Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080239315 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING STRESS IN SOLAR CELLS - A method and system as described herein provides for detecting certain anomalies in a wafer. According to one aspect, these anomalies relate to defects or stress that can lead to wafer breakage before, during or after further wafer processing. According to other aspects, the method includes passing polarized light through a wafer and analyzing the transmitted light for any changes in polarization. According to additional aspects, the method includes analyzing the entire wafer in one image capturing operation. According to still further aspects, the light passed through the wafer is below the bandgap for a material such as silicon that comprises the wafer, so that substantially all light will be transmitted through rather than absorbed or reflected by the material. According to still further aspects, the detection operation can be rapid and automatic, so that it can be easily included in an overall processing sequence. According to yet additional aspects, the detection includes analyzing different portions of the wafer differently, for example using different contrast ratios for edge and center portions of the wafer respectively. | 10-02-2008 |
20090007957 | SYSTEM FOR MAKING AN IMPROVED THIN FILM SOLAR CELL INTERCONNECT - In a module of photovoltaic cells, a method of forming the module interconnects includes a single cutting process after the deposition of all active layers. This simplifies the overall process to a set of vacuum steps followed by a set of interconnect steps, and may significantly module quality and yield. According to another aspect, an interconnect forming method includes self-aligned deposition of an insulator. This simplifies the process because no alignment is required. According to another aspect, an interconnect forming method includes a scribing process that results in a much narrower interconnect which may significantly boost cell efficiency, and allow for narrower cell sizes. According to another aspect, an interconnect includes an insulator layer that greatly reduces shunt current through the active layer, which can greatly improve cell efficiency. | 01-08-2009 |
20090014052 | MODULE HAVING AN IMPROVED THIN FILM SOLAR CELL INTERCONNECT - In a module of photovoltaic cells, a method of forming the module interconnects includes a single cutting process after the deposition of all active layers. This simplifies the overall process to a set of vacuum steps followed by a set of interconnect steps, and may significantly module quality and yield. According to another aspect, an interconnect forming method includes self-aligned deposition of an insulator. This simplifies the process because no alignment is required. According to another aspect, an interconnect forming method includes a scribing process that results in a much narrower interconnect which may significantly boost cell efficiency, and allow for narrower cell sizes. According to another aspect, an interconnect includes an insulator layer that greatly reduces shunt current through the active layer, which can greatly improve cell efficiency. | 01-15-2009 |
20090111209 | METHOD FOR PATTERNING MO LAYER IN A PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE COMPRISING CIGS MATERIAL USING AN ETCH PROCESS - A processing method described herein provides a method of patterning a MoSe | 04-30-2009 |
20090288704 | NITRIDED BARRIER LAYERS FOR SOLAR CELLS - The present invention relates to polysilicon emitter solar cells, and more particularly to polysilicon emitter solar cells with hyperabrupt junctions, and methods for making such solar cells. According to one aspect, a polysilicon emitter solar cell according to the invention includes a nitrided tunnel insulator. The nitridation prevents boron diffusion, enabling a hyperabrupt junction for a p-poly on n-Si device. According to another aspect, a nitrided oxide (DPN) is used in a tunnel oxide layer of a MIS solar cell structure. The DPN layer minimizes plasma damage, resulting in improved interface properties. An overlying polysilicon emitter can then provide a low sheet resistance emitter without heavy doping effects in the substrate, excess recombination, or absorption, and is a significant improvement over a conventional diffused emitter or TCO. According to another aspect, the invention includes a method for making a solar cell structure that is functionally equivalent to a selective emitter, but without the requirement for multiple diffusions, long diffusions, aligned lithography, or fine contact holes. | 11-26-2009 |
20090314341 | SIMPLIFIED BACK CONTACT FOR POLYSILICON EMITTER SOLAR CELLS - The present invention relates to forming contacts for solar cells. According to one aspect, an interdigitated back contact (IBC) cell design according to the invention requires only one patterning step to form the interdigitated junctions (vs. two for alternate designs). According to another aspect, the back contact structure includes a silicon nitride or a nitrided tunnel dielectric. This acts as a diffusion barrier, so that the properties of the tunnel dielectric can be maintained during a high temperature process step, and boron diffusion through the tunnel dielectric can be prevented. According to another aspect, the process for forming the back contacts requires no deep drive-in diffusions. | 12-24-2009 |
20100087028 | ADVANCED PLATFORM FOR PROCESSING CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS - The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system, or cluster tool, for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. In one configuration, the film stack formed on each of the substrates in the batch contains one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal layers that are deposited and further processed within the various chambers contained in the substrate processing system. The processing chambers may be, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chambers, hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) chambers, plasma nitridation (DPN) chambers, ion implant/doping chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, plasma etching chambers, annealing chambers, rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) chambers, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) chambers, substrate reorientation chambers, laser annealing chambers, and/or plasma cleaning stations. In one embodiment, a batch of solar cell substrates is simultaneously transferred in a vacuum or inert environment to prevent contamination from affecting the solar cell formation process. | 04-08-2010 |
20100132774 | Thin Film Silicon Solar Cell Device With Amorphous Window Layer - Photovoltaic devices and methods of manufacture are provided. In an embodiment, the devices comprise a micro-crystal silicon cell having an amorphous silicon layer formed on the micro-crystal cell. | 06-03-2010 |
20100203742 | Negatively Charged Passivation Layer in a Photovoltaic Cell - Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for processing of a solar substrate for making a photovoltaic device. In particular, methods and apparatus for creating a negatively charged passivation layer by are provided. | 08-12-2010 |
20100226736 | Stacked Load-Lock Apparatus and Method for High Throughput Solar Cell Manufacturing - An apparatus with a plurality of load-lock chambers stacked having independently controlled pressures within their interior regions is provided. According to one or more embodiments, each load-lock chamber includes a pump valve connected to a pump line and a vent valve connected to a vent line to independently control the changes of pressure within the interior regions of the chambers. Methods for conveying substrates held within these chambers from the apparatus to one or more processing chambers, which may be in-line, are also provided. | 09-09-2010 |
20100326797 | CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING SOLAR CELL SUBSTRATES - A carrier for transporting a plurality of solar cell substrates comprising a peripheral frame defined by a pair of side members connected by first and second complementary end members, a plurality of cross struts, a plurality of standoffs for supporting the substrates, and at least one drive member coupled to one of the end members. The end members have alternating bends that provide a wave-like pattern of projections and indentations, are arranged in a spaced and substantially parallel orientation, and are constructed from metal wire. Each cross strut is connected to the first end member and the second end member between complementary projections and indentations. Rotation of the drive member causes both end members to rotate in a circular motion. | 12-30-2010 |
20110162706 | PASSIVATED POLYSILICON EMITTER SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A method for manufacturing a polysilicon emitter solar cell with a passivating layer over its polysilicon emitter layer is disclosed. The method includes steps of preparing a substrate, forming a first polysilicon layer over the substrate, and forming a first passivating layer over the first polysilicon layer. Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a solar cell apparatus. The solar cell apparatus includes a substrate, a first polysilicon layer over the substrate, and a first passivating layer on first polysilicon layer. | 07-07-2011 |
20130063929 | HANDS-FREE VISION AID - Described herein are hands-free vision aids that may be used for low-vision reading. These vision aids may be beneficial for individuals with low-vision disorders such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and other visual disorders. The vision aids described here comprise an optical system with one or more light sources configured to provide a rectangular field of illumination with high illuminance levels bounded by high contrast perimeter. Such an illumination field greatly illuminates a targeted viewing region while reducing glare that arises from illuminating peripheral regions. Some vision aids use green light with high illuminance values for improving visual acuity and comfort for long-duration reading. The optical system of a vision aid may be configured to fit onto and/or integrate with eyeglass frames. | 03-14-2013 |