Vapor transport deposition method and system for material co-deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9490120-B2
Application number	US-201213671195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2012
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

An improved feeder system and method for continuous vapor transport deposition that includes at least two vaporizers couple to a common distributor through an improved seal for separately vaporizing and collecting at least any two vaporizable materials for deposition as a material layer on a substrate. Multiple vaporizer provide redundancy and allow for continuous deposition during vaporizer maintenance and repair.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first vaporizer unit for vaporizing a first powder material;
a second vaporizer unit for vaporizing a second powder material;
a first vapor housing for capturing material vapor from the first vaporizer unit, wherein the first vaporizer unit is within the first vapor housing, and wherein the first vapor housing further comprises a first vapor housing outlet;
a second vapor housing for capturing material vapor from the second vaporizer unit, wherein the second vaporizer unit is within the second vapor housing, and wherein the second vapor housing further comprises a second vapor housing outlet;
a vapor distribution unit comprising a first and a second inlet channel for separately collecting vapor from the first and second vaporizer units, a first and a second chamber for collecting the material vapor captured by the first and second vapor housings respectively, and a first and a second chamber outlet for separately outputting the material vapor collected in the first and second chambers between the first and second vapor housings along a base of the vapor distribution unit;
a first seal at the junction between an outer wall of the first vapor housing and the vapor distribution unit; and
a second seal at the junction between an outer wall of the second vapor housing and the vapor distribution unit,
wherein each of the first and second seals further comprises:
a tubular section that extends from the respective outer wall of the respective vapor housing to flush with a respective inner wall of the respective vapor housing, the respective inner wall arranged opposite of the respective outer wall, the tubular section forming a continuous wall of the respective inlet channel and extending from the respective vapor housing to the respective chamber; and
a second section that extends away from the respective inlet channel into an annular space between the respective vapor housing and the vapor distribution unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first vaporizer unit further comprises:
a first permeable member having at least one material inlet port for receiving the first powder material; and
wherein the second vaporizer unit further comprises:
a second permeable member having at least one material inlet port for receiving the second powder material.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 ,
wherein the first inlet channel in the vapor distribution unit is between the first vapor housing and the first chamber, and
wherein the second inlet channel in the vapor distribution unit is between the second vapor housing and the second chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second seals are L-shaped seals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first and second seals comprises a thermal-conductive material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first and second seals comprises graphite.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the vapor distribution unit comprises a thermal-conductive material.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the vapor distribution unit comprises graphite.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the vapor distribution unit comprises a thermal-conductive block.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first and second vapor housings comprise a thermal-conductive material.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first and second vapor housings comprise graphite.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising first and second vibration powder feeders for respectively feeding said first and second powder materials into respective first inlet ports of the first and second vaporizer units.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising third and fourth vibration powder feeders for respectively feeding said first and second powder materials into respective second inlet ports of the first and second vaporizer units.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
first and second gas sources for directing gas through first and second mass flow controllers into first and second vibration powder feeders; and
third and fourth gas source for directing gas through third and fourth mass flow controllers into the third and fourth vibration powder feeders.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said first and second powder materials are a semiconductor powder material.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor powder material is CdTe.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor powder material is CdS.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said first powder and second powder material are a mixture of a semiconductor material and a dopant.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the semiconductor powder material is CdTe and the dopant comprises Si.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the gas is a carrier gas.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the gas is helium.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the gas is a mixture of a carrier gas and a reactive gas.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the carrier gas is helium and the reactive gas contains oxygen.

Assignees

• First Solar Inc

Inventors

• Barden John
• Powell Rick C

Classifications

• H10P14/3432

  Tellurides · CPC title

• H10P14/3428

  Sulfides · CPC title

• C23C14/56

  Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks · CPC title

• C23C14/228

  Gas flow assisted PVD deposition · CPC title

• Y02E10/543

  Solar cells from Group II-VI materials · CPC title