Apparatus for manufacturing photovoltaic cell

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell in which a light absorption layer is formed by promoting chalcogenation. The apparatus includes a chamber, an object supporting element which is disposed inside the chamber and on which an object is mounted, and a microporous member which is disposed to cover the object supporting element, on which a chalcogen source is mounted, and which has micropores having such a size that the chalcogen source reaches the object through the micropores.

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
 providing a microporous member, an object, and a chalcogen source in a chamber;   heating the chalcogen source to liquefy a portion of the chalcogen source and obtain a chalcogen liquid;   providing the chalcogen liquid to the micropores;   retaining the chalcogen liquid at an upper portion of the microporous member to evaporate a portion of the chalcogen liquid and obtain a chalcogen gas; and   exposing the object to the chalcogen gas exiting from a lower portion of the microporous member, the chalcogen gas having traveled through the micropores.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the micropores are large enough to allow the chalcogen gas to flow through the micropores but small enough to prevent the chalcogen liquid from flowing through the micropores. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 placing the chalcogen source on the microporous member;   placing the object on an object supporting element; and   placing the microporous member on the object supporting element such that a bottom surface of the microporous member is spaced apart from an upper portion of the object by a distance.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the object is arranged such that the distance between the upper portion of the object and the bottom surface of the microporous member is between about 0.5 and about 1.0 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 placing an window element on the microporous member to cover the chalcogen source; and   fixing the window element with respect to the microporous member using a fixing element.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the microporous member includes a microporous body element, and first, second, third, and fourth supporting elements, the microporous body element disposed over the object, the first and second supporting elements protruding from the bottom surface of the microporous member, and the third and fourth supporting elements protruding from a top surface of the microporous member. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second supporting elements are disposed symmetrically with respect to a center of the microporous member, and the third and fourth supporting elements are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center of the microporous member 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the microporous member further includes fifth and sixth supporting elements, the fifth and sixth supporting elements being disposed on end portions of the microporous body element, the first supporting element disposed on a bottom surface of the fifth supporting element, the second supporting element disposed on a bottom surface of the sixth supporting element, the third supporting element disposed on a top surface of the fifth supporting element, and the fourth supporting element disposed on a top surface of the sixth supporting element. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the microporous body element includes a first and second protrusions at first and second side surfaces, respectively,
 wherein the fifth supporting element includes a first groove coupled to the first protrusion of the microporous body element and the sixth supporting elements includes a second groove coupled to the second protrusion of the microporous body element, and   wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth supporting elements are formed of graphite coated with silicon carbide.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the fifth supporting element includes first and second grooves at upper and lower portions, respectively, and the sixth supporting element includes third and fourth grooves at upper and lower portions, respectively,
 wherein the first and third supporting elements are coupled to the fifth supporting element using the second and first grooves, respectively,   wherein the second and fourth supporting elements are coupled to the sixth supporting element using the fourth and third grooves, respectively, and   wherein the first, second, third, and fourth supporting elements are formed of graphite coated with silicon carbide.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 forming a vacuum atmosphere with respect to the object and the chalcogen source; and   forming an inert gas atmosphere with respect to the object and the chalcogen source.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 applying a pressure differential between a top surface of the microporous member and a bottom surface of the microporous member such that a pressure at the top surface is greater than a pressure at the bottom surface.   
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
 heating a chalcogen source to liquefy a portion of the chalcogen source and obtain a chalcogen liquid;   providing the chalcogen liquid to micropores of a microporous member;   retaining the chalcogen liquid at an upper portion of the microporous member to evaporate a portion of the chalcogen liquid and obtain a chalcogen gas; and   exposing an object to the chalcogen gas exiting from a lower portion of the microporous member, the chalcogen gas having traveled through the micropores,   wherein the heating is performed at a temperature of about 220° C. to about 680° C.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 providing the microporous member, the object, and the chalcogen source in a chamber.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein heating the chalcogen source is performed using a plurality of heaters disposed outside the chamber, and
 wherein heating the chalcogen source includes transferring heat from the heaters to the object in the chamber.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein heating the chalcogen source includes providing more heat to an upper portion of the chamber enclosing the object and the chalcogen source than to a lower portion of the chamber. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the chalcogen source includes selenium, the heating is performed at the temperature of about 400° C. to about 500° C. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the chalcogen source includes sulfur, the heating is performed at the temperature of about 500° C. to about 600° C. 
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
 providing a microporous member, an object, and a chalcogen source in a chamber;   heating the chalcogen source to liquefy a portion of the chalcogen source and obtain a chalcogen liquid;   providing the chalcogen liquid to the micropores;   retaining the chalcogen liquid at an upper portion of the microporous member to evaporate a portion of the chalcogen liquid and obtain a chalcogen gas; and   exposing the object to the chalcogen gas exiting from a lower portion of the microporous member, the chalcogen gas having traveled through the micropores,   wherein the microporous member has a porous structure, the porous structure having a porosity large enough for the chalcogen liquid to flow through the upper portion of the microporous member and into the microporous member, but small enough to prevent the chalcogen liquid from flowing through the lower portion of the microporous member.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the porosity is in a range from about 6% to about 11%, and
 wherein the object is arranged such that a distance between an upper portion of the object and a bottom surface of the microporous member is between about 0.5 and about 1.0 mm.