Patent ID: 8430963

Claim:
A system for vapor deposition of a thin film layer on photovoltaic (PV) module substrates, comprising: a vacuum chamber through which substrates are conveyed in a vapor deposition process wherein a source material is sublimated and deposited onto a surface of the substrates; said vacuum chamber further comprising: a vapor deposition chamber; an entry vacuum lock station, and an exit vacuum lock station; a conveyor configured for receipt and conveyance of individual PV module substrates through said entry vacuum lock station, said vapor deposition chamber, and said exit vacuum lock station; a feed device configured with said vapor deposition chamber to supply source material thereto; wherein said vapor deposition chamber further comprises a vapor deposition apparatus configured to sublimate the source material from said feed device and deposit the sublimated source material as a thin film layer onto the PV module substrates carried by said conveyor through said vapor deposition chamber; and a cool-down system configured with said vacuum chamber to recirculate a cooling gas through said vacuum chamber, said cool-down system including a heat exchanger external to said vacuum chamber through which the cooling gas recirculates in a closed cool-down loop, wherein said cool-down system further comprises: an intake duct connected at a first location to said vacuum chamber; a supply duct connected at a second location to said vacuum chamber that is spaced from said first location; a cool-down chamber external to said vacuum chamber, said intake duct and said supply duct connected to said cool-down chamber; said heat exchanger disposed within said cool-down chamber; a blower disposed within said cool-down chamber; and, an inert gas supply configured to introduce the cooling gas into said closed loop cool-down system; wherein said cooling gas is drawn through said vacuum chamber, cooled in said cool-down chamber, and recirculated back through said vacuum chamber in the closed cool-down loop.