Patent ID: 9301340
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: H01L,H05B,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A module for thermal processing furnaces having a single continuous conveyor belt for transporting multiple solar cell wafers in side-by-side relationship lines in a longitudinal process path direction through a plurality of processing zones of said furnace, comprising in operative combination: a. an IR lamp heating module divided along a horizontal, generally center line to form an upper and a lower portion, said module being configured to encompass the full lateral width of said conveyor belt with clearance for said conveyor belt to pass there-through, said module portions including end walls coordinately relieved to provide a gap through which said conveyor belt carrying solar cell wafers can pass through in said longitudinal path direction, from and into upstream and downstream zones, respectively, of said furnace; b. said module includes at least one longitudinally-oriented divider wall disposed to create individual lanes within said module, each of said lanes corresponding to a line of said wafers on said belt, said divider wall terminating short of the horizontal path of said conveyor belt to permit transport clearance thereof; c. at least one high reflectance alumina ceramic element disposed in at least one lane of at least one of said upper and said lower portion of said module, said high reflectance element having a face directed toward a surface of a wafer being transported on said conveyor belt; d. at least one high intensity folded tubular IR lamp spaced from said high reflectance element face and intermediate said face and said wafer, said lamp having a tubular length oriented transverse to the longitudinal direction of transport of wafers by said conveyor belt, an interior folded end and side-by-side exterior ends having leads for connection to power; and e. means for retaining said folded tubular lamp in spaced relationship from said high reflectance element to effectively direct high intensity IR radiation from said lamps onto at least one surface of wafers transported through said process zone.