Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.

A wet etching apparatus is provided. The wet etching apparatus includes an etching chamber, at least one shutter, and at least one spraying pipe. The etching chamber is used for accommodating and etching a substrate, and has an inlet at its front end as well as an outlet at its rear end. The shutter is mounted at the inlet or the outlet by a shaft. The spraying pipe disposed on the shaft overturns with the shutter at the same time. It can effectively remove a large number of crystals of the etching liquid generated at the inlet of the etching chamber and the outlet of the etching chamber by spraying over the inlet of the etching chamber and the outlet of the etching chamber through the spraying pipe, thereby improving an utilization of the apparatus, cleanliness, and a product quality.

The present invention provides a technology capable of inhibiting, in a vacuum processing apparatus that conveys a plurality of substrate holders along a conveying path formed to have a projected shape on a vertical surface, the projected shape being a continuous ring shape, dust from being generated during conveyance of a substrate holder. The present invention includes, in a vacuum chamber 2, an anti-sag member 35 assembled to a first drive unit 36 provided on an outer side with respect to a conveying direction of the conveying path, the vacuum chamber 2 including a conveying path formed to have a projected shape on the vertical surface, the projected shape being a continuous ring shape, a single vacuum atmosphere being formed in the vacuum chamber 2. A travel roller 54 of the anti-sag member 35 travels while being guided and supported by a guide unit 17 that is provided below a return-path-side conveying portion 33c positioned on a lower side of a substrate holder conveying mechanism 3 and extends in a second conveying direction P2, and the first drive part 36 is configured to come into contact with a first driven unit 12 of a substrate holder 11 and drive the substrate holder 11 along the conveying path in the second conveying direction P2.

A substrate processing system, including a processing module having at least one sputtering source; a first buffer module positioned on a first side of the processing module; a second buffer module positioned on a second side of the processing module directly opposite the first side; a first cooling module attached to the first buffer module; a second cooling module attached to the second buffer module; a transport system transporting substrate carriers in a straight line through the first cooling module, the first buffer module, the processing module, the second buffer module and the second cooling module; wherein the system is arranged linearly in the order: first cooling module, the first buffer module, the processing module, the second buffer module and the second cooling module.

Systems and methods for venting a solvent are disclosed. The system includes a chamber, such as an oven having an interior volume defining a heating zone, where the interior volume receives at least one substrate coated with a coating material comprising a solvent. The system further includes a vent coupled to the oven and defining a passage between the interior volume and the environment external to the oven. The system also includes a solvent sensor measuring an amount of evaporated solvent present in the interior volume, and a fan removing at least a portion of the solvent from the interior volume. The system may also include a coating assembly including an applicator and a flow meter, wherein the applicator applies a portion of the coating material to the substrate, and the flow meter determines the amount of coating material applied to the substrate.

Multi-operation tools for photovoltaic cell processing are described. In an example, a multi-operation tool includes a conveyor system to move a photovoltaic (PV) cell continuously along a conveyor path through a laser scribing station and an adhesive printing station. Furthermore, the PV cell may be aligned to a laser head of the laser scribing station and a printer head of the adhesive printing station in a single alignment operation prior to being laser scribed and printed with an adhesive in a continuous process.

A cutting apparatus is provided. The cutting apparatus includes a processing chamber, a chuck table, a transferring mechanism, and a cleaning member. The chuck table is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to hold a workpiece on a chuck surface of the chuck table during a cutting process. The transferring mechanism is configured to transfer the workpiece to the chuck surface before the cutting process or transfer the workpiece away from the chuck surface after the cutting process. The cleaning member is disposed in the processing chamber, and is configured to move across and clean the chuck surface, driven by the transferring mechanism.

The invention relates to a device and a method for continuous production of porous silicon layers (single or multiple layers) on workpieces made of silicon or workpieces with a silicon coating. The method according to the invention is thereby based on a one-sided etching method, the workpiece being guided horizontally, by means of a transport device, with the front side of the workpiece to be etched, past at least one etching chamber, comprising an electrolyte and a cathode. This method can be used in particular for the production of PV cells.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus, having a first series of high pressure gas injection openings and a first series of exhaust openings that are positioned such that they together create a first high pressure/suction zone within each purge gas zone, wherein each first high pressure/suction zone extends over substantially the entire width of the process tunnel and wherein the distribution of the gas injection openings that are connected to the second purge gas source and the distribution of the gas exhaust openings within the first high pressure/suction zone, as well as the pressure of the second purge gas source and the pressure at the gas exhaust openings are such that the average pressure within the first high pressure/suction zone deviates less than 30% from a reference pressure which is defined by the average pressure within process tunnel when no substrate is present.

An optical processing apparatus includes: a housing; a stage; and a light irradiation unit configured to cause a light source unit to emit light so as to form a strip-like irradiation area extending over an area wider than a width of a substrate in a right and left direction. The stage and the light irradiation unit are moved by a moving mechanism relatively to each other in a back and forth direction. Light emitted from the light irradiation unit is deviated by a light-path changing unit from a relative movement area of a substrate. When a substrate is relatively moved below the light irradiation unit without the intension of being subjected to a light irradiation process, a control unit outputs a control signal such that an irradiation area is not formed on a surface of the substrate by the light-path changing unit, while the light source unit emitting light.