Process and apparatus for producing a glass sheet coated with a semiconductor material

US9076901B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CALYXO, INC. · DE

Inventors

• Frank Becker · Munich, DE
• John Bohland · Folsom, US
• Hubert Joachim Frenck · Bitterfeld-Wolfen, DE
• Michael Bauer · Schallstadt, DE
• Robert Fischer · Halle (Saale), DE
• Kenneth R. Kormanyos · Sylvania, US
• Norman W. Johnston · Plainsboro, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 20, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 7, 2015
• Expiry date: Jun 11, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for producing a glass sheet 10, 21 coated with a semiconductor material, which comprises the steps (a) production of a glass strip in a float bath 3 containing liquid tin; (b) discharge of the glass strip from the float bath 3 and optionally coating of the glass strip with a transparent, electrically conductive intermediate layer; (c) transfer of the uncoated or coated glass strip into a deposition chamber 5 for the physical deposition of the semiconductor material from the gas phase; and (d) coating of the coated or uncoated glass strip from step (c) with the semiconductor material by physical deposition of the semiconductor material from the gas phase at a gas pressure of at least 0.1 bar. The invention additionally relates to an apparatus for producing a glass strip coated with a semiconductor material, a process for producing a solar cell or a solar module and also a solar cell or a solar module which can be obtained by this process.