| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090194162 | METHOD TO FORM A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA - A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090194163 | METHOD TO FORM A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA - A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090194164 | METHOD TO FORM A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA - A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090197367 | METHOD TO FORM A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA - A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090197368 | METHOD TO FORM A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA - A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090242031 | Photovoltaic Assembly Including a Conductive Layer Between a Semiconductor Lamina and a Receiver Element - A semiconductor donor body is affixed to a receiver element, and a thin semiconductor lamina is cleaved from the donor body, remaining affixed to the receiver element. A photovoltaic assembly is fabricated which includes the lamina and the receiver element, wherein a photovoltaic cell comprises the lamina. The bond between the semiconductor donor body and the receiver element must survive processing to complete the cell, as well as eventual assembly, transport, and operation in a finished photovoltaic module. It has been found that inclusion of a conductive layer such as titanium or aluminum aids bonding between the semiconductor donor body and the receiver element. In some embodiments, the conductive layer may also serve as an electrical contact and/or as a reflective layer. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090283669 | Ion Implanter For Photovoltaic Cell Fabrication - Ion implanters are especially suited to meet process dose and energy demands associated with fabricating photovoltaic devices by ion implantation followed by cleaving. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090283705 | ION IMPLANTER FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL FABRICATION - Ion implanters are especially suited to meet process dose and energy demands associated with fabricating photovoltaic devices by ion implantation followed by cleaving. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100009488 | METHOD TO FORM A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL COMPRISING A THIN LAMINA - A very thin photovoltaic cell is formed by implanting gas ions below the surface of a donor body such as a semiconductor wafer. Ion implantation defines a cleave plane, and a subsequent step exfoliates a thin lamina from the wafer at the cleave plane. A photovoltaic cell, or all or a portion of the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell, is formed within the lamina. In preferred embodiments, the wafer is affixed to a receiver before the cleaving step. Electrical contact can be formed to both surfaces of the lamina, or to one surface only. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100147448 | METHODS OF TRANSFERRING A LAMINA TO A RECEIVER ELEMENT - Methods for bonding a donor wafer to a receiver element and transferring a lamina from the donor wafer to the receiver element are disclosed herein. The donor wafer may be, for example, a monocrystalline silicon wafer with a thickness of from about 300 microns to about 1000 microns, and the lamina may be may be less than 100 microns thick. The receiver element may be composed of, for example, metal or glass, and the receiver element may have dissimilar thermal expansion properties from the lamina. Although the lamina and the receiver element may have dissimilar thermal expansion properties, the methods disclosed herein maintain the integrity of the bond between the lamina and the receiver element. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100264303 | ION IMPLANTER FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL FABRICATION - Ion implanters are especially suited to meet process dose and energy demands associated with fabricating photovoltaic devices by ion implantation followed by cleaving. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100273329 | METHOD FOR PREPARING A DONOR SURFACE FOR REUSE - A donor wafer, for example of silicon, has an irregular surface following cleaving of a lamina from the surface, for example by exfoliation following implant of hydrogen and/or helium ions to define a cleave plane. Pinholes in the lamina leave column asperities at the exfoliated surface of the donor wafer, and the beveled edge may leave an edge asperity which fails to exfoliate. To prepare the surface of the donor wafer for reuse, mechanical grinding removes the column and edge asperities, and minimal additional thickness. Following cleaning, growth and removal of an oxide layer at the surface rounds remaining peaks. The smoothed surface is well adapted to bonding to a receiver element and exfoliation of a new lamina. A variety of devices may be fabricated from the lamina, for example a photovoltaic cell. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100326510 | THIN SEMICONDUCTOR LAMINA ADHERED TO A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE - A semiconductor donor body such as a wafer is implanted with ions to form a cleave plane. The donor wafer is affixed to a polyimide receiver element, for example by applying polyimide in liquid form to the donor wafer, then curing, or by affixing the donor wafer to a preformed polyimide sheet. Annealing causes a lamina to cleave from the donor wafer at the cleave plane. The resulting adhered lamina and polyimide body are not adhered to another rigid substrate and can be jointly flexed. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100330731 | METHOD TO FORM A THIN SEMICONDUCTOR LAMINA ADHERED TO A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE - A semiconductor donor body such as a wafer is implanted with ions to form a cleave plane. The donor wafer is affixed to a polyimide receiver element, for example by applying polyimide in liquid form to the donor wafer, then curing, or by affixing the donor wafer to a preformed polyimide sheet. Annealing causes a lamina to cleave from the donor wafer at the cleave plane. The resulting adhered lamina and polyimide body are not adhered to another rigid substrate and can be jointly flexed. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110140334 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE WORKPIECES - A system for simultaneously treating multiple workpieces is configured with sites, configured to hold respective workpieces, affixed on a rotatable base. Each site has a shelf accommodating an interior space and may be positioned by base rotation in alignment with a station of fixed location. Each station is equipped with an active component. The active components are movable simultaneously within respective stations into the respective interior spaces of respective aligned sites. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110143521 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE WORKPIECES - A system for simultaneously treating multiple workpieces is configured with treatment sites, configured to hold respective workpieces, fixed on a rotatable base. Treatment stations are equipped with respective active components operable simultaneously to treat respective workpieces identically on respective aligned treatment sites. For loading and unloading the treatment sites are rotated through distinct loading and unloading stations of the treatment stations which allow loading of a second batch while a first batch is being unloaded. | 06-16-2011 |
