Patent ID: 8225496
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: B23K,B26F,B65G,C03B,H01L,H02S,Y02E,Y02P,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An automated integrated solar cell production line, comprising: a substrate loading station to load substrates into the integrated production line that comprises a plurality of automation devices which are configured to serially transfer substrates along a path; a front contact isolation module disposed along the path and downstream from the substrate loading station, and adapted to etch a front contact layer deposited thereon to provide isolation therebetween; a plurality of cluster tools disposed along the path and downstream from the front contact isolation module, and having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the substrate; an interconnect formation module disposed along the path and downstream from the plurality of cluster tools, and adapted to etch the silicon-containing layer; one or more metal deposition chambers disposed along the path and downstream from the back contact isolation module, and adapted to deposit a metal layer over the silicon-containing layer; a back contact isolation module disposed along the path and downstream from the one or more metal deposition chambers; one or more edge deletion modules disposed along the path and downstream from the one or more metal deposition chambers that are adapted to remove material from a perimeter area of a substrate; a bonding wire attach module disposed along the path and downstream from the one or more material removal chambers; a lamination device disposed along the path and downstream from the bonding wire attach module that is adapted to bond a second substrate to the first substrate by applying heat and pressure to the first and second substrates which have the silicon-containing layer and a bonding layer disposed therebetween; and an autoclave disposed downstream from the lamination device, wherein the autoclave comprises: a vessel; a compressor that is in fluid communication with a processing region of the vessel and is adapted to expose the first substrate, second substrate and bonding layer to a gas at a pressure greater than 13 Bar; a heating element disposed in the processing region; a substrate support that is adapted to support a plurality of first and second substrates that have been bonded together in the processing region; and at least one spacer adapted to position each of the plurality of first and second substrates that have been bonded together in a spaced apart relationship during processing in the autoclave.