Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090078003 | Free-surface mixing method and apparatus therefor - A method of mixing a viscous liquid comprising flowing the viscous liquid through an aperture to form a stream that falls through a free space volume by gravity. The viscous liquid may be directed through any combination of apertures. The corresponding streams of viscous liquid may be allowed to undergo fluid buckling as the streams fall, with the streams spreading the inhomogeneities and then recombining with each other, thereby mixing the viscous liquid globally and locally. A jet of gas may be directed against the falling streams to intertwine the streams, thereby mixing the viscous liquid. Alternatively, the streams may be manipulated with an electromagnetic field to create intertwining. | 03-26-2009 |
20090297395 | Methods of treating semiconducting materials and treated semiconducting materials - A method for treating semiconducting materials is disclosed. In the disclosed method, a semiconducting material having a crystalline structure is provided, at least a portion of the semiconducting material is exposed to a heat source to create a melt pool, and the semiconducting material is then cooled. Semiconducting materials treated by the method are also disclosed. | 12-03-2009 |
20100219549 | METHODS OF MAKING AN UNSUPPORTED ARTICLE OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL BY CONTROLLED UNDERCOOLING - The invention relates to methods of making articles of semiconducting material and semiconducting material articles formed thereby, such as semiconducting material that may be useful in making photovoltaic cells. | 09-02-2010 |
20100279068 | EMBOSSED GLASS ARTICLES FOR ANTI-FINGERPRINTING APPLICATIONS AND METHODS OF MAKING - A process for creating hydrophobic and oleophobic glass surfaces. The process consists of heating a glass article to temperatures near the glass softening point and pressing a textured mold into the glass article to create surface texture. The mold texture is selected to have dimensions that convey hydrophobicity and oleophobicity to the glass article when combined with appropriate surface chemistry. The surface features are controlled through choice of mold texture and through process parameters including applied pressure, temperature, and pressing time. Articles made by this process are also described. | 11-04-2010 |
20100290946 | METHODS OF MAKING AN ARTICLE OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL ON A MOLD COMPRISING SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL - The invention relates to methods of making articles of semiconducting material on a mold comprising semiconducting material and semiconducting material articles formed thereby, such as articles of semiconducting material that may be useful in making photovoltaic cells. | 11-18-2010 |
20110033643 | METHODS OF MAKING AN UNSUPPORTED ARTICLE OF PURE OR DOPED SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL - The invention relates to methods of making articles of semiconducting material and semiconducting material articles formed thereby, such as articles of semiconducting material that may be useful in making photovoltaic cells. | 02-10-2011 |
20110101281 | METHOD OF MAKING AN ARTICLE OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL - A method of making an article of a semiconducting material involves withdrawing from a melt of molten semiconducting material a solid mold having already formed on an external surface of the mold a solid layer of the semiconducting material. During the act of withdrawal, one or more of a temperature, a force, and a relative rate of withdrawal are controlled in order to achieve one or more desired attributes in a solid overlayer of semiconductor material that is formed over the solid layer during the withdrawal. | 05-05-2011 |
20110133202 | HIGH THROUGHPUT RECRYSTALLIZATION OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIALS - Methods for making and/or treating articles of semiconducting material are disclosed. In various methods, a first article of semiconducting material is provided, the first article of semiconducting material is heated sufficiently to melt the semiconducting material, and the melted semiconducting material is solidified in a direction substantially parallel to a shortest dimension of the melted article of semiconducting material. Articles of semiconducting materials made by methods described herein are also disclosed. | 06-09-2011 |
20120027996 | MOLD SHAPE TO OPTIMIZE THICKNESS UNIFORMITY OF SILICON FILM - A method of making a solid layer of a semiconducting material involves selecting a mold having a leading edge thickness and a different trailing edge thickness such that in respective plots of solid layer thickness versus effective submersion time for submersion of the leading and trailing edges into molten semiconducting material, a thickness of the solid layer adjacent to the leading and trailing edges are substantially equal. The mold is submersed into and withdrawn from the molten semiconducting material to form a solid layer of semiconducting material over an external surface of the mold. | 02-02-2012 |
20120074528 | TECHNIQUE TO MODIFY THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIALS - A method of treating a sheet of semiconducting material comprises forming a sinterable first layer over each major surface of a sheet of semiconducting material, forming a second layer over each of the first layers to form a particle-coated semiconductor sheet, placing the particle-coated sheet between end members, heating the particle-coated sheet to a temperature effective to at least partially sinter the first layer and at least partially melt the semiconducting material, and cooling the particle-coated sheet to solidify the semiconducting material and form a treated sheet of semiconducting material. | 03-29-2012 |
20120267280 | VESSEL FOR MOLTEN SEMICONDUCTING MATERIALS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME - The disclosure relates to vessels configured to contain molten semiconducting materials. The vessels include a high purity fused silica lining having a base and sidewalls that define an interior volume, and a fused silica backing proximate the external surfaces of the lining | 10-25-2012 |
20120297836 | PULL-ROLLS FOR USE IN GLASS MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME - Pulling rolls for used in forming glass ribbons with reduced defects and cracking are disclosed. In one embodiment, the pulling roll may include a shaft member and a roll assembly. The roll assembly may be positioned on the shaft member for rotation with the shaft member. The roll assembly may include an axially compressed stack of ring elements formed from an inorganic material such as mica paper. The mica paper may include layers of overlapping mica platelets oriented substantially in parallel with one another. A contact surface of the roll assembly may have a Shore D hardness greater than or equal to about 10 and less than or equal to about 60. | 11-29-2012 |
20120299218 | COMPOSITE ACTIVE MOLDS AND METHODS OF MAKING ARTICLES OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL - The disclosure relates to a substrate mold comprising a shell material having an external surface configured to engage with molten semiconducting material, and an internal surface configured as a thermal transfer surface to transfer heat therethrough, and a core defined within the shell material and configured to remove heat from the shell material through the thermal transfer surface of the shell material. The substrate mold is configured to be immersed into the molten semiconducting material, and the external surface of the shell material is configured to have solidified molten semiconducting material formed thereon. | 11-29-2012 |
20130300025 | METHODS OF TREATING A MOLD AND FORMING A SOLID LAYER OF A SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL THEREON - A method of forming a solid layer of a semiconducting material on an external surface of a treated mold which extends between a leading edge and a trailing edge comprises selectively modifying a temperature gradient of a mold such that a temperature of the leading edge (T | 11-14-2013 |
20130344641 | MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL TEXTURIZATION OF A SILICON SHEET FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC LIGHT TRAPPING - A process for modifying a surface of a cast polycrystalline silicon sheet to decrease the light reflectance of the cast polycrystalline sheet is disclosed. The cast polycrystalline silicon sheet has at least one structural feature resulting from the cast polycrystalline silicon sheet being directly cast to a thickness less than 1000 micrometers. The process comprises grit blasting the surface of the cast polycrystalline silicon sheet to give an abraded surface on the cast polycrystalline silicon sheet. The process further comprises chemically etching the abraded surface of the cast polycrystalline silicon sheet to give a chemically-etched, abraded surface. The light reflectance of the chemically-etched, abraded surface is decreased in comparison to the light reflectance of the surface of the cast polycrystalline silicon sheet before the step of grit blasting. | 12-26-2013 |
20140097432 | SHEET OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL, LAMINATE, AND SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR FORMING SAME - Methods of forming a laminate comprising a sheet of semiconductor material utilize a system. The system comprises a fibrous sheet, a guide member for guiding the fibrous sheet, and a melt of a semiconductor material. The sheet of semiconductor material and a laminate comprising the fibrous sheet and the sheet of semiconductor material are also included. | 04-10-2014 |
20140099232 | SHEET OF SEMICONDUCTING MATERIAL, SYSTEM FOR FORMING SAME, AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME - A method of forming a sheet of semiconductor material utilizes a system. The system comprises a first convex member extending along a first axis and capable of rotating about the first axis and a second convex member spaced from the first convex member and extending along a second axis and capable of rotating about the second axis. The first and second convex members define a nip gap therebetween. The method comprises applying a melt of the semiconductor material on an external surface of at least one of the first and second convex members to form a deposit on the external surface of at least one of the first and second convex members. The method further comprises rotating the first and second convex members in a direction opposite one another to allow for the deposit to pass through the nip gap, thereby forming the sheet of semiconductor material. | 04-10-2014 |
20140130550 | PULLING ROLLS WITH SPRING ELEMENTS HAVING INCREASED ANGULAR LENGTH FOR USE IN GLASS MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSES INCORPORATING THE SAME - In one embodiment, a pulling roll for drawing glass sheet in a down-draw process includes a shaft member and a compliant cover assembly positioned on the shaft member. The compliant cover assembly includes at least one traction disk positioned on the shaft member. The at least one traction disk includes an annular hub and a plurality of spring elements integrally formed with the annular hub. The spring elements project outward from the annular hub such that an end of each spring element is positioned radially outward from a base of each spring element and is circumferentially offset relative to the base of each spring element. | 05-15-2014 |
20140238078 | Machining Of Fusion-Drawn Glass Laminate Structures Containing A Photomachinable Layer - Methods for machining glass structures may be performed on fusion-drawn glass laminates having a core layer interposed between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The core layer may be formed from a core glass composition having a core photosensitivity, the first cladding layer may be formed from a glass composition having a photosensitivity different from the core photosensitivity, and the second cladding layer may be formed from a glass composition having a photosensitivity different from the core photosensitivity. At least one of the core layer, the first cladding layer, and the second cladding layer is a photomachinable layer. The methods may include exposing a selected region of a photomachinable layer in the fusion-drawn laminate to ultraviolet radiation; heating the glass structure until the selected region crystallizes; and removing the crystallized material selectively from the photomachinable layer. | 08-28-2014 |