Owner First Solar, Inc.

Inventors Roberts, Dale; Pashmakov, Boil; Burrows, Keith J.; German, John; Buller, Benyamin

Agent Cullens

Pub. Number AU-A-2009242568

PCT Pub. Number WO2009/135114

Priority 61/083,317 24.07.08 US; 61/049,602 01.05.08 US; 61/155,307 25.02.09 US

Filing date 1 May 2009

Wipo publication date 5 November 2009

H01L 31/00 (2006.01) Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength, or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation

B22D 23/00 (2006.01) Casting processes not provided for in groups

B22F 3/02 (2006.01) Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the manner of compacting or sintering - Compacting only

B22F 3/04 (2006.01) Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the manner of compacting or sintering - by applying fluid pressure

B23K 31/02 (2006.01) Processes relevant to this subclass, specially adapted for particular articles or purposes, but not covered by any single one of main groups - relating to soldering or welding

C01G 19/02 (2006.01) Compounds of tin

C23C 4/08 (2006.01) Coating by spraying the coating material in the molten state, e.g. by flame, plasma or electric discharge - containing only metal elements

C23C 14/34 (2006.01) Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation - Sputtering

C23C 14/56 (2006.01) Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation - Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating

H01L 31/04 (2006.01) Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength, or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation - adapted as conversion devices

H01L 31/18 (2006.01) Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength, or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation - Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof