Patents by Inventor Reinhard Lenz
Reinhard Lenz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 10082346Abstract: A cooling module for cooling substrates, in particular solar cells having a paste printed thereon after passing through a heating module is described. The cooling module comprises an elongated cooling chamber having an inlet opening, which is adjacent to a heating module, and an outlet opening, as well as a transport unit for transporting substrates through the elongated cooling chamber, wherein the transport unit defines a transport plane for the substrates. At least one first cooling unit is provided. The cooling unit has a plurality of first plate elements, which are arranged in substance perpendicular to and above the transport plane in the cooling chamber, at least one first conduit which extends through the first plate elements and is in a thermally conducting relationship therewith, and at least one conveying unit for conveying a cooling fluid through the first conduit.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2012Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Centrotherm International AGInventors: Hans-Peter Elser, Matthias Tumback, Reinhard Lenz, Moritz Vogt
-
Publication number: 20170028494Abstract: The invention describes an apparatus and a method for soldering mating parts, in particular electrical components to circuit boards or other carrier elements. The mating parts may be received and pressed together between two plate elements. One of the plate elements, which is heatable, may be flexible and may be elastically biased in the direction of the other plate element, by means of a plurality of elastically biased elements. Alternatively or additionally, heating may be provided for both plate elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2015Publication date: February 2, 2017Inventors: Matthias Usenbenz, Reinhard Lenz
-
Publication number: 20150368789Abstract: A method and an arrangement for providing chalcogens as thin layers on substrates, in particular on planar substrates prepared with precursor layers and composed of any desired materials, preferably on substrates composed of float glass, is achieved by forming an inlet- and outlet-side gas curtain for an oxygen-tight closure of a transport channel in a vapour deposition head, introducing an inert gas into the transport channel for displacing atmospheric oxygen, introducing one or more substrates to be coated, the substrates being temperature-regulated to a predetermined temperature, into the transport channel, introducing a chalcogen vapour/carrier gas mixture from a source into the transport channel at the vapour deposition head above the substrates and forming a selenium layer on the substrates by PVD at a predetermined pressure, and removing the substrates after a predetermined process time has elapsed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2015Publication date: December 24, 2015Applicant: CENTROTHERM PHOTOVOLTAICS AGInventors: Dieter SCHMID, Reinhard LENZ, Robert Michael HARTUNG
-
Publication number: 20130299130Abstract: A cooling module for cooling substrates, in particular solar cells having a paste printed thereon after passing through a heating module is described. The cooling module comprises an elongated cooling chamber having an inlet opening, which is adjacent to a heating module, and an outlet opening, as well as a transport unit for transporting substrates through the elongated cooling chamber, wherein the transport unit defines a transport plane for the substrates. At least one first cooling unit is provided. The cooling unit has a plurality of first plate elements, which are arranged in substance perpendicular to and above the transport plane in the cooling chamber, at least one first conduit which extends through the first plate elements and is in a thermally conducting relationship therewith, and at least one conveying unit for conveying a cooling fluid through the first conduit.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2012Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: CENTROTHERM THERMAL SOLUTIONS GMBH & CO KGInventors: Hans-Peter Elser, Matthias Tumback, Reinhard Lenz, Moritz Vogt
-
Publication number: 20100203668Abstract: An accelerated and simple-to-realize fast method for thermally converting metallic precursor layers on any desired substrates into semiconducting layers, and also an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method and serving for producing solar modules with high efficiency are provided. The substrates previously prepared at least with a metallic precursor layer are heated in a furnace, which is segmented into a plurality of temperature regions, at a pressure at approximately atmospheric ambient pressure in a plurality of steps in each case to a predetermined temperature up to an end temperature between 400° C. and 600° C. and are converted into semiconducting layers whilst maintaining the end temperature in an atmosphere comprising a mixture of a carrier gas and vaporous chalcogens.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2008Publication date: August 12, 2010Applicant: CENTROTHERM PHOTOVOLTAICS AGInventors: Dieter Schmid, Reinhard Lenz, Robert Michael Hartung
-
Publication number: 20100151129Abstract: A method and an arrangement for providing chalcogens as thin layers on substrates, in particular on planar substrates prepared with precursor layers and composed of any desired materials, preferably on substrates composed of float glass is achieved by forming an inlet- and outlet-side gas curtain for an oxygen-tight closure of a transport channel in a vapour deposition head, introducing an inert gas into the transport channel for displacing atmospheric oxygen, introducing one or more substrates to be coated, the substrates being temperature-regulated to a predetermined temperature, into the transport channel, introducing a chalcogen vapour/carrier gas mixture from a source into the transport channel at the vapour deposition head above the substrates and forming a selenium layer on the substrates by PVD at a predetermined pressure, and removing the substrates after a predetermined process time has elapsed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2008Publication date: June 17, 2010Applicant: CENTROTHERM PHOTOVOLTAICS AGInventors: Dieter Schmid, Reinhard Lenz, Robert Michael Hartung
-
Publication number: 20090133628Abstract: A continuous vacuum system for processing substrates has an inlet air lock, an outlet air lock, at least one process chamber, and a device for conveying the substrates through the continuous system. To create a continuous system having a compact design and high throughput for plasma-enhanced treatment of substrates at a reduced pressure, which ensures a simple, rapid and secure handling of the substrates with a high capacity of the substrate carrier, the conveying device has at least one plasma boat in which the substrates are arranged on a base plate in a three-dimensional stack in at least one plane at a predefined distance from one another with intermediate carriers in between. At least the intermediate carriers are made of graphite or another suitable electrically conductive material and can be acted upon electrically with an alternating voltage via an electric connection.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2008Publication date: May 28, 2009Applicant: Centrotherm Photovoltaics AGInventors: Roland DAHL, Josef Haase, Moritz Heintze, Thomas Pernau, Hans Reichart, Harald Wanka, Jan-Dirk Kaehler, Reinhard Lenz, Dieter Zernickel, Robert Michael Hartung
-
Transport device and method of transporting to-be-processed elements through a high-temperature zone
Patent number: 6705457Abstract: A transport device for transporting to-be-processed elements through a high-temperature zone and a corresponding method is described. The transport device operates according to the walking beam principle, with thin, elongated carrier elements made of a flexible material, which are maintained under tensile stress along the longitudinal axis of the carrier elements, being provided instead of conventional walking beams. The device permits low contamination transport of the elements through a high-temperature zone and improved utilization of energy as well as the ability to use a RTP process.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2002Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Centrotherm Elektrische Analgen GmbH & Co.Inventors: Daniel Biro, Reinhard Lenz, Peter Völk, Gernot Wandel -
Transport device and method of transporting to-be-processed elements through a high-temperature zone
Publication number: 20030183491Abstract: The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting to-be-processed elements through a high-temperature zone and a corresponding method. The transport device operates according to the walking beam principle, with thin, elongated carrier elements made of a flexible material, which are maintained under tensile stress along the longitudinal axis of the carrier elements, being provided instead of conventional walking beams.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2002Publication date: October 2, 2003Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Centrotherm, Elektrische Anlagen GmbH & Co.Inventors: Daniel Biro, Reinhard Lenz, Peter Volk, Gernot Wandel