Patent ID: 8338210

Claim:
A method for processing solar cells comprising: providing a vertical furnace configured for batch processing, the furnace having a substantially cylindrical, vertically extending process chamber adapted to receive an array of mutually spaced circular semiconductor wafers for integrated circuit processing; providing a plurality of solar cell substrates, the solar cell substrates having a first surface to be processed, wherein a size of the solar cell substrates that extends along the first surface is smaller than a corresponding size of the circular semiconductor wafers; composing the plurality of solar cell substrates into a process chamber loading configuration, wherein the loading configuration comprises multiple arrays of solar cell substrates, wherein each array comprises a plurality of solar cell substrates that are substantially vertically oriented and substantially horizontally spaced apart, wherein the respective arrays are provided at a plurality of levels located along a central axis of the process chamber in the vertical furnace and wherein a number of solar cell substrates that can be accommodated in the process chamber is substantially larger than a number of circular semiconductor wafers, wherein the composing step further comprises: loading each array of solar cell substrates, which are substantially vertically oriented and substantially horizontally spaced apart, into a boat at a location horizontally displaced from the process chamber position, placing each boat in a rack with the arrays at the plurality of levels, and loading the rack with multiple boats loaded with the substrates into the process chamber; and subjecting the solar cell substrates to a process in the process chamber.