Thin-film deposition apparatus

Abstract

Object of the invention is to present a thin-film deposition apparatus comprising a practical means of heating not by the radiation heating, which is suitable for manufacture of solar cells. To accomplish this object, a thin-film deposition apparatus of the invention comprises a deposition chamber which is a vacuum chamber where thin-film deposition is carried out on a substrate at a deposition temperature higher than room temperature, a load lock chamber which is a vacuum chamber where the substrate stays temporarily while it is transferred from an atmosphere to the deposition chamber, and a heat chamber which heats the substrate under atmospheric pressure or a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. The heat chamber, the load lock chamber and the deposition chamber are connected directly or indirectly in this order interposing a valve. The heat chamber has a mechanism to heat the substrate supplying gas of a temperature higher than the room temperature by forced convection. The heating mechanism heats the substrate at a temperature higher than the deposition temperature. A temperature-decrease prevention mechanism which prevents the substrate temperature from decreasing lower than the deposition temperature is provided in the load lock chamber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A thin-film deposition apparatus, comprising; 
 a deposition chamber which is a vacuum chamber where thin-film deposition is carried out on a substrate at a deposition temperature higher than room temperature; and    a heat chamber connected directly or indirectly with said deposition chamber; wherein    said heat chamber is one which heats said substrate under atmospheric pressure or a pressure higher than said atmospheric pressure, and has a mechanism to heat said substrate supplying gas of a temperature higher than said room temperature by forced convection.    
     
     
         2 . A thin-film deposition apparatus as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein; 
 said heating mechanism is one which heats said substrate at said deposition temperature or a temperature higher than said deposition temperature.    
     
     
         3 . A thin-film deposition apparatus as claimed in    claim 1    or    claim 2   , wherein; 
 said substrate is used for manufacture of a solar cell.  
 
     
     
         4 . A thin-film deposition apparatus comprising; 
 a deposition chamber which is a vacuum chamber where thin-film deposition is carried out on a substrate at a deposition temperature higher than room temperature;    a load lock chamber which is a vacuum chamber where said substrate stays temporarily while said substrate is transferred from an atmosphere to said deposition chamber; and    a heat chamber which heats said substrate under atmospheric pressure or a pressure higher than said atmospheric pressure; wherein 
 said heat chamber, said load lock chamber and said deposition chamber are connected directly or indirectly in this order interposing a valve; and  
 said heat chamber has a mechanism to heat said substrate supplying gas of a temperature higher than said room temperature by forced convection.  
   
     
     
         5 . A thin-film deposition apparatus as claimed in    claim 4   , wherein; 
 said heating mechanism is one which heats said substrate at said deposition temperature or a temperature higher than said deposition temperature.    
     
     
         6 . A thin-film deposition apparatus as claimed in    claim 5   , wherein; 
 a temperature-decrease prevention mechanism which prevents temperature of said substrate from decreasing lower than said deposition temperature is provided in said load lock chamber.    
     
     
         7 . A thin-film deposition apparatus as claimed in    claim 4   ,    claim 5    or    claim 6   , wherein; 
 said substrate is used for manufacture of a solar cell.