Device and method for precipitating a layer on a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9343610-B2
Application number	US-201414487805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Feb 23, 2010
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for depositing a layer made of at least two components on an object, with a deposition chamber for disposing the object, at least one source with material to be deposited, as well as at least one device for controlling the deposition process, implemented such that the concentration of at least one component of the material to be deposited can be modified in its gas phase prior to deposition on the substrate by selective binding of a specified quantity of the at least one component, wherein the selectively bound quantity of the at least one component can be controlled by modifying at least one control parameter that is actively coupled to a binding rate or the component. It further relates to a device for depositing a layer made of at least two components on an object, wherein a device for controlling the deposition process has at least one gettering element made of a reactive material, wherein the reactive material includes copper and/or molybdenum. It further relates to a method for depositing a layer made of at least two components on an object, wherein a selectively bound quantity of at least one component is controlled by modifying a binding rate of a device for controlling the deposition process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for depositing a layer comprising at least two components on an object, the method comprising:
selectively binding a specified quantity of at least one component with a control device, which controls the deposition process, to modify a concentration of the at least one component in its gas phase prior to deposition on the object,
wherein the control device comprises a gettering element,
the gettering element is made of a material different from the at least two components in the layer,
the selectively bound quantity is controlled by modifying a binding rate of the component of the control device,
the selectively bound quantity of the at least one component is controlled by modifying an actively binding surface and/or an electrical potential of the gettering element, and
when the electrical potential of the gettering element is modified, the gettering element is an electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is a thin-film solar cell substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the selectively bound quantity of the at least one component is controlled by modifying an actively binding surface of at least one gettering element being different from the at least two components in the layer.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the selectively bound quantity of the at least one component is controlled by modifying an electrical potential of at least one gettering element being different from the at least two components in the layer.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the selectively bound quantity of the at least one component is controlled by modifying an actively binding surface and an electrical potential of at least one gettering element being different from the at least two components in the layer.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one gettering element comprises a material that is chemically inert to the at least one component.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one gettering element comprises a material that is chemically reactive to the at least one component.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain

Inventors

• Palm Joerg
• Pohlner Stephan
• Jost Stefan
• Happ Thomas

Classifications

• H10F71/00 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• C23C14/564

  Means for minimising impurities in the coating chamber such as dust, moisture, residual gases · CPC title

• C23C14/0617 Primary

  AIII BV compounds, where A is Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi · CPC title

• C30B29/48

  AIIBVI compounds {wherein A is Zn, Cd or Hg, and B is S, Se or Te} · CPC title

• C23C16/4412

  Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps · CPC title