Methods structures and apparatus to provide group VIA and IA materials for solar cell absorber formation

1. A thermal processing tool for forming a solar cell absorber from a precursor layer disposed on a surface of a continuous flexible workpiece, the tool comprising:

a heating chamber to cause therein reacting of a precursor layer portion of the precursor layer with an adjacent portion of a carrier layer to thereby transform the precursor layer into the solar cell absorber, the heating chamber extending between a first opening at a first end of the heating chamber and a second opening at a second end of the heating chamber and including a process gap therebetween, the process gap defined by a top wall, a bottom wall, and sidewalls, wherein the process gap has an elongated shape with a length of at least one meter, a width between the sidewalls that is wider than a width of the flexible workpiece and a height between the top wall and the bottom wall in at least a part of the process gap that is 2 cm or less, wherein the process gap collects carrier layer vapor that forms from the adjacent portion of the carrier layer and reacts with the precursor layer portion;

a continuous carrier configured to hold on a surface thereof the carrier layer comprising an absorber ingredient, wherein the absorber ingredient includes a Group VIA material; and

a moving mechanism to hold and move the continuous flexible workpiece and the continuous carrier within and through the process gap of the heating chamber so that the adjacent portion of the carrier layer is delivered in proximity to the precursor layer portion of the precursor layer disposed on the surface of the continuous flexible workpiece during the reacting, wherein the proximity of a top surface of the adjacent portion of the carrier layer to a top surface of the precursor layer in at least a part of the process gap is 1 cm or less.

2. The tool of claim 1 further including a monitor-control unit that controls applying a predetermined temperature profile within the heating chamber to control the reacting.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein the moving mechanism includes a first supply roll to feed previously unrolled portions of the continuous carrier into the heating chamber through the first opening at the first end of the heating chamber and a first receiving roll to take up and wrap used portions of the continuous carrier which exits through the second opening at the second end of the heating chamber.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein the moving mechanism further includes a second supply roll to feed previously unrolled portions of the continuous flexible workpiece into the heating chamber through the first opening and a second receiving roll to take up and wrap processed portions of the continuous flexible workpiece.

5. The tool of claim 4 , wherein the length of the heating chamber is in the range of 1 to 15 meters.

6. The tool of claim 4 further including a delivery unit that deposits the carrier layer on the surface of the continuous carrier.

7. The tool of claim 3 further including a delivery unit that deposits the carrier layer on the surface of the continuous carrier.

8. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the top wall and the bottom wall of the process gap are parallel to one another and the surface of the carrier layer is positioned with respect to a surface of the precursor layer disposed on the continuous flexible workpiece so that the precursor layer and the carrier layer face each other within the process gap.

9. The tool of claim 8 , wherein the surface of the precursor layer disposed on the continuous flexible workpiece and the surface the carrier layer are substantially parallel to one another within the process gap.

10. The tool of claim 1 further including a delivery unit that deposits the carrier layer on the surface of the continuous carrier.

11. The tool of claim 1 wherein the absorber ingredient further includes a Group IA material.