EMCORE CORPORATION Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150263484 | HEATING ELEMENT FOR HYBRID SILICON/III-V COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - A hybrid silicon/III-V compound semiconductor laser device comprising a silicon substrate including a channel configured for silicide line formation as a function of current through the channel; so that the temperature of the laser device is adjusted to a predetermined level. | 09-17-2015 |
20150187748 | ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE SHUNT FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - A semiconductor device or an integrated circuit formed on a substrate with shunt disposed on the substrate in parallel with the device or circuit and designed to form a closed circuit or discharge path when the device is subjected to an electrostatic discharge pulse. | 07-02-2015 |
20150185582 | MASK DESIGN AND METHOD OF FABRICATING A MODE CONVERTER OPTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A method of fabricating waveguide on a semiconductor substrate including an optical input at a first end region for receiving a continuous wave coherent light beam having a predetermined first beam profile, and a second end region opposite the first end region active layer for transferring the light beam with a predetermined second beam profile, including forming a sequence of layers including a bottom cladding layer, an active layer, and a top cladding layer on a semiconductor substrate; providing an appropriately configured mask over the region where a waveguide is to be formed; etching the semiconductor substrate down to the active layer thereby forming a partial waveguide structure; and re-growing the top cladding layer and the contact layer to the uniformly planar level of the top surface of the partial waveguide structure. | 07-02-2015 |
20150162990 | SMALL PACKAGED TUNABLE LASER TRANSMITTER - A tunable laser transmitter configured in a small package subassembly coupled to a printed circuit board. The tunable laser transmitter includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing. A first and a second optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing, the first output being configured to transmit a modulated optical beam, and the second output configured to transmit a cw beam to the local oscillator of an external receiver. | 06-11-2015 |
20150162723 | SMALL PACKAGED TUNABLE LASER - A tunable laser configured in a small package subassembly including a gain chip positioned in the interior space between first and second tunable filter subassemblies. The tunable laser is packaged in either a rectangular or cylindrical housing, with an electrical input interface positioned at one end of the housing. | 06-11-2015 |
20150078408 | MICRO-INTEGRATABLE TUNABLE LASER ASSEMBLY - According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a micro integratable tunable laser assembly (m-ITLA) which includes an electrical interface for interfacing with a host, a tunable laser module for conducting optical communication, and a control unit, for at least controlling operation of the tunable laser module according to information received from the host via the electrical interface. The m-ITLA can have a length of about 37 mm or less and a width of about 20 mm or less. | 03-19-2015 |
20140270788 | METHOD OF FABRICATING AND OPERATING AN OPTICAL MODULATOR - A method of making an optical modulator by determining the material composition of the quantum well region in the waveguide portion of the modulator so that the modulator is transparent at a gain peak wavelength that is greater than the predetermined wavelength by a predetermined amount, and fabricating the modulator with the determined material composition. | 09-18-2014 |
20140269795 | LASER ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A laser assembly and a method for manufacturing the same are provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The laser assembly ( | 09-18-2014 |
20140192830 | WAVELENGTH LOCKING OF A LASER DEVICE - There is discussed an optical system comprising a laser device that outputs a divergent light beam. A first portion of the divergent light beam, including a central portion, passes through an etalon device, which acts as a wavelength discriminator, and then the central portion is incident on a first monitor photodiode, which generates a wavelength-dependent detection signal. A second portion of the divergent light beam is incident on a second monitor photodetector, without passing through the etalon device, to generate a wavelength-independent detection signal. A processor processes the wavelength-dependent detection signal and the wavelength-independent detection signal to determine a control signal for controlling the wavelength of the laser device. By accurately positioning a photodetector at the central fringe of the divergent light beam following transmission through the etalon device, a compact and cost-effective wavelength locking arrangement is provided. | 07-10-2014 |
20140092930 | CONFORMAL METALLIZATION PROCESS FOR THE FABRICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DEVICES - A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser device by forming a semiconductor structure at least part of which is in the form of a mesa structure having a flat top. The steps include depositing a passivation layer over the mesa structure, forming a contact opening in the passivation layer on the flat top of the mesa structure; and depositing a metal contact portion, with the deposited metal contact portion contacting the semiconductor structure via the contact opening. The contact opening formed through the passivation layer has a smaller area than the flat top of the mesa structure to allow for wider tolerances in alignment accuracy. The metal contact portion comprises a platinum layer between one or more gold layers to provide an effective barrier against Au diffusion into the semiconductor material. | 04-03-2014 |
20140043612 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANALYZING, IDENTIFYING OR IMAGING A TARGET - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including first and second laser beams coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce CW signals in one or more bands in a range of frequencies greater than 100 GHz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral heterodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target. The lasers are tuned to different frequencies and a frequency shifter in the path of one laser beam allows the terahertz beam to be finely adjusted in one or more selected frequency bands. | 02-13-2014 |
20140041469 | CONCENTRATOR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM WITH TRACKING MOTOR BEARING SUPPORT - A drive apparatus for a concentrator photovoltaic array including a gearbox case, a motor body housed within the gearbox case and a motor shaft coupled to and extending though a motor bearing of the motor body and having an axis of rotation. A front shaft mount bearing is coupled to one distal end of the motor shaft and a rear shaft mount bearing coupled to the other distal end of the motor shaft, and the front and rear shaft mount bearings are constrained by the gearbox case. A driver gear can be coupled to the motor shaft to drive the photovoltaic array. The front and rear shaft mount bearings transfer loads from the motor bearing to the gearbox case. | 02-13-2014 |
20140021351 | TERAHERTZ FREQUENCY DOMAIN SPECTROMETER WITH HETERODYNE DOWNCONVERSION - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including first and second laser beams coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce CW signals in one or more bands in a range of frequencies greater than 100 GHz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral heterodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target. The lasers are tuned to different frequencies and a frequency shifter in the path of one laser beam allows the terahertz beam to be finely adjusted in one or more selected frequency bands. | 01-23-2014 |
20130250980 | SMALL PACKAGED TUNABLE LASER TRANSMITTER - A tunable laser transmitter configured in a small package subassembly coupled to a printed circuit board such as an ITLA assembly. The tunable laser transmitter includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing. An optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing and configured to transmit a modulated optical beam. | 09-26-2013 |
20130200263 | TERAHERTZ FREQUENCY DOMAIN SPECTROMETER WITH DISCRETE COARSE AND FINE TUNING - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including first and second laser beams coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce CW signals in one or more bands in a range of frequencies greater than 100 GHz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral heterodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target. The lasers are tuned to different frequencies and a frequency shifter in the path of one laser beam allows the terahertz beam to be finely adjusted in one or more selected frequency bands. | 08-08-2013 |
20130177316 | OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER APPARATUS THEREFOR - An optical communication system having a transmitter in which a pair of optical signals having different frequencies are modulated using a duobinary encoding scheme, and then multiplexed using polarization division multiplexing. Advantageously, the frequency difference between the two signals can be less than the data rate conveyed by each signal, resulting in a narrow spectral bandwidth, while still allowing demultiplexing at a receiver using simple bandpass filters and without the need of any form of polarization tracking. A receiver has a beam splitter for splitting the received optical signal into two portions which are each directed, via respective bandpass filters centred at slightly different frequencies, to respective detectors. Advantageously, the frequency difference between the frequencies at which the bandpass filters are centred can be less than the data rate of a detected signal. The receiver does not require any polarization tracking or balancing, and accordingly is straightforward to implement | 07-11-2013 |
20130177034 | SMALL PACKAGED TUNABLE LASER ASSEMBLY - A tunable laser configured in a small package coupled to a printed circuit board. The tunable laser includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing. An optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing and configured to transmit a continuous wave optical beam. A beam splitter and photodiode is disposed in the path of the laser beam for determining the emitted intensity of the laser beam, and an optical isolator is positioned downstream of the beam splitter to prevent the incoming light from the beam splitter from reflecting back though the beam splitter and into the cavity of the laser. | 07-11-2013 |
20130163631 | CONFORMAL METALLIZATION PROCESS FOR THE FABRICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DEVICES - A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser device by forming a semiconductor structure at least part of which is in the form of a mesa structure having a flat top. The steps include depositing a passivation layer over the mesa structure, forming a contact opening in the passivation layer on the flat top of the mesa structure; and depositing a metal contact portion, with the deposited metal contact portion contacting the semiconductor structure via the contact opening. The contact opening formed through the passivation layer has a smaller area than the flat top of the mesa structure to allow for wider tolerances in alignment accuracy. The metal contact portion comprises a platinum layer between one or more gold layers to provide an effective barrier against Au diffusion into the semiconductor material. | 06-27-2013 |
20130034931 | Gallium arsenide solar cell with germanium/palladium contact - A method of forming a solar cell including: providing a semiconductor body including at least one photoactive junction; forming a semiconductor contact layer composed of GaAs deposited over the semiconductor body; and depositing a metal contact layer including a germanium layer and a palladium layer over the semiconductor contact layer so that the specific contact resistance is less than 5×10 | 02-07-2013 |
20130033737 | Method of Making a Fiber Optic Gyroscope - Methods of attaching an optical line to a phase modulator in a fiber optic gyroscope. The methods include positioning at least one end of the optical line relative to a side of the phase modulator. The end of the optical line may have a first non-perpendicular angle and the side of the phase modulator may have a second non-perpendicular angle. The end of the optical line may be attached to the side of the phase modulator with the end of the optical line being non-parallel to the side of the phase modulator. The optical line may be an optical coil or a light path. | 02-07-2013 |
20120326039 | TERAHERTZ FREQUENCY DOMAIN SPECTROMETER WITH PHASE MODULATION OF SOURCE LASER BEAM - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including first and second laser beams coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce CW signals in one or more bands in a range of frequencies greater than 100 GHz focused on, and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral heterodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target. The lasers are tuned to different frequencies and a phase modulator in the path of one laser beam allows the constructive or destructive interference of the signals on the detector as the laser beams are swept in frequency to be adjusted to achieve greater resolution in one or more selected frequency bands. | 12-27-2012 |
20120298181 | CONCENTRATING PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR PANEL - The present invention relates to photovoltaic power systems, photovoltaic concentrator modules, and related methods. In particular, the present invention features concentrator modules having interior points of attachment for an articulating mechanism and/or an articulating mechanism that has a unique arrangement of chassis members so as to isolate bending, etc. from being transferred among the chassis members. The present invention also features adjustable solar panel mounting features and/or mounting features with two or more degrees of freedom. The present invention also features a mechanical fastener for secondary optics in a concentrator module. | 11-29-2012 |
20120243874 | Radio Frequency Optical Communication System - An optical communication system for generating and transmitting a modulated optical signal in which light emitted by a light source is modulated by an optical modulator in accordance with an input electrical signal. A bias signal generator applies a bias electrical signal to bias the optical modulator at a bias angle away from quadrature. The bias signal generator monitors the input electrical signal and adjusts the applied bias electrical signal in dependence on the input electrical signal. The system further includes a receiver which may include an equalizer coupled to the photodetector of the receiver. | 09-27-2012 |
20120183289 | Passive Optical Network Module - A GPON module comprises a housing and a circuit board disposed in the housing. The circuit board further includes ground lines that substantially isolate regions of the circuit board, an electro-optical interface for converting an inbound optical signal to an electrical signal and processing circuitry that is arranged to provide an electrical RF signal to an RF interface. The RF interface comprises a three-pin RF connector exposed from the housing, wherein the RF connector is coupled directly to the circuit board, and two of the three pins are coupled to ground. | 07-19-2012 |
20120163405 | LOW CHIRP COHERENT LIGHT SOURCE - A coherent light source having a semiconductor laser resonator and an optical amplifier which amplifies coherent light emitted by the semiconductor laser resonator in response to current injection, in which the amount of current injected into the semiconductor laser is controlled for conformity with a chirp requirement of an optical communication system. The optical amplifier, which introduces no chirp, may be controlled to match an optical power requirement of the optical communication system. A heater may be provided to introduce a low frequency chirp in order to suppress interferometric intensity noise and unwanted second-order effects such as stimulated Brillouin Scattering. The optical amplifier may be monolithically formed with the semiconductor laser resonator, with separate electrodes provided for injecting current into the semiconductor laser resonator and the optical amplifier. | 06-28-2012 |
20120146197 | Integrated Devices on a Common Compound Semiconductor III-V Wafer - A method of fabricating an integrated circuit on a compound semiconductor III-V wafer including at least two different types of active devices by providing a substrate; growing a first epitaxial structure on the substrate; growing a second epitaxial structure on the first epitaxial structure; and processing the epitaxial structures to form different types of active devices, such as HBTs and FETs. | 06-14-2012 |
20120000600 | THERMAL CONTROL OF OPTICAL FILTER WITH LOCAL SILICON FRAME - Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a thermally controlled optical filter comprises a frame coupled to an etalon where the frame includes a resistive thermal device disposed on the frame to obtain thermal measurements of the etalon during operation. The frame may be generally L-shaped or generally square-shaped. The frame may include a fillet that is generally planar, generally beveled or trapezoidal, or generally circular in shape. A heater may be additionally disposed on the frame. The etalon and frame subassembly may be bonded to a micro hot plate that is capable of heating the etalon to an operational temperature. | 01-05-2012 |
20110211599 | THERMAL CONTROL OF OPTICAL FILTER WITH LOCAL SILICON FRAME - Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a thermally controlled optical filter comprises a frame coupled to an etalon where the frame includes a resistive thermal device disposed on the frame to obtain thermal measurements of the etalon during operation. The frame may be generally L-shaped or generally square-shaped. The frame may include a fillet that is generally planar, generally beveled or trapezoidal, or generally circular in shape. A heater may be additionally disposed on the frame. The etalon and frame subassembly may be bonded to a micro hot plate that is capable of heating the etalon to an operational temperature. | 09-01-2011 |
20110206328 | OPTOELECTRONIC MODULE WITH EMI SHIELD - An optoelectronic module for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing having an electrical input for coupling with an external electrical cable or information system device and for transmitting and receiving information-containing electrical signals over such input, and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; an electro-optical subassembly coupled to the information containing electrical signal and converting it to and/or from a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal; and an electromagnetic shield including (i) a latchable top cover; (ii) an O-ring metallic seal surrounding the optical ports; and (iii) a spring-clip finger shaped sleeve circumferentially surrounding the optical ports. | 08-25-2011 |
20110182305 | Small Packaged Tunable Laser with Beam Splitter - According to one embodiment, the present application includes a tunable laser configured in a small package. The tunable laser includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing and configured to receive an information-containing electrical signal. An optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing and configured to transmit a continuous wave optical beam. A tunable semiconductor laser is positioned in the interior space and operable to emit a laser beam having a selectable wavelength. A focusing lens assembly is positioned in the interior space along an optical path of the laser beam to operatively couple the laser beam to the optical output interface. | 07-28-2011 |
20110164883 | Reconfiguration and Protocol Adaptation of Optoelectronic Modules and Network Components - An optoelectronic module for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing having an electrical input for coupling with an external cable or information system device and for transmitting and receiving information-containing electrical signals over such input, and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; an electro-optic subassembly coupled to the information containing electrical signal and converting it to and/or from a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal; means disposed in the housing for determining the electrical and/or optical protocols or packet formats in use; and a processor for adapting the module to utilize the electrical and optical protocol or packet format. | 07-07-2011 |
20110134957 | Low Chirp Coherent Light Source - A coherent light source having a semiconductor laser resonator and an optical amplifier which amplifies coherent light emitted by the semiconductor laser resonator in response to current injection, in which the amount of current injected into the semiconductor laser is controlled for conformity with a chirp requirement of an optical communication system. The optical amplifier, which introduces no chirp, may be controlled to match an optical power requirement of the optical communication system. A heater may be provided to introduce a low frequency chirp in order to suppress interferometric intensity noise and unwanted second-order effects such as stimulated Brillouin Scattering. The optical amplifier may be monolithically formed with the semiconductor laser resonator, with separate electrodes provided for injecting current into the semiconductor laser resonator and the optical amplifier. | 06-09-2011 |
20110110672 | Burst Mode Linear Optical Receivers - Techniques are provided for implementing a burst mode optical receiver capable of maintaining a stable gain profile in response to a burst signal. The optical receiver has a photodiode in balanced circuit configuration with a separate RF amplifier stage connected to each terminal of the photodiode. The two RF amplifier stages are coupled to biasing voltage sources that are inverted in comparison to the terminal connections and that, in some examples, each contain a field effect transistor (FET) that having a gate that is controlled in response to a sensed voltage. The burst mode optical receiver may be used in numerous applications, including optical line terminations (OLTs) in passive optical networks (PONs). | 05-12-2011 |
20110091207 | Power Monitoring Photodiode Array with Integrated, Current Sourced Reference Photodiode - A photodiode array includes a plurality of monitoring photodiodes capable operating in a voltage mode configuration each able to provide a voltage indicating an intensity of an incident light. Integrated with the monitoring photodiodes is a reference diode configured to produce reference voltages in response to reference currents supplied to that diode. The monitoring photodiodes and the reference diode may be integrated and have the same current-voltage characteristics and the same temperature, for example by fabricating them on the same substrate. The reference diode is supplied with the reference currents in dark manner, meaning without incident light impinging on the reference diode. The resulting reference voltages, the reference source currents, and the measured photo-voltage from the monitoring photodiodes are than used to determine an optical power value at any temperature within the operation temperature range. | 04-21-2011 |
20110085767 | Cooled Laser Module - An optoelectronic device includes a header having a plurality of pins extending therethrough, a thermo-electric cooling device mounted adjacent to a side of the header and an optoelectronic assembly mounted on the thermo-electric cooling device. The optoelectronic assembly includes a light emitting device operable to emit an optical signal in response to an electric signal received by at least one of the plurality of pins, and a lens assembly operable to receive at least some of the light emitted by the light emitting device, the lens assembly having a lens. A cap substantially encloses the thermo-electric cooling device and the optoelectronic assembly. The cap has a window operable to transmit light emitted by the optoelectronic assembly. The lens is the only optical component in the lens assembly. | 04-14-2011 |
20110079821 | Integrated Devices on a Common Compound Semiconductor III-V Wafer - A method of fabricating an integrated circuit on a compound semiconductor III-V wafer including at least two different types of active devices by providing a substrate; growing a first epitaxial structure on the substrate; growing a second epitaxial structure on the first epitaxial structure; and processing the epitaxial structures to form different types of active devices, such as HBTs and FETs. | 04-07-2011 |
20110033192 | Small Packaged Tunable Optical Transmitter - According to one embodiment, the present application includes a tunable optical transmitter configured in a small package. The tunable optical transmitter includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing and configured to receive an information-containing electrical signal. An optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing and configured to transmit an optical communication beam. A tunable semiconductor laser is positioned in the interior space and operable to emit a laser beam having a selectable wavelength. A semiconductor-based modulator is positioned in the interior space along an optical path of the laser beam and operatively coupled to the optical output interface. The semiconductor-based modulator is configured to impart modulation to the laser beam corresponding to an information-containing electrical signal received through the electrical input interface. | 02-10-2011 |
20110032955 | Small Packaged Tunable Laser - According to one embodiment, the present application includes a tunable laser configured in a small package. The tunable laser includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing and configured to receive an information-containing electrical signal. An optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing and configured to transmit a continuous wave optical beam. A tunable semiconductor laser is positioned in the interior space and operable to emit a laser beam having a selectable wavelength. A focusing lens assembly is positioned in the interior space along an optical path of the laser beam to operatively couple the laser beam to the optical output interface. | 02-10-2011 |
20110020005 | EXTERNALLY MODULATED LASER OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WITH FEED FORWARD NOISE CANCELLATION - An optical transmitter for generating a modulated optical signal for transmission over a fiber optic link to a remote receiver including a laser; a modulator for externally modulating the optical output signal with a RF signal to produce an optical signal including a modulated information-containing component; and a phase modulator coupled either to the output of the modulator or directly to the output of the laser for reducing or canceling the noise signals generated in the laser. | 01-27-2011 |
20100314545 | Terahertz Frequency Domain Spectrometer with Frequency Shifting of Source Laser Beam - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including first and second laser beams coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce CW signals in one or more bands in a range of frequencies greater than 100 GHz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral heterodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target. The lasers are tuned to different frequencies and a frequency shifter in the path of one laser beam allows the terahertz beam to be finely adjusted in one or more selected frequency bands. | 12-16-2010 |
20100295096 | Integrated Devices on a Common Compound Semiconductor III-V Wafer - A method of fabricating an integrated circuit on a compound semiconductor III-V wafer including at least two different types of active devices by providing a substrate; growing a first epitaxial structure on the substrate; growing a second epitaxial structure on the first epitaxial structure; and processing the epitaxial structures to form different types of active devices, such as HBTs and FETs. | 11-25-2010 |
20100277726 | Terahertz Frequency Domain Spectrometer with Integrated Dual Laser Module - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including an integrated dual laser module coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce cw signals in the range of frequencies from 100 GHz to over 2 THz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral homodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target with resolution less than 250 MHz. The photoconductive switches are activated by laser beams from the dual laser module. The lasers in the module are tuned to different frequencies and have two distinct low frequency identification tones respectively that are used in conjunction with a stable optical filter element to permit precise determination of the offset frequency of the lasers. | 11-04-2010 |
20100265974 | POWER MONITORING SYSTEM FOR A PARALLEL OPTICAL TRANSMITTER - A power monitoring system uses a low loss reflective element to partially split the output laser beams from an array of laser sources, in a parallel configuration, to produce a monitor beams for each laser source. Each of these monitor beams may propagate within the reflective element in a lossless manner under total internal reflection and into one of a plurality of photodiodes that sense an optical characteristic such as output beam intensity, where this sensed signal is then used as part of a feedback control to control operation of the laser sources in the array. | 10-21-2010 |
20100265560 | THERMAL CONTROL OF OPTICAL FILTER WITH LOCAL SILICON FRAME - Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a thermally controlled optical filter comprises a frame coupled to an etalon where the frame includes a resistive thermal device disposed on the frame to obtain thermal measurements of the etalon during operation. The frame may be generally L-shaped or generally square-shaped. The frame may include a fillet that is generally planar, generally beveled or trapezoidal, or generally circular in shape. A heater may be additionally disposed on the frame. The etalon and frame subassembly may be bonded to a micro hot plate that is capable of heating the etalon to an operational temperature. | 10-21-2010 |
20100232461 | BIAS SIGNAL GENERATION FOR A LASER TRANSMITTER IN A PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK - The teachings presented herein disclose a method and apparatus for controlling the optical power of a laser in a passive optical network transmitter that outputs a modulated optical signal responsive to a modulated input signal. In one or more embodiments, such a control method comprises detecting the voltage of the modulated input signal, and setting the DC bias level of the laser as a function of the detected voltage. These teachings may be implemented, for example, by a laser control circuit in the transceiver module of an optical network unit (“ONU”). Such an ONU may be advantageously used in a hybrid coaxial cable-optical fiber network, such as used in DPONs which interface cable system subscriber equipment to cable system head-end equipment. | 09-16-2010 |
20100224239 | Multijunction solar cell with a bypass diode - In a preferred embodiment, a layer of TiAu is placed in an etch in a solar cell with a contact at a doped layer of GaAs. Electric current is conducted through a diode and away from the main cell by passing through the contact point at the GaAs and traversing a lateral conduction layer. These means of activating, or “turning on” the diode, and passing the current through the circuit results in greater efficiencies than in prior art devices. The diode is created during the manufacture of the other layers of the cell and does not require additional manufacturing. | 09-09-2010 |
20100202781 | Tunable Optical Transceiver in an XFP Package - An optical transceiver for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing including an electrical connector with a serial interface for coupling with an external electrical cable or information system device and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber, at least one electro-optical subassembly in the housing for converting between an information containing electrical signal and a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal including a transmitter subassembly including a tunable laser operating at selectable wavelength and modulated with the electrical signal for emitting a laser light beam coupled to the fiber optic connector for transmitting the optical signal to an external optical fiber. | 08-12-2010 |
20100158062 | Adapted Semiconductor Laser Package - An adapted semiconductor laser package that may convert a first type of package pin-out arrangement to a desired pin-out arrangement. The laser package may include a laser package including a laser, an isolator, a lens, a fiber sleeve, and a pin-out arrangement. The isolator and the fiber sleeve may be jointly arranged away from the laser. The laser package may also include an adapter with a first section with a plurality of holes geometrically arranged and mated with the package pin-out arrangement, a second section with an adapter pin-out arrangement with two rows of pins extending along opposite sides of the package, and electrical connections between the plurality of holes and the pins. | 06-24-2010 |
20100118421 | Sub-Micron Adjustable Mount for Supporting a Component and Method - An optical assembly includes a light path and at least one optic to be positioned in the path. A support arrangement supports the optic having a foot arrangement including at least one foot that receives a direct manipulation with the foot slidingly engaged against a support surface to move the optic relative to the light path. Movement of the foot may move the optic along a predetermined path. The foot defines a footprint for engaging the support surface and receives the direct manipulation in a way which changes the footprint on the support surface to move the optic responsive to changes in the footprint. A movement arrangement may selectively bias the foot against the support surface during a movement mode, intended to permit movement of the foot against the support surface, and in a locked mode, intended to lock the foot against the support surface. | 05-13-2010 |
20100116327 | FOUR JUNCTION INVERTED METAMORPHIC MULTIJUNCTION SOLAR CELL - A method of manufacturing a solar cell by providing a first semiconductor substrate and depositing a first sequence of layers of semiconductor material to form a first solar subcell, including a first bond layer disposed on the top of the first sequence of layers. A second semiconductor substrate is provided, and on the top surface of the second substrate a second sequence of layers of semiconductor material is deposited forming at least a second solar subcell. A second bond layer is disposed on the top of said second sequence of layers. The first solar subcell is mounted on top of the second solar subcell by joining the first bond layer to the second bond layer in an ultra high vacuum chamber, and the first semiconductor substrate is removed. | 05-13-2010 |
20100095685 | Thermoelectric Cooler with Multiple Temperature Zones - The present application is directed to thermoelectric coolers that include multiple temperature zones. The thermoelectric cooler may include a first series of thermoelectric intermediate members interconnecting a second plate with a first section of a first plate, and a second series of thermoelectric intermediate members interconnecting the second plate with a second section of the first plate. The first series may form a first temperature zone and the second series may form a second temperature zone. Each of the first and second series of thermoelectric intermediate members may be configured to electrically connect with a DC power supply to energize the first and second series and independently control temperatures of the first and second sections of the second plate. | 04-22-2010 |
20100089440 | Dual Junction InGaP/GaAs Solar Cell - The present application is directed to a multi-terminal semiconductor solar cell. The solar cell may be dual junction solar cells comprising single junctions independently interconnected by a middle lateral conduction layer (MLCL). The solar cells may include a GaAs subcell, a GaInP subcell, and a MLCL disposed therebetween. In addition, the solar cells may include a plurality of terminals. One terminal may be operatively connected to the GaAs subcell, a second terminal may be operatively connected to the GaInP subcell and a third terminal may be operatively connected to the MLCL. | 04-15-2010 |
20100083998 | Solar Cell Receiver with a Glass Lid - A solar cell receiver for converting solar energy to electricity including a substrate, a III-V compound semiconductor multi-junction solar cell mounted on the substrate, a diode mounted on the substrate, including a body, an anode contact and a cathode contact, the diode coupled in parallel with the solar cell, output terminals mounted on the substrate and coupled to the solar cell and the diode for handling more than 10 watts of power, and at least one spacer and a transparent lid thereover configured to cover and protect the solar cell. | 04-08-2010 |
20100040099 | Bias Signal Generation for a Laser Transmitted in a Passive Optical Network - The teachings presented herein disclose a method and apparatus for controlling the optical power of a laser in a passive optical network transmitter that outputs a modulated optical signal responsive to a modulated input signal. In one or more embodiments, such a control method comprises detecting the peak amplitude of the modulated input signal, and setting the DC bias level of the laser as a function of the detected peak amplitude. These teachings may be implemented, for example, by a laser control circuit in the transceiver module of an optical network unit (“ONU”). Such an ONU may be advantageously used in a hybrid coaxial cable-optical fiber network, such as used in DPONs which interface cable system subscriber equipment to cable system head-end equipment. | 02-18-2010 |
20100031994 | Wafer Level Interconnection of Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - A method of forming a plurality of discrete, interconnected solar cells mounted on a carrier by providing a first semiconductor substrate; depositing on the first substrate a sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming a solar cell structure; forming a metal back contact layer over the solar cell structure; mounting a carrier on top of the metal back contact; removing the first substrate; and lithographically patterning and etching the solar cell structure to form a plurality of discrete solar cells mounted on the carrier. | 02-11-2010 |
20100021183 | RF Signal Power Regulation in Optical Transmitters - A circuit controlling the gain of an amplifier in an optical transmitter used for optical communication, including a detection circuit for measuring the power of the RF input to said laser; a gain controller for controlling a gain of said amplifier, and a switch connected to said gain controller, wherein said gain controller is adapted, in response to an activation of said switch, to: (i) automatically vary said gain of said amplifier, and (ii) set said gain of said amplifier at a level corresponding to a reduction in the noise and/or distortion associated with the transmitter. | 01-28-2010 |
20100014868 | Hybrid optical/wireless RF transceiver modules and photonic network components - A data communications system including a passive optical network; an optical network termination unit connected to the network including a first optical receiver for voice and data on a 1480-1500 mm band to an end-user; an optical transmitter transmitting voice and data optical signals on a 1260-1360 mm band from the end-user, and a second optical receiver for receiving a digital video signal on a 1550 mm band from a video head-end service provider to the end-user; and a wireless RF communications transmitter coupled to at least the second optical receiver for wirelessly transferring the information content of the optical signal to an external device. | 01-21-2010 |
20100012174 | High band gap contact layer in inverted metamorphic multijunction solar cells - A method of forming a multijunction solar cell including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell by providing a substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap; forming a second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; forming a graded interlayer over the second subcell, the graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; forming a third solar subcell over the graded interlayer having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell; and forming a contact layer over the third subcell having a fifth band gap greater than at least the magnitude of the second band gap. | 01-21-2010 |
20100011565 | METHODS OF FORMING A LENS SHEET FOR A PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELL SYSTEM - The present application is directed to methods of forming an integral lens sheet for use with a photovoltaic solar cell subassembly. The integral lens sheet is constructed from a parquet member and one or more individual lenses. One embodiment of a method may include positioning an individual lens over each of the apertures in the parquet member. The size of the lenses may provide for peripheral sections of the lenses to overlap the parquet member. Each of the lenses may be welded to the parquet member by directing a laser beam through the peripheral sections and onto the parquet member. The laser beam may form a laser weld between the parquet member and an underside of the individual lenses. | 01-21-2010 |
20090288703 | Wide Band Gap Window Layers In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - A method of forming a multijunction solar cell including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, the method including: providing a substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap and including a pseudomorphic window layer; forming a second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; forming a graded interlayer over the second subcell, the graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and forming a third solar subcell over the graded interlayer having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second solar subcell. | 11-26-2009 |
20090283680 | Terahertz Frequency Domain Spectrometer with Controllable Phase Shift - An apparatus for analyzing, identifying or imaging an target including an integrated dual laser module coupled to a pair of photoconductive switches to produce cw signals in the range of frequencies from 100 GHz to over 2 THz focused on and transmitted through or reflected from the target; and a detector for acquiring spectral information from signals received from the target and using a multi-spectral homodyne process to generate an electrical signal representative of some characteristics of the target with resolution less than 250 MHz. The photoconductive switches are activated by laser beams from the dual laser module. The lasers in the module are tuned to different frequencies and a phase shifter in the path of one beam allows the beams to have an adjustable phase difference. | 11-19-2009 |
20090279896 | Passive Optical Network Transceiver with Temperature Compensation Circuit - A passive optical network transceiver includes an avalanche photodiode, a bias voltage generator for supplying a bias voltage to the avalanche photodiode, a temperature detector for measuring the operating temperature of the avalanche photodiode, a memory for storing one reference bias voltage and a processing circuitry to process the value of the measured operating temperature and the reference bias voltage to generate a control signal for controlling the bias voltage generator to adjust the bias voltage supplied by the said bias voltage generator. | 11-12-2009 |
20090272438 | Strain Balanced Multiple Quantum Well Subcell In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cell - A method of manufacturing a solar cell by providing a first semiconductor substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first subcell on the substrate with a first semiconductor material with a first band gap and a first lattice constant; forming a second subcell with a second semiconductor material with a second band gap and a second lattice constant, wherein the second band gap is less than the first band gap and the second lattice constant is greater than the first lattice constant; the second subcell including a strain balanced quantum well structure; and forming a lattice constant transition material positioned between the first subcell and the second subcell, the lattice constant transition material having a lattice constant that changes gradually from the first lattice constant to the second lattice constant. | 11-05-2009 |
20090238232 | Method of Protecting Semiconductor Chips from Mechanical and ESD Damage During Handling - A method and apparatus are provided for protecting a semiconductor device from damage. The method may include the steps of providing an active semiconductor device on a surface of a semiconductor substrate where the active device is surrounded by an inactive semiconductor area, and providing a soft metallic guard element in the inactive semiconductor area around at least a portion of the periphery of the active device wherein the metallic guard element is connected to ground potential and not to the active device. | 09-24-2009 |
20090232518 | OPTICAL TRANSMITTER WITH ADAPTIVELY CONTROLLED OPTICALLY LINEARIZED MODULATOR - An optical transmitter for generating a modulated optical signal to be transmitted over fiber optical link. The transmitter includes: an optical source for producing an optical signal; an optically linearized modulator (OLM) as external modulator for modulating the optical signal produced by the optical source with an information carrying signal. The external modulator includes a first input port for receiving a first DC bias signal, and a second input port for receiving a second DC bias signal. The optical transmitter further includes a pilot tone generator for generating a first pilot signal to be applied to the first input port and a second pilot signal to be applied to the second input port. The first and second pilot signals are capable of producing distortion products in the modulated optical signal. A differential modulation signal is imposed onto either the first pilot signal or the second pilot signal so as to generate a first control signal that alternately adjusts the first DC bias signal and the second DC bias signal in order to minimize the distortion products. The optical transmitter may include a digital based control system that is adapted to reduce composite even and odd order distortions in the OLM. | 09-17-2009 |
20090232505 | Multi-Channel Optical Communication - An optical fiber communications apparatus comprises a housing provided with a motherboard and with a support defining plurality of card receptors. A plurality of modular cards ( | 09-17-2009 |
20090220248 | Embedded Parametric Monitoring of Optoelectronic Modules - An optoelectronic module for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing having an electrical input for coupling with an external electrical cable or information system device and for transmitting and receiving information-containing electrical signals over such input, and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; an electro-optic subassembly coupled to the information containing electrical signal and converting it to and/or from a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal; and parametric storage means disposed in said housing for storing environmental and/or operational data associated with the module, and an optional method for time-biased lossy compression of such stored data. | 09-03-2009 |
20090199891 | SOLAR CELL RECEIVER FOR CONCENTRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM FOR III-V SEMICONDUCTOR SOLAR CELL - A solar cell module comprises an array of lenses, corresponding secondary optical elements and corresponding solar cell receivers. The solar cell receiver includes a solar cell having one or more III-V compound semiconductor layers, a diode coupled in parallel with the solar cell and connector for coupling to other solar cell receivers. The module includes a housing that supports the lenses such that each lens concentrates solar energy onto its respective solar cell. | 08-13-2009 |
20090199890 | Solar cell receiver for concentrated photovoltaic system for III-V semiconductor solar cell - A solar cell module comprises an array of lenses, corresponding secondary optical elements and corresponding solar cell receivers. The solar cell receiver includes a solar cell having one or more III-V compound semiconductor layers, a diode coupled in parallel with the solar cell and connector for coupling to other solar cell receivers. The module includes a housing that supports the lenses such that each lens concentrates solar energy onto its respective solar cell. | 08-13-2009 |
20090190881 | Parallel Optical Connector - A connector for establishing a connection for use in a optical communications network, the connector comprising a plurality of optical elements, said optical elements being VCSELs, photodetectors or optical fibers, said optical elements being arranged in two or more arrays so that at least one of the arrays is moveable to ensure alignment of the members of that array when the connection is established. | 07-30-2009 |
20090188561 | High concentration terrestrial solar array with III-V compound semiconductor cell - An arrangement including a concentrator lens and a photovoltaic solar cell for terrestrial use for generating electrical power from solar radiation including a multifunction III-V compound semiconductor solar cell with material composition and bandgaps to maximize absorption in the AM1.5 spectral region, and a thickness of one micron or greater so as to be able to produce in excess of 15 watts of DC power with conversion efficiency in excess of 37%. The concentration level of the lens is selected to optimize the efficiency of the solar cell. | 07-30-2009 |
20090188554 | III-V Compound Semiconductor Solar Cell for Terrestrial Solar Array - A concentrator photovoltaic solar cell array for terrestrial use for generating electrical power from solar radiation including a multifunction III-V compound semiconductor solar cell with material composition and bandgaps to maximize absorption in the AM1.5 spectral region, and a thickness of one micron or greater so as to be able to produce in excess of 15 watts of DC power with conversion efficiency in excess of 37%. The aggregate surface area of the grid pattern covers approximately 2 to 5% of the top cell. | 07-30-2009 |
20090180775 | Wireless Tuning and Reconfiguration of Network Units Including Optoelectronic Components - A method for monitoring conditions or adjusting a communications transmission characteristic, such as the optical wavelength, in a network unit such as a server, data storage unit, router, or switch, using a portable terminal having wireless RF communications capability. In one embodiment, the network unit has a tunable laser subassembly for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber for transmitting an optical signal. The portable terminal may utilize an RFID interrogator, and the network unit may have a dynamic RFID tag to communicate identification and status information. | 07-16-2009 |
20090162051 | Wireless Tuning and Reconfiguration of Optoelectronic Modules - A method for adjusting a communications transmission characteristic, such as the optical wavelength, in an optoelectronic module having a tunable laser subassembly for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing having an electrical input for coupling with an external cable or information system device and for transmitting and receiving information-containing electrical signals over such input, and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; and an electro-optic subassembly coupled to the information containing electrical signal and converting it to and/or from a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal. | 06-25-2009 |
20090155952 | Exponentially Doped Layers In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - A method of forming a multifunction solar cell including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, including providing first substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap; forming a second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; forming a grading interlayer over the second subcell, the grading interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and forming a third solar subcell over the grading interlayer having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell, wherein at least one of the bases of a solar subcell has an exponentially doped profile. | 06-18-2009 |
20090155951 | Exponentially Doped Layers In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - A method of forming a multijunction solar cell including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, including providing first substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap; forming a second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; forming a grading interlayer over the second subcell, the grading interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and forming a third solar subcell over the grading interlayer having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mis-matched with respect to the second subcell, wherein at least one of the bases of a solar subcell has an exponentially doped profile. | 06-18-2009 |
20090141270 | Simple Fiducial Marking for Quality Verification of High Density Circuit Board Connectors - A printed circuit board with a printed pattern of fiducial marks on a first side of the printed circuit board including a first indicia including a right triangle with its base parallel to a first edge of the board and an alignment mark adjacent thereto, and a second indicia including a right triangle with its base parallel to a second edge of the board opposite said first edge, and an alignment mark adjacent thereto. | 06-04-2009 |
20090110408 | Laser Optical Transmission System with Dual Modulation - An optical transmitter for generating a modulated optical signal for transmission over dispersive fiber optic links in which a first information-containing radio frequency signal input is applied to a modulation circuit for directly modulating a semiconductor laser with the signal input. The output of the laser is applied to a phase modulator to which a second information-containing radio frequency signal is applied. | 04-30-2009 |
20090078311 | Surfactant Assisted Growth in Barrier Layers In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - A method of forming a multijunction solar cell including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, the method including: providing a substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap; forming a second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; forming a barrier layer over the second subcell using a surfactant, preferably a isoelectronic surfactant such as bismuth or antimony; forming a graded interlayer over the barrier layer, the graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and forming a third solar subcell over the graded interlayer having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell. | 03-26-2009 |
20090078310 | Heterojunction Subcells In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - An inverted metamorphic multifunction solar cell, and its method of fabrication, including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, including providing a first substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming an upper first solar subcell on the substrate having a first bandgap; forming a middle second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second bandgap smaller than the first bandgap; forming a graded interlayer over the second subcell, the graded interlayer having a third bandgap greater than the second bandgap; and forming a lower third solar subcell over the graded interlayer having a fourth bandgap smaller than the second bandgap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell, wherein at least one of the solar subcells has heterojunction base-emitter layers. | 03-26-2009 |
20090078309 | Barrier Layers In Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells - A method of forming a multijunction solar cell including an upper subcell, a middle subcell, and a lower subcell, the method including: providing first substrate for the epitaxial growth of semiconductor material; forming a first solar subcell on the substrate having a first band gap; forming a second solar subcell over the first solar subcell having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; forming a barrier layer over the second subcell to reduce threading dislocations; forming a grading interlayer over the barrier layer, the grading interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and forming a third solar subcell over the grading interlayer having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell. | 03-26-2009 |
20090078308 | Thin Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells with Rigid Support - A multijunction solar cell including a first solar subcell having a first band gap; a second solar subcell disposed over the first subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; a grading interlayer disposed over the second subcell and having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; a third solar subcell disposed over the interlayer that is lattice mismatched with respect to the middle subcell and having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap; and either a thin (approximately 2-6 mil) substrate and/or a rigid coverglass supporting the first, second, and third solar subcells. | 03-26-2009 |
20090060519 | Internal EMI Washer for Optical Transceiver with Parallel Optic Fiber Ribbon - An optical transceiver including an optical fiber ribbon, a housing permanently attached to the optical fiber ribbon, and an electrical connector extending from the housing. An electro/optical converter is disposed within the housing including an array of VCSELs and an array of photodiodes rigidly coupled to a ferrule supporting respective fibers of the fiber ribbon. A member is disposed on an outer surface of the housing adjacent the aperture that resists sharp bending of the optical fiber ribbon where the ribbon exits the housing through the aperture and blocks leakage of electromagnetic radiation from the housing. | 03-05-2009 |
20090041074 | Passivation of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers - A vertical cavity surface emitting laser including a substrate, a plurality of epitaxial layers formed on the substrate as an epitaxial stack, and a passivation layer at least partly covering the epitaxial stack including a plurality of sublayers at least some of which are composed of different materials. The composition and thicknesses of the sublayers are chosen to minimise the overall stress of the passivation layer and thereby to increase a mean time before the vertical surface emitting laser fails. | 02-12-2009 |
20090038679 | Thin Multijunction Solar Cells With Plated Metal OHMIC Contact and Support - A method of forming a thin multifunction solar cell in which an electroplating process is used to form a thick metal layer to give strength and support to the solar cell. The strain of the plated thick metal layer is adjusted during the process by parameter control to compensate for the strain in the other device layers, so that the curvature of the thin device can be eliminated or otherwise controlled. | 02-12-2009 |
20090032092 | Solar Cell Receiver Having An Insulated Bypass Diode - A solar cell receiver comprising a solar cell and a diode mounted on a board, the receiver being provided with a connector for electrically connecting to adjacent receivers. The diode is connected in parallel with the solar cell, for reverse biasing the diode against conductivity during operation of the solar cell in generating solar energy, and the diode is operative to provide a current by-passing the solar cell when the solar cell is damaged or shadowed. The diode has a pair of electrical connector terminals for electrical connection to the solar cell. The connector is constituted by an insulating housing which defines a pair of apertures separated by an insulating wall. A respective electrical connector is positioned in each of the apertures. | 02-05-2009 |
20090032090 | METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A TERRESTRIAL SOLAR ARRAY INCLUDING A RIGID SUPPORT FRAME - A method for assembling a concentrator photovoltaic solar cell array system for producing energy from the sun includes installing a foundation on a surface and coupling a central support to the foundation. A cross member is coupled to the central support and one or more inclined arms are coupled to the cross member and the central support. A support frame, which includes a first frame assembly arranged to couple to one or more solar cell subarrays, is coupled to the cross member. One or more solar cell subarrays are coupled to the first frame assembly thereby forming a solar cell array, wherein each solar cell subarray includes a plurality of triple junction III-V semiconductor compound solar cell receivers. To enable rotation of at least a portion of the central support coupled to the support frame, an actuator is installed. | 02-05-2009 |
20090032086 | TERRESTRIAL SOLAR ARRAY INCLUDING A RIGID SUPPORT FRAME - A concentrator photovoltaic solar cell array system includes a central support mountable on a surface and a solar cell array including triple junction III-V semiconductor compound solar cell receivers and a support frame coupled to the solar cell array and carried by, and rotatable with respect to, the central support about an axis orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis. The support frame can include (i) a first frame assembly coupled to the solar cell array and (ii) a second frame assembly coupled to the first frame assembly arranged to increase the rigidity thereof. The system also has an actuator for rotating the central support and the support frame as well as pivoting the support frame so as to adjust its angle with respect to the earth's surface, so that the solar cell array is maintained substantially orthogonal to the rays from the sun as the sun traverses the sky. | 02-05-2009 |
20090032084 | OPTIMIZATION OF GROUND COVERAGE OF TERRESTRIAL SOLAR ARRAY SYSTEM - A concentrator photovoltaic solar cell array for terrestrial use for generating electrical power from solar radiation including a central support which is rotatable about its central longitudinal axis, a support frame carried by, and rotatable with respect to, the central support about an axis orthogonal to said central longitudinal axis, and a solar array mounted on the support frame. The solar cell array includes a plurality of Fresnel concentrator lenses and multijunction III-V compound semiconductor solar cells each producing in excess of 10 watts of DC power. An actuator is provided for rotating the central support and the support frame so that the solar cell array is maintained substantially orthogonal to the rays of the sun as the sun traverses the sky. | 02-05-2009 |
20080279510 | LATCHING MECHANISM FOR PLUGGABLE TRANSCEIVER MODULE - A pluggable module, such as an optical transceiver for coupling an information system unit to a fiber optical cable, and adapted for mating with a receptacle having a retention tab on the bottom surface thereof, including a housing having a top and a bottom surface; a rotatable lever disposed on an optical connector end of the housing; a pusher element coupled to the rotatable lever and adapted to move parallel to the bottom surface when the lever is actuated; and a spring loaded latch extending from the bottom of the housing for engaging a cavity in the receptacle so as to secure the module in the receptacle, the pusher element engaging the spring loaded latch such that when the moveable lever is rotated in a direction away from the housing, the latch is retraced to enable the module to be released from the receptacle. | 11-13-2008 |
20080264476 | SOLAR CELL WITH DIAMOND LIKE CARBON COVER GLASS - A solar cell including a semiconductor body including at least one photoactive junction; and a diamond like carbon layer deposited over the top surface of the semiconductor body. | 10-30-2008 |
20080245409 | Inverted Metamorphic Solar Cell Mounted on Flexible Film - A method of manufacturing a solar cell on a flexible film by providing a substrate; depositing on the substrate a sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming a solar cell; mounting the semiconductor substrate on a flexible film; and thinning the semiconductor substrate to a predetermined thickness. The sequence of layers forms an inverted metamorphic solar cell structure. | 10-09-2008 |