| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090077804 | PRODUCTION LINE MODULE FOR FORMING MULTIPLE SIZED PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - The present invention generally relates to a sectioning module positioned within an automated solar cell device fabrication system. The solar cell device fabrication system is adapted to receive a single large substrate and form multiple silicon thin film solar cell devices from the single large substrate. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090077805 | PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION LINE - The present invention generally relates to a system that can be used to form a photovoltaic device, or solar cell, using processing modules that are adapted to perform one or more steps in the solar cell formation process. The automated solar cell fab is generally an arrangement of automated processing modules and automation equipment that is used to form solar cell devices. The automated solar fab will thus generally comprise a substrate receiving module that is adapted to receive a substrate, one or more absorbing layer deposition cluster tools having at least one processing chamber that is adapted to deposit a silicon-containing layer on a surface of the substrate, one or more back contact deposition chambers, one or more material removal chambers, a solar cell encapsulation device, an autoclave module, an automated junction box attaching module, and one or more quality assurance modules that are adapted to test and qualify the completely formed solar cell device. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090205703 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MOUNTING AND SUPPORTING A SOLAR PANEL - The present invention generally relates to a simple and cost effective device and method for mounting and supporting solar panels. A solar panel according to the present invention is supported from the backside via a plurality of elongated support members. The elongated support members may have open V-shaped or W-shaped arrangements and may be adhered to the solar panels through strong, flexible glue or double-sided tape that withstands significant environmental loads, such as wind uploading, yet remain flexible enough to minimize stress concentrations in the solar panels. The support members may be attached to a solar panel by a support member attachment module incorporated into an automated solar panel production line. A plurality of solar panels may be field mounted to a solar panel support structure having one or more piles or the like with at least a lower and upper transverse support rails spanning the plurality of solar panels. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090238972 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING REDUCED PURITY SILANE TO DEPOSIT SILICON - In one aspect, a method of forming a silicon layer on a substrate is provided, including the steps providing a substrate; and introducing hydrogen and silane into a chamber containing the substrate such that a layer of silicon is deposited on the substrate; wherein the silane is less than about 99.999% pure. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20100051085 | BACK CONTACT SOLAR CELL MODULES - Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a high efficiency solar cell using a novel processing sequence to form a solar cell device. Methods of forming the high efficiency solar cell may include the use of a prefabricated back plane that is bonded to the metalized solar cell device to form an interconnected solar cell module. Solar cells most likely to benefit from the invention including those having active regions comprising single or multicrystalline silicon with both positive and negative contacts on the rear side of the cell. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100313951 | CARBON NANOTUBE-BASED SOLAR CELLS - Solar cells are provided with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which are used: to define a micron/sub-micron geometry of the solar cells; and/or as charge transporters for efficiently removing charge carriers from the absorber layer to reduce the rate of electron-hole recombination in the absorber layer. A solar cell may comprise: a substrate; a multiplicity of areas of metal catalyst on the surface of the substrate; a multiplicity of carbon nanotube bundles formed on the multiplicity of areas of metal catalyst, each bundle including carbon nanotubes aligned roughly perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and a photoactive solar cell layer formed over the carbon nanotube bundles and exposed surfaces of the substrate, wherein the photoactive solar cell layer is continuous over the carbon nanotube bundles and the exposed surfaces of the substrate. The photoactive solar cell layer may be comprised of amorphous silicon p/i/n thin films; although, concepts of the present invention are also applicable to solar cells with absorber layers of microcrystalline silicon, SiGe, carbon doped microcrystalline silicon, CIS, CIGS, CISSe and various p-type II-VI binary compounds and ternary and quaternary compounds. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110031113 | ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS - Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a low cost solar cell using a novel high speed electroplating method and apparatus to form a metal contact structure having selectively formed metal lines using an electrochemical plating process. The apparatus and methods described herein remove the need to perform one or more high temperature screen printing processes to form conductive features on the surface of a solar cell substrate. The resistance of interconnects formed in a solar cell device greatly affects the efficiency of the solar cell. It is thus desirable to form a solar cell device that has a low resistance connection that is reliable and cost effective. Therefore, one or more embodiments of the invention described herein are adapted to form a low cost and reliable interconnecting layer using an electrochemical plating process containing a common metal, such as copper. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20120000511 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS USING EPITAXIAL DEPOSITION - Embodiments of the invention provide a thin single crystalline silicon film solar cell and methods of forming the same. The method includes forming a thin single crystalline silicon layer on a silicon growth substrate, followed by forming front or rear solar cell structures on and/or in the thin single crystalline silicon film. The method also includes attaching the thin single crystalline silicon film to a mechanical carrier and then separating the growth substrate from the thin single crystalline silicon film along a cleavage plane formed between the growth substrate and the thin single crystalline silicon film. Front or rear solar cell structures are then formed on and/or in the thin single crystalline silicon film opposite the mechanical carrier to complete formation of the solar cell. | 01-05-2012 |
