Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a material layer to treat and condition a substrate, such as a fuel cell part, is described. The method includes depositing a hydrophilic material layer on a portion of the surface of the substrate in a process chamber from a mixture of precursors of the hydrophilic material layer. In addition, the method includes reducing a fluid contact angle of the substrate surface. The hydrophilic material layer comprises a wet etch rate of less than about 0.03 ?/min in the presence of about 10 ppm of hydrofluoric acid in water. The material layer can be used to condition various parts of a fuel cell useful in applications to generate electricity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating large scale PV cell and solar module/panel is disclosed. The method includes designing a PV cell wiring scheme for a number of PV cells and patterning a plurality of features on a large size silicon sheet. A number of large scale silicon sheets, having a number of PV cells on each silicon sheet, can be bonded to a wiring plane to directly manufacture into a solar module/panel. Each PV cell on the solar module is then isolated. Methods of the invention greatly cut down the cost of solar module/panel manufacturing and PV cell assembly.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a low cost solar cell using a novel electroplating apparatus and method to form a metal contact structure having metal lines formed using an electrochemical plating process. The apparatus and methods described herein remove the need to perform the often costly processing steps of performing a mask preparation and formation steps, such as screen printing, lithographic steps and inkjet printing steps, to form a contact structure. The resistance of interconnects formed in a solar cell device greatly affects the efficiency of the solar cell. It is thus desirable to form a solar cell device that has a low resistance connection that is reliable and cost effective. Therefore, one or more embodiments of the invention described herein are adapted to form a low cost and reliable interconnecting layer using an electrochemical plating process containing a common metal, such as copper.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a low cost solar cell using a novel electroplating apparatus and method to form a metal contact structure having metal lines formed using an electrochemical plating process. The apparatus and methods described herein remove the need to perform the often costly processing steps of performing a mask preparation and formation steps, such as screen printing, lithographic steps and inkjet printing steps, to form a contact structure. The resistance of interconnects formed in a solar cell device greatly affects the efficiency of the solar cell. It is thus desirable to form a solar cell device that has a low resistance connection that is reliable and cost effective. Therefore, one or more embodiments of the invention described herein are adapted to form a low cost and reliable interconnecting layer using an electrochemical plating process containing a common metal, such as copper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating a solar cell and forming a p-n junction is disclosed. Solar cell p-n junction is formed by depositing a thin film of n-type phosphorus doped silicon material on a sheet from a mixture of precursors and annealing the sheet to obtain the p-n junction at a desired depth. In one embodiment, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chambers is used to deposit a phosphorus doped amorphous silicon film on a sheet surface by using precursors including a silicon-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing precursor, and a phosphorus-containing gas. In another embodiment, annealing furnace and/or rapid thermal processing chambers are used to anneal the sheet having the phosphorus doped amorphous silicon film deposited thereon.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method is provided for storing semiconductor wafer carriers, and for loading wafers or wafer carriers to a fabrication tool. The apparatus preferably provides an elevated port for receipt of wafer carriers from an overhead factory transport, allows for local interconnection among a plurality of the inventive apparatuses, and enables independent loading of the factory load port and the tool load port. An inventive wafer handling method which divides a lot of wafers into sublots and distributes the sublots among tools configured to perform the same process is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating a solar cell and forming metal contact is disclosed. Solar cell contact and wiring is formed by depositing a thin film stack of a first metal material and a second metal material as an initiation layer or seed layer for depositing a bulk metal layer in conjunction with additional sheet processing, photolithography, etching, cleaning, and annealing processes. In one embodiment, the thin film stack for forming metal silicide with reduced contact resistance over the sheet is deposited by sputtering or physical vapor deposition. In another embodiment, the bulk metal layer for forming metal lines and wiring is deposited by sputtering or physical vapor deposition. In an alternative embodiment, electroplating or electroless deposition is used to deposit the bulk metal layer.

Abstract: A method for conditioning a surface of a substrate, particularly substrates useful in a fuel cell, is disclosed. In one aspect, a method is disclosed for treating a substrate to increase the substrate's resistance to acid etching. The method includes depositing a layer of etch-resistant material via a PVD process onto a surface of the substrate. The substrate may comprise a carbon composite material or a conductive polymer, among others. In one aspect, the layer of etch-resistant material is about 1000 ? thick or less. In another aspect, the layer of etch-resistant material is a TiN layer. In another embodiment, a method is provided for treating a surface of a substrate decrease the substrate's liquid contact angle. The method includes depositing a layer of hydrophilic material via a PVD process onto a surface of the substrate. In one aspect, the deposited material may be a low resistivity material.

Abstract: A system for concurrent inkjet printing and defect inspection is provided. The system includes at least one print head adapted to deposit ink on a substrate, at least one imaging device adapted to scan the substrate, and a controller adapted to receive image data scanned by the imaging device during printing, determine if there are any printing defects on the substrate utilizing the processed image data, and transmit a control signal indicating a disposition of the substrate. The imaging device is adapted to scan the substrate during each print pass. Numerous other aspects are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating large scale PV cell and solar module/panel is disclosed. The method includes designing a PV cell wiring scheme for a number of PV cells and patterning a plurality of features on a large size silicon sheet. A number of large scale silicon sheets, having a number of PV cells on each silicon sheet, can be bonded to a wiring plane to directly manufacture into a solar module/panel. Each PV cell on the solar module is then isolated. Methods of the invention greatly cut down the cost of solar module/panel manufacturing and PV cell assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a material layer to treat and condition a substrate, such as a fuel cell part, is described. The method includes depositing a hydrophilic material layer on a portion of the surface of the substrate in a process chamber from a mixture of precursors of the hydrophilic material layer. In addition, the method includes reducing a fluid contact angle of the substrate surface. The hydrophilic material layer comprises a wet etch rate of less than about 0.03 ?/min in the presence of about 10 ppm of hydrofluoric acid in water. The material layer can be used to condition various parts of a fuel cell useful in applications to generate electricity.

Abstract: A silicon on insulator substrate apparatus for fabricating an active-matrix liquid crystal display is described herein. The silicon on insulator substrate may include a handle substrate and a plurality of crystalline silicon donor portions bonded to the handle substrate. The crystalline silicon donor portions may be bonded to the handle substrate by providing a plurality of donor substrates and forming a separation layer within each donor substrate. The donor substrates may be arranged across a surface of the handle substrate and subsequently bonded to the handle substrate. The donor substrates may then be cleaved at their respective separation layers and removed from the handle substrate, thereby leaving a donor portion of each donor substrate attached the handle substrate.

Abstract: A silicon on insulator substrate apparatus for fabricating an active-matrix liquid crystal display is described herein. The silicon on insulator substrate may include a handle substrate and a plurality of crystalline silicon donor portions bonded to the handle substrate. The crystalline silicon donor portions may be bonded to the handle substrate by providing a plurality of donor substrates and forming a separation layer within each donor substrate. The donor substrates may be arranged across a surface of the handle substrate and subsequently bonded to the handle substrate. The donor substrates may then be cleaved at their respective separation layers and removed from the handle substrate, thereby leaving a donor portion of each donor substrate attached the handle substrate.