In-line furnace conveyors with integrated wafer retainers

Abstract

In one embodiment, an in-line furnace includes a continuous conveyor configured to hold wafers at an angle relative to ground. The conveyor may have fixedly integrated wafer retainers configured to hold the wafers in slots. The conveyor may be formed by several segments that are joined together. Each of the segments may include a base and a set of wafer retainers formed thereon. The conveyor may be driven to move the wafers through a chamber of the furnace, where the wafers are thermally processed.

1 . A conveyor for an in-line furnace, the conveyor comprising:
 a plurality of segments that are joined together to form a continuous loop; and   a plurality of wafer retainers fixedly formed on a base of each of the segments, the wafer retainers being configured to support a plurality of wafers at an angle greater than zero degree relative to the base as the wafers are moved through the chamber of the in-line furnace for thermal processing.   
     
     
         2 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein each of the wafers has a straight edge that is inserted in a slot formed by two of the wafer retainers. 
     
     
         3 . The conveyor of  claim 2  wherein the wafers comprise solar cell wafers. 
     
     
         4 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein each of the wafers has at least two straight edges, each of the at least two straight edges being in a slot formed by at least two of the wafer retainers. 
     
     
         5 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein the segments comprise quartz or silicon carbide. 
     
     
         6 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein at least two of the wafer retainers support a front surface of one of the wafers. 
     
     
         7 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein only one of the wafer retainers support a front surface of one of the wafers. 
     
     
         8 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein each of the segments is configured to support several wafers side by side in a row. 
     
     
         9 . The conveyor of  claim 1  wherein the conveyor loops within the chamber. 
     
     
         10 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A conveyor comprising:
 a base that moves along a plane of travel of the conveyor; and   a plurality of wafer retainers that are integrated with the base, the plurality of wafer retainers forming a plurality of slots, each slot in the plurality of slots supports a wafer at an angle greater than zero degree relative to the base as the wafer is moved by the conveyor through a processing chamber.   
     
     
         22 . The conveyor of  claim 21  wherein the conveyor loops within the processing chamber. 
     
     
         23 . The conveyor of  claim 21  wherein the conveyor loops outside the processing chamber. 
     
     
         24 . The conveyor of  claim 21  wherein the conveyor comprises quartz or silicon carbide. 
     
     
         25 . The conveyor of  claim 21 , wherein the base is part of a segment in a plurality of segments that are linked together to form a continuous loop. 
     
     
         26 . The conveyor of  claim 21 , wherein the segment includes a tab that is coupled to a cutout of another segment in the plurality of segments. 
     
     
         27 . A conveyor comprising:
 a base that moves along a plane of travel of the conveyor through a processing chamber; and   a plurality of wafer retainers that are integrated with the base and arranged in rows and lanes on the base, the plurality of wafer retainers being configured to support a plurality of wafers side by side in a row at an angle greater than zero degree relative to the base.   
     
     
         28 . The conveyor of  claim 27  wherein the plurality of wafer retainers form slots in which the plurality of wafers is supported. 
     
     
         28 . The conveyor of  claim 27  wherein the base is part of a segment in a plurality of segments that are linked together to form a continuous loop. 
     
     
         29 . The conveyor of  claim 28  wherein the conveyor loops outside the processing chamber. 
     
     
         30 . The conveyor of  claim 28  wherein the conveyor comprises quartz or silicon carbide.