体以清洁和修改表面的物理，化学和/或电特性。

公开(公告)号：US20090250108A1

公开(公告)日：2009-10-08

申请号：US12412177

申请日：2009-03-26

申请人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit

发明人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit

IPC分类号： H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/18

CPC分类号： H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/022425 ,  H01L31/18 ,  Y02E10/50

摘要： Embodiments of the present invention generally provide methods for depositing a silicon carbide (SiC) passivation layer that may act as a high-quality passivation layer for solar cells. Embodiments of the invention also provide methods for depositing a silicon carbide/silicon oxide passivation layer that acts as a high-quality rear surface passivation layer for solar cells. The methods described herein enable the use of deposition systems configured for processing large-area substrates for solar cell processing. According to embodiments of the invention, a SiC passivation layer may be formed with improved minority carrier lifetime measurements. The SiC passivation layer may be formed at a temperature between about 150° C. and 450° C., which is much lower than temperatures for thermal oxide passivation.

摘要翻译： 本发明的实施例通常提供用于沉积可用作太阳能电池的高质量钝化层的碳化硅（SiC）钝化层的方法。 本发明的实施例还提供了用于沉积用作太阳能电池的高质量背面钝化层的碳化硅/氧化硅钝化层的方法。 本文描述的方法使得能够使用配置用于处理用于太阳能电池处理的大面积基板的沉积系统。 根据本发明的实施例，可以形成具有改进的少数载流子寿命测量值的SiC钝化层。 SiC钝化层可以在约150℃和450℃之间的温度下形成，这比热氧化物钝化的温度低得多。

公开(公告)号：US08247022B2

公开(公告)日：2012-08-21

申请号：US12757740

申请日：2010-04-09

申请人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit ,  Soo Young Choi

发明人： Lisong Zhou ,  Sangeeta Dixit ,  Soo Young Choi

IPC分类号： B05D5/12

CPC分类号： C23C16/345 ,  H01L31/1868 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： A silicon nitride layer may be formed with a suitable refractive index, mass density, and hydrogen concentration so that the layer may serve as an ARC/passivation layer on a solar cell substrate. The silicon nitride layer may be formed on a solar cell substrate by adding a hydrogen gas diluent to a conventional precursor gas mixture during the deposition process. Alternatively, the silicon nitride layer may be formed on a solar cell substrate by using a precursor gas mixture consisting essentially of silane and nitrogen. To improve deposition chamber throughput, the silicon nitride layer may be a dual stack film that includes a low-hydrogen interface layer and a thicker bulk silicon nitride layer. Placing a plurality of solar cell substrates on a substrate carrier and transferring the substrate carrier into the deposition chamber may further enhance deposition chamber throughput.

摘要翻译： 可以形成具有合适的折射率，质量密度和氢浓度的氮化硅层，使得该层可以用作太阳能电池基板上的ARC /钝化层。 氮化硅层可以通过在沉积工艺期间向常规的前体气体混合物中加入氢气稀释剂而形成在太阳能电池基板上。 或者，可以通过使用主要由硅烷和氮组成的前体气体混合物在太阳能电池基板上形成氮化硅层。 为了提高沉积室的生产量，氮化硅层可以是包括低氢界面层和较厚体积氮化硅层的双层叠膜。 将多个太阳能电池基板放置在基板载体上并将基板载体转移到沉积室中可进一步增强沉积室的生产量。