Method of measuring vapor flux density

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9383316-B2
Application number	US-201314140687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2013
Priority date	Dec 31, 2009
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A method of measuring vapor flux density including directing a light beam through a vapor flux to a pixel array sensor and using the pixel array sensor to measure attenuation of the light beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of measuring position-sensitive vapor flux density comprising:
directing a measuring light beam through a vapor flux of deposition to a pixel array sensor, wherein the measuring light beam includes a wavelength capable of being absorbed by the vapor flux of deposition;
measuring attenuation of the measuring light beam by the pixel array sensor;
calculating the absorption from the attenuation of the measuring light beam; and
calculating a vapor flux density by correlating the absorption to a vapor flux density.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
splitting the measuring light beam, wherein the split portions of the measuring light beam are directed through the vapor flux at different positions and detected by different segments of the pixel array sensor respectively; and
correlating the absorption to vapor flux density at different positions to obtain position-sensitive vapor flux density.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
generating a calibration light beam, wherein the calibration light beam is split and directed along a same channel through the vapor flux as the measuring beam, and its attenuation is detected by the same pixel array sensor;
splitting the calibration light and the measuring light by a pixel array sensor mask comprising a top slit and bottom slit, wherein one of the slits can be used for the calibration light, the other one of the slits can be used for the measuring light; shuttering the calibration light beam during measurement; and
reading the pixel array sensor, subtracting a contribution from undesired optical coating via the calibration light beam in the measuring channel, and correlating absorption to vapor flux density after calibration.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the calibration light beam is white light.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the calibration light beam is generated by a monochromatic light source, wherein the calibration light can only be absorbed by optical coating, not the vapor flux.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array sensor comprises a charge-coupled device detector.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array sensor comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array sensor comprises a charge-coupled device detector having a wavelength measurement range of about 200 to about 500 nm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array sensor comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector having a wavelength measurement range of about 200 to about 500 nm.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array sensor comprises a charge-coupled device detector having a wavelength measurement range of about 100 to about 2000 nm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array sensor comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector having a wavelength measurement range of about 100 to about 2000 nm.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
directing a reference light beam to a second sensor without passing through the vapor flux, wherein the reference light beam and the measuring light beam are generated by the same light source;
measuring attenuation of the reference light beam by the second sensor; and calculating vapor flux density by comparing the attenuation of the measuring light beam and the attenuation of the reference light beam to eliminate the effect of fluctuation of the light source.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the measuring light beam and the reference light beam are generated by a light source comprising a hollow cathode lamp.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the measuring light beam and the reference light beam are generated by a light source comprising a monochromatic light source.

15. A method measuring a vapor flux density in an in-line deposition process comprising:
directing a measuring light beam along a measuring channel through a vapor flux of deposition to a pixel array sensor, wherein the measuring light beam includes a wavelength capable of being absorbed by the vapor flux of deposition and the measuring channel is under a plurality of separate rollers and a plurality of separate substrates;
directing a reference light beam to a second sensor without passing through the vapor flux;
using the gap between the rollers to pass flux to the measuring channel; measuring attenuation of the measuring light beam by the pixel array sensor;
measuring attenuation of the reference light beam by the second sensor; using the moving substrates and rollers as the flux and radiation shields for the pixel array sensor and second sensor; and
calculating vapor flux density by comparing the attenuation of the measuring light beam and the attenuation of the reference light beam to eliminate the effect of fluctuation of the light source, calculating the absorption from the attenuation, and correlating the absorption to vapor flux density.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
splitting the measuring light beam, wherein the split portions of the measuring light beam are directed through the vapor flux at different positions and detected by different segments of the pixel array sensor respectively; and
correlating the absorption to vapor flux density at different positions to obtain position-sensitive vapor flux density.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
generating a calibration light beam, wherein the calibration light beam is split and directed along the same measuring channel and through the vapor flux, and its attenuation is detected by the same pixel array sensor;
splitting the calibration light and the measuring light by a pixel array sensor mask comprising a top slit and bottom slit, wherein one of the slits can be used for the calibration light, the other one of the slits can be used for the measuring light; using the moving substrates to shutter the flux on and off;
using the shutter-off position to calibrate the measurement; and
reading the pixel array sensor, subtracting a contribution from optical coating via the calibration light beam in the measuring channel, and correlating absorption to vapor flux density after calibration.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the calibration light beam is generated by a light source comprising a monochromatic light source.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
positioning an additional flux and radiation shield to protect the pixel array sensor and second sensor, wherein the shield comprises a window transparent in the measuring wavelength range in the measuring channel; and
opening an aperture on the additional flux and radiation shield to allow the vapor flux to pass the measuring channel, wherein the dimension of the aperture is significantly bigger than the measuring light beam diameter.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the measuring light beam and the reference light beam are generated by a light source comprising a hollow cathode lamp.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the measuring light beam and the reference light beam are generated by a monochromatic light source.

Assignees

• First Solar Inc

Inventors

• Beck Markus E
• Bonne Ulrich A
• Garabedian Raffi
• Milshtein Erel
• Yu Ming Lun

Classifications

• G01N21/5907 Primary

  Densitometers · CPC title

• C23C14/544 Primary

  using measurement in the gas phase · CPC title

• G01N21/3103

  Atomic absorption analysis · CPC title

• G01N21/39

  using tunable lasers · CPC title

• G01N2021/399

  Diode laser · CPC title