Apparatus and methods for flipping substrates in vacuum between PVD sputtering of each side for increasing throughput are provided herein. In some embodiments disclosed herein, a module of a processing system for flipping a substrate in vacuum is provided. The module includes a clamp assembly for securing the substrate, a first motor assembly coupled to the clamp assembly for rotating the clamp assembly, and a second motor assembly coupled to the first motor assembly for raising and lowering the first motor assembly and the clamp assembly.

Apparatus and methods for flipping substrates in vacuum between PVD sputtering of each side for increasing throughput are provided herein. In some embodiments disclosed herein, a module of a processing system for flipping a substrate in vacuum is provided. The module includes a clamp assembly for securing the substrate, a first motor assembly coupled to the clamp assembly for rotating the clamp assembly, and a second motor assembly coupled to the first motor assembly for raising and lowering the first motor assembly and the clamp assembly.

An antireflection structure comprising a transparent substrate having a plurality of holes with U-shaped or V-shaped cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to a flat surface portion and a metal oxide film disposed on the surface portion of the transparent substrate and in the space portions formed in an upward direction from the bottom portions of holes in the transparent substrate, wherein the average diameter of the openings of the holes is 50 nm to 300 nm, the average distance between the center points of openings of the adjacent holes is 100 nm to 400 nm, and the depth of each hole from the surface portion of the substrate is 80 nm to 250 nm; and the thickness of the metal oxide film disposed in each of the space portions increases as the depth of each of the holes becomes larger, thereby reducing the difference in depth between the holes from the uppermost surface portion of the metal oxide film disposed on the surface portion to the surface portions of the metal oxide films in the space portions.

A sputtering-target material (2) is composed of aluminum having a purity of 99.999 mass % or higher and unavoidable impurities. When an average crystal-grain diameter at the plate surface (21) is given as D.sub.s [μm], an average crystal-grain diameter at a depth of ¼.sup.th of the plate thickness (22) is given as D.sub.q [μm], and an average crystal-grain diameter at a depth of ½ of the plate thickness (23) is given as D.sub.c [μm], the formulas below are satisfied, and the average crystal-grain diameter changes continuously in a plate-thickness direction.
D.sub.s≤230
D.sub.q≤280
D.sub.c≤300
1.2≤D.sub.q/D.sub.s
1.3≤D.sub.c/D.sub.s

Provided is a sputtering target, the sputtering target containing 0.05 at % or more of Bi and having a total content of metal oxides of from 10 vol % to 60 vol %, the balance containing at least Co and Pt.

An oxide superconducting wire includes a superconducting laminate including an oxide superconducting layer disposed, either directly or indirectly, on a substrate, and a stabilization layer which is a Cu plating layer covering an outer periphery of the superconducting laminate. An average crystal grain size of the Cu plating layer is 3.30 μm or more and equal to or less than a thickness of the Cu plating layer.

According to one embodiment, a film formation apparatus that suppresses effects of pre-processing and enables stable film formation is provided. A film formation apparatus of the present disclosure includes a chamber that can be made vacuum, a transporter that is provided inside the chamber and that circulates and transports a workpiece in a trajectory of a circle, a film formation unit that forms film by sputtering on the workpiece circulated and transported by the transporter, a load-lock room that loads the workpiece into and out of the chamber relative to air space while keeping an interior of the chamber vacuum, and a pre-processing unit that is provided in the chamber at a position adjacent to the load-lock room and that performs pre-processing to the workpiece loaded in from the load-lock room in a state distant from the transporter.

According to one embodiment, a film formation apparatus that suppresses effects of pre-processing and enables stable film formation is provided. A film formation apparatus of the present disclosure includes a chamber that can be made vacuum, a transporter that is provided inside the chamber and that circulates and transports a workpiece in a trajectory of a circle, a film formation unit that forms film by sputtering on the workpiece circulated and transported by the transporter, a load-lock room that loads the workpiece into and out of the chamber relative to air space while keeping an interior of the chamber vacuum, and a pre-processing unit that is provided in the chamber at a position adjacent to the load-lock room and that performs pre-processing to the workpiece loaded in from the load-lock room in a state distant from the transporter.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to flexible photovoltaic modules that include a multi-layered substrate. In some embodiments, the multi-layered substrate includes one or more layers that are configured to improve the elastic modulus, rigidity, or stiffness of a flexible substrate of a flexible photovoltaic module during a deposition process step at an elevated temperature that is used to form the flexible photovoltaic module. The one or more layers of the multi-layered substrate may also provide improved barrier properties that prevent environmental contaminants from affecting the performance of a formed photovoltaic module, which includes the multi-layered substrate, during normal operation.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to flexible photovoltaic modules that include a multi-layered substrate. In some embodiments, the multi-layered substrate includes one or more layers that are configured to improve the elastic modulus, rigidity, or stiffness of a flexible substrate of a flexible photovoltaic module during a deposition process step at an elevated temperature that is used to form the flexible photovoltaic module. The one or more layers of the multi-layered substrate may also provide improved barrier properties that prevent environmental contaminants from affecting the performance of a formed photovoltaic module, which includes the multi-layered substrate, during normal operation.