Abstract: A backside coating prevention device adapted for a coating chamber for coating plate-shaped substrates, said coating chamber comprising a plurality of walls, a coating material source for dispensing coating material into the coating chamber, a substrate support, a front side of the substrate support facing the coating material source, the substrate support being adapted for supporting on the front side one or more plate-shaped substrates each having a substrate front side and thereby defining a substrate front plane, wherein said backside coating prevention device comprises two or more screens, the screens being provided at least two of the walls of the coating chamber, each screen having a protruding member protruding from the respective wall.

Abstract: A backside coating prevention device adapted for a coating chamber for coating plate-shaped substrates is provided, said coating chamber being adapted for coating continuously or discontinuously transported plate-shaped substrates, comprising a front wall having a substrate feeding opening and a rear wall having a substrate discharge opening, a coating material source adapted for dispensing coating material into the coating chamber, and a transport system, a front side of the transport system facing the coating material source, the transport system being adapted for continuously or discontinuously transporting a plurality of plate-shaped substrates along a transport path on the front side of the transport system, wherein said backside coating prevention device is adapted for providing a gas barrier at the front side of the transport system and adjacent to the backsides of the plurality of plate-shapes substrates for preventing backside coating of the plate-shaped substrates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a backside contact of a semiconductor component, in particular, of a solar cell, comprising a metallic layer on the backside of a substrate in a vacuum treatment chamber, and the use of a vacuum treatment system for performing said method. Through this method and its use, in particular silicon based solar cells, can be provided with a back contact in a simple manner in a continuous process sequence, wherein the process sequence can be provided particularly efficient and economical, since no handling systems for rotating the substrate are required, and in particular silk screening steps can be dispensed with.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a coating plant, especially a vacuum coating plant, with a charging lock, especially a rectangular vacuum lock for a coating chamber, with a lock aperture (13) having a length of at least 1000 mm that comprises a shutter (6) for closing and opening the lock aperture and a latch (7) to secure the shutter, wherein there are provided means for moving the shutter and the latch from a first open position to a second closed position, and vice versa, these means assuring also that the movements of the shutter (6) and the latch (7) will be coupled with each other in such manner that the shutter (6) will be automatically secured by the latch (7) after the shutter has been closed and will be released again before it is opened.

Abstract: A process chamber 1 for PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) coating of a substrate includes an electrode, which is integrated in a contact frame, which is firmly connected to the recipient. A movable carrier in the process chamber carries at least one substrate. The carrier is transported by means of a driven roller positioner into the process chamber or out of the process chamber along a transport route defined by the movement. As soon as the carrier inside the recipient has reached a certain position, the lower roller positioner is uncoupled from carrier by lowering by means of a lifting device. In this regard, the carrier detaches itself from the upper roller positioner. Then, the carrier is accepted by a transfer device (not shown) and brought from the transport position laterally into a treatment position in contact with the contact frame. In this way, reliable contact is produced between the electrode and a counter-electrode provided in carrier.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for the determination of the gas permeability of a container, for example, a PET bottle. Said container is enclosed by a sheath, which hermetically seals the container from the environment. The intermediate space, between the container and the sheath, has only a very small volume in comparison to the volume of the container. The determination of the gas permeability is begun by bringing said intermediate space to, for example, atmospheric pressure, whilst the container is filled with a test gas by means of a special feed, until the container is at an overpressure relative to the intermediate space. The pressure in the intermediate space increases by means of the resulting diffusion of the test gas through the wall of the container into said intermediate space. The increase in pressure per unit time is a measure of the permeability of the container.

Abstract: In an air lock for continuous introduction into and/or removal of workpieces from spaces (1, 4) separated atmospherically, the individual substrates (3, 13) are transported through a transfer channel (24). At least one lock chamber (7a-7m) serving to accommodate the substrates (3, 13) is arranged movably in the transfer channel (24). During the substrate transport in the transfer channel (24), the lock chamber (7a-7m) is atmospherically separated both from the exterior (1) having normal pressure and from the coating chamber (4). The air lock (2) includes a carrousel lock which has a carrousel housing (24) and a lock chamber wheel (10). On the periphery in the lock chamber wheel (10) individual lock chambers (7a-7m) are provided, in which the workpieces (3, 13) to be brought into the chamber to be loaded (4) are inserted freely accessible on the normal pressure side.

Abstract: A process and device is shown for coating the delineating surfaces of a hollow object, preferably a hollow object having at least one sealable opening, by means of plasma coating, via the action of plasma on the delineating surface of the hollow object that is to be coated.

Abstract: In an air lock for continuous introduction into and/or removal of workpieces from spaces (1,4) separated atmospherically, the individual substrates (3,13) are transported through a transfer channel (24). At least one lock chamber (7a-7m) serving to accommodate the substrates (3,13) is arranged movably in the transfer channel (24). During the substrate transport in the transfer channel (24), the lock chamber (7a-7m) is atmospherically separated both from the exterior (1) having normal pressure and from the coating chamber (4). The air lock (2) includes a carrousel lock which has a carrousel housing (24) and a lock chamber wheel (10). On the periphery in the lock chamber wheel (10) individual lock chambers (7a-7m) are provided, in which the workpieces (3,13) to be brought into the chamber to be loaded (4) are inserted freely accessible on the normal pressure side.