Apparatus for the manufacture of photovoltaic devices

Abstract From the Canadian patent

An apparatus for manufacturing photovoltaic devices of the type including a plurality of layers of semiconductor materials deposited onto a substrate includes a plurality of deposition chambers each chamber, arranged to deposit a respective one of the layers of semiconductor materials onto the substrate as the substrate is advanced therethrough. At least one of the deposition chambers is coupled to a source of microwave energy to form a microwave energy excited glow discharge plasma within the at least one deposition chamber for depositing at least one of the layers of semiconductor material onto the substrate from the microwave energy excited glow discharge plasma within the at least one …