PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15762601
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-03
Publication Date: 2018-09
Patent Classification: ["438", "058000"]

Abstract:
The invention relates to methods and an apparatus for passivating defects of a semiconductor substrate, in particular a silicon based solar cell. According to the method, the substrate is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation during a first process phase, wherein the radiation directed onto the substrate has wavelengths at least in the region below 1200 nm and an intensity of at least 8000 Watt/m 2 . This can lead to a heating of the substrate, or a temperature control can be provided. Subsequently, the substrate is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation during a temperature-holding phase following the first process phase, wherein the radiation directed onto the substrate has wavelengths primarily in the region below 1200 nm and an intensity of at least 8000 Watt/m 2 , while a side of the substrate facing away from a source of the electromagnetic radiation is cooled via a contact with a support cooled by a cooling device. The apparatus comprises a continuous furnace having an elongated process chamber with at least three zones arranged in the sequence of a first processing zone, a temperature-holding zone and a cooling zone, and at least one transport unit for receiving and transporting the substrate through the zones. The apparatus further comprises at least one first radiation source which can irradiate electromagnetic radiation onto a section of the transport unit located in the first process zone, and which is configured to generate radiation having wavelengths at least in the region below 1200 nm and an intensity of at least 8000 Watt/m 2 , and at least one second radiation source which can irradiate electromagnetic radiation onto a section of the transport unit located in the temperature-holding zone, and which is configured to generate radiation having wavelengths at least in the region below 1200 nm and an intensity of at least 8000 Watt/m 2 . At least one cooling unit is arranged in heat-conducting contact with the section of the transport unit positioned in the temperature-holding zone.

Claim (Index 29):
The method of  claim 25 , wherein the substrate is additionally heated during the heating phase via contact with a support, which is heated by a heating device.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 5.0
- Percentile: 90.0
- Lexical Diversity: 3.25714
- Patent Class: 438.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: none
- Component Type: 0
- Foreign Priority: True
- Related Applications: ['12576711', '14012473', '12892856', '14030907', '12761632']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8612614304881393
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5003291547845022
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8251682029177756
- Mean Citation Score: 174.152646
- Max Citation Score: 181.58218
- Similarity Product: 108.88049879663944

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test