| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090031951 | PROGRAMMED HIGH SPEED DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS, NANOCRYSTALLINE, MICROCRYSTALLINE, OR POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS HAVING LOW INTRINSIC DEFECT DENSITY - A method and apparatus for the unusually high rate deposition of thin film materials on a stationary or continuous substrate. The method includes the in situ generation of a neutral-enriched deposition medium that is conducive to the formation of thin film materials having a low intrinsic defect concentration at any speed. In one embodiment, the deposition medium is created by forming a plasma from an energy transferring gas; combining the plasma with a precursor gas to form a set of activated species that include ions, ion-radicals, and neutrals; and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects to form the deposition medium. In another embodiment, the deposition medium is created by mixing an energy transferring gas and a precursor gas, forming a plasma from the mixture to form a set of activated species, and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects. The apparatus has a control for the entire manufacturing process that includes a diagnostic element and a feedback control element to permit process programming to achieve and maintain the optimal distribution of one or more preferred species throughout the deposition process. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090050058 | PROGRAMMED HIGH SPEED DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS, NANOCRYSTALLINE, MICROCRYSTALLINE, OR POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS HAVING LOW INTRINSIC DEFECT DENSITY - A method and apparatus for the unusually high rate deposition of thin film materials on a stationary or continuous substrate. The method includes the in situ generation of a neutral-enriched deposition medium that is conducive to the formation of thin film materials having a low intrinsic defect concentration at any speed. In one embodiment, the deposition medium is created by forming a plasma from an energy transferring gas; combining the plasma with a precursor gas to form a set of activated species that include ions, ion-radicals, and neutrals; and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects to form the deposition medium. In another embodiment, the deposition medium is created by mixing an energy transferring gas and a precursor gas, forming a plasma from the mixture to form a set of activated species, and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects. The apparatus has a control for the entire manufacturing process that includes a diagnostic element and a feedback control element to permit process programming to achieve and maintain the optimal distribution of one or more preferred species throughout the deposition process. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090053428 | PROGRAMMED HIGH SPEED DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS, NANOCRYSTALLINE, MICROCRYSTALLINE, OR POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS HAVING LOW INTRINSIC DEFECT DENSITY - A method and apparatus for the unusually high rate deposition of thin film materials on a stationary or continuous substrate. The method includes the in situ generation of a neutral-enriched deposition medium that is conducive to the formation of thin film materials having a low intrinsic defect concentration at any speed. In one embodiment, the deposition medium is created by forming a plasma from an energy transferring gas; combining the plasma with a precursor gas to form a set of activated species that include ions, ion-radicals, and neutrals; and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects to form the deposition medium. In another embodiment, the deposition medium is created by mixing an energy transferring gas and a precursor gas, forming a plasma from the mixture to form a set of activated species, and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects. The apparatus has a control for the entire manufacturing process that includes a diagnostic element and a feedback control element to permit process programming to achieve and maintain the optimal distribution of one or more preferred species throughout the deposition process. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090130337 | PROGRAMMED HIGH SPEED DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS, NANOCRYSTALLINE, MICROCRYSTALLINE, OR POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS HAVING LOW INTRINSIC DEFECT DENSITY - A method and apparatus for the unusually high rate deposition of thin film materials on a stationary or continuous substrate. The method includes the in situ generation of a neutral-enriched deposition medium that is conducive to the formation of thin film materials having a low intrinsic defect concentration at any speed. In one embodiment, the deposition medium is created by forming a plasma from an energy transferring gas; combining the plasma with a precursor gas to form a set of activated species that include ions, ion-radicals, and neutrals; and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects to form the deposition medium. In another embodiment, the deposition medium is created by mixing an energy transferring gas and a precursor gas, forming a plasma from the mixture to form a set of activated species, and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects. The apparatus has a control for the entire manufacturing process that includes a diagnostic element and a feedback control element to permit process programming to achieve and maintain the optimal distribution of one or more preferred species throughout the deposition process. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20100068870 | High Speed Thin Film Deposition via Pre-Selected Intermediate - A method and apparatus for the unusually high rate deposition of thin film materials on a stationary or continuous substrate. The method includes delivery of a pre-selected precursor intermediate to a deposition chamber and formation of a thin film material from the intermediate. The intermediate is formed outside of the deposition chamber and includes a metastable species such as a free radical. The intermediate is pre-selected to include a metastable species conducive to the formation of a thin film material having a low defect concentration. By forming a low defect concentration material, deposition rate is decoupled from material quality and heretofore unprecedented deposition rates are achieved. In one embodiment, the pre-selected precursor intermediate is SiH | 03-18-2010 |
| 20110020973 | Method of Manufacturing a Photovoltaic Device - A photovoltaic device including a current collection element and a method of making same. The photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a conductive layer, an active photovoltaic material, a transparent electrode and a current collection element. The current collection element includes a transparent support and one or more conductive wires integrated therewith. The conductive wires are in electrical communication with the transparent electrode. Current generated by the active photovoltaic material passes to the transparent electrode. The current collection element facilitates delivery of current passing through the transparent electrode to leads that deliver the current to an external load. The method includes placing a pre-fabricated current collection element in direct contact with the transparent electrode of the photovoltaic device. The time and expense of assembling the conductive wires during fabrication of the photovoltaic device is thereby avoided and higher manufacturing speeds are achieved. | 01-27-2011 |
