Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing thin films on substrates, the method comprising providing a deposition system, said system comprising an inner non-airtight enclosure for containing at least one substrate and an outer airtight chamber completely surrounding said enclosure, and providing at least one substrate in the inner non-airtight enclosure. The inner non-airtight enclosure is maintained at a pressure lower than the pressure within said outer airtight chamber, and a backfilling gas comprising at least hydrogen or helium is introduced into the outer airtight chamber volume.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to plasma processing for photovoltaic device manufacturing. Particularly to a plasma processing system that includes an electrode that allows gas to pass through into the process chamber that includes a substrate. A gas barrier component may be used to minimize parasitic plasma occurring at the edges of the electrode by preventing process gas reaching the edge of the chamber or from entering the process chamber by going around the electrode. The gas barrier component may be made of a non-conductive flexible material that forms a fluidic seal between the electrode and the chamber. In other embodiments, the gas barrier may also support isolation grids that are disposed opposite of the electrode and prevent the isolation grids from moving.

Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a vertically movable chamber section so that chamber sections are vertically separable to provide open and closed positions of a processing chamber or reactor, such as a plasma enhanced CVD chamber. In the open position, substrates are loaded and unloaded from the processing chamber, while in the closed position an enclosed processing volume is provided for processing substrates, particularly for processing large substrates (e.g., one square meter or larger) with a small gap (3-10 mm) between electrodes. Plural processing chambers can be provided and coupled to an actuator assembly for simultaneously vertically moving a chamber section or chamber portion of each processing chamber. Lift pins for receiving and positioning of substrates within the processing chambers can also be moved by the actuator assembly. A removable mounting arrangement is also provided for the lift pins.

Abstract: A plasma reactor with a recipient (33) and an electrode (38) has two exhaust openings (34, 35) spaced apart in a close proximity to the electrode (38). A flow diverter body (37) in the space of the reactor (33) between the periphery (313) of the electrode (3a) and the exhaust openings (35, 34) diverts the exhaust effect of the exhaust openings (35, 34) to avoid combined exhausting effect to become effective in the reactor space adjacent to the addressed periphery (313).

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to receive information from a set top box that is associated with an undesired condition being experienced by a user of the set top box where the information is inputted into the set top box by the user, determine a failure condition associated with the information, perform a first diagnostic process to isolate the failure condition between a network failure and a customer premises equipment (CPE) failure, and transmit correction instructions to the set top box for presentation to the user when the failure condition is isolated to the CPE failure. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to receive information from a set top box that is associated with an undesired condition being experienced by a user of the set top box where the information is inputted into the set top box by the user, determine a failure condition associated with the information, perform a first diagnostic process to isolate the failure condition between a network failure and a customer premises equipment (CPE) failure, and transmit correction instructions to the set top box for presentation to the user when the failure condition is isolated to the CPE failure. Other embodiments are disclosed.