| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 438096000 | Amorphous semiconductor | 76 |
| 20080261347 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR FILM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC ELEMENT - A method of manufacturing a semiconductor film capable of inhibiting the quality of a semiconductor film from destabilization is obtained. This method of manufacturing a semiconductor film includes steps of introducing source gas for a semiconductor, controlling the pressure of an atmosphere formed by the source gas to a prescribed level, heating a catalytic wire to at least a prescribed temperature after controlling the pressure of the atmosphere to the prescribed level and forming a semiconductor film by decomposing the source gas with the heated catalytic wire. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080261348 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR FILM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC ELEMENT - A method of manufacturing a semiconductor film capable of suppressing difficulty in temperature control of a catalytic wire is obtained. This method of manufacturing a semiconductor film includes steps of heating a catalytic wire to at least a prescribed temperature and forming a semiconductor film by introducing source gas for a semiconductor and decomposing the source gas with the heated catalytic wire after heating the catalytic wire to at least the prescribed temperature. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080268564 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING DEPOSITED FILM - A method of forming a deposited film according to the present invention includes: introducing a starting gas into a discharge space in a reaction vessel; and applying electric power to generate discharge to decompose the starting gas, wherein, when a self-bias voltage value which is generated at an electrode applied with first electric power reaches a preset threshold, second electric power higher than the first electric power is applied to the electrode to change the self-bias voltage value to another self-bias voltage value larger in absolute value than the threshold, and the deposited film is formed. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080268565 | THERMALLY INSULATED PHASE CHANGE MEMORY MANUFACTURING METHOD - A thermally insulated memory device includes a memory cell, the memory cell having electrodes with a via extending therebetween, a thermal insulator within the via and defining a void extending between the electrode surfaces. A memory material, such as a phase change material, is within the void and electrically couples the electrodes to create a memory material element. The thermal insulator helps to reduce the power required to operate the memory material element. An electrode may contact the outer surface of a plug to accommodate any imperfections, such as the void-type imperfections, at the plug surface. Methods for making the device and accommodating plug surface imperfections are also disclosed. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090047752 | Method for manufacturing photoelectric conversion device - It is an object to form a high-quality crystalline semiconductor layer directly over a large-sized substrate with high productivity without reducing the deposition rate and to provide a photoelectric conversion device in which the crystalline semiconductor layer is used as a photoelectric conversion layer. A photoelectric conversion layer formed of a semi-amorphous semiconductor is formed over a substrate as follows: a reaction gas is introduced into a treatment chamber where the substrate is placed; and a microwave is introduced into the treatment chamber through a slit provided for a waveguide that is disposed in approximately parallel to and opposed to the substrate, thereby generating plasma. By forming a photoelectric conversion layer using such a semi-amorphous semiconductor, a rate of deterioration in characteristics by light deterioration is decreased from one-fifth to one-tenth, and thus a photoelectric conversion device that has almost no problems for practical use can be obtained. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090087942 | Manufacture of Photovoltaic Devices - A method and apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate includes subjecting material to an energy beam. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090104732 | CVD PROCESS GAS FLOW, PUMPING AND/OR BOOSTING - The present invention generally comprises a method and apparatus for supplemental pumping, gas feed, and/or RF current for a process. When depositing amorphous silicon, the amount of process gases, RF current, and vacuum may be less than the amount of process gases, RF current, and vacuum necessary to deposit microcrystalline silicon. When a single chamber is used to deposit both amorphous and microcrystalline silicon, coupling a supplemental power supply, a supplemental gas source, and a supplemental vacuum pump to the chamber may be beneficial. The supplemental power supply, vacuum pump, and gas source, may be coupled with the chamber when the microcrystalline silicon is deposited and uncoupled when amorphous silicon is deposited. In a cluster tool arrangement, the supplemental power supply, vacuum pump, and gas source may serve multiple chambers that each deposit both amorphous and microcrystalline silicon. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090142877 | Method for making a thin-film poly-crystalline silicon solar cell on an indium tin oxide-glass substrate at a low temperature - A method is disclosed for making a thin-film poly-crystalline silicon solar cell. In the method, there is provided an ITO-glass substrate by coating a glass substrate with a transparent and conductive ITO film. An amorphous silicon film is grown on the ITO-glass substrate. An aluminum film is grown on the amorphous silicon film. The aluminum film and the amorphous silicon film arte annealed and therefore converted into an aluminum-silicon alloy film and a p | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090142878 | PLASMA TREATMENT BETWEEN DEPOSITION PROCESSES - Embodiments of the present invention include an improved method of forming a thin film solar cell device using a plasma processing treatment between two or more deposition steps. Embodiments of the invention also generally provide a method and apparatus for forming the same. The present invention may be used to advantage to form other single junction, tandem junction, or multi-junction solar cell devices. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090142879 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - A fragile layer is formed in a region at a depth of less than 1000 nm from one surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate, and a first impurity semiconductor layer and a first electrode are formed at the one surface side. After bonding the first electrode and a supporting substrate, the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated using the fragile layer or the vicinity as a separation plane, thereby forming a first single crystal semiconductor layer over the supporting substrate. An amorphous semiconductor layer is formed on the first single crystal semiconductor layer, and a second single crystal semiconductor layer is formed by heat treatment for solid phase growth of the amorphous semiconductor layer. A second impurity semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first impurity semiconductor layer and a second electrode are formed over the second single crystal semiconductor layer. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090162970 | MATERIAL MODIFICATION IN SOLAR CELL FABRICATION WITH ION DOPING - An approach for material modification in solar cell fabrication with ion doping is described. In one embodiment, there is a method of forming a thin-film solar cell. In this embodiment, a substrate is provided and a thin-film layer is deposited on the substrate. The thin-film solar cell layer is exposed to an ion flux to passivate a defect. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090263930 | MICROCRYSTALLINE SILICON DEPOSITION FOR THIN FILM SOLAR APPLICATIONS - Embodiments of the invention as recited in the claims relate to thin film multi-junction solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same. In one embodiment a method of forming a thin film multi-junction solar cell over a substrate is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate in a reaction zone, providing a gas mixture to the reaction zone, wherein the gas mixture comprises a silicon containing compound and hydrogen gas, forming a first region of an intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate at a first deposition rate, forming a second region of the intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate at a second deposition rate higher than the first deposition rate, and forming a third region of the intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer on the substrate at a third deposition rate lower than the second deposition rate. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20100015756 | HYBRID HETEROJUNCTION SOLAR CELL FABRICATION USING A DOPING LAYER MASK - Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a high efficiency solar cell using a novel processing sequence to form a solar cell device. In one embodiment, the methods include forming a doping layer on a back surface of a substrate, heating the doping layer and substrate to cause the doping layer diffuse into the back surface of the substrate, texturing a front surface of the substrate after heating the doping layer and the substrate, forming a dielectric layer on the back surface of the substrate, removing portions of the dielectric layer from the back surface to from a plurality of exposed regions of the substrate, and depositing a metal layer over the back surface of the substrate, wherein the metal layer is in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of exposed regions on the substrate, and at least one of the exposed regions has dopant atoms provided from the doping layer. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100062561 | METHOD FOR FORMING A FILM WITH A GRADED BANDGAP BY DEPOSITION OF AN AMORPHOUS MATERIAL FROM A PLASMA - A method is described of forming a film of an amorphous material on a substrate by deposition from a plasma. The substrate is placed in an enclosure, a film precursor gas is introduced into the enclosure, and unreacted and dissociated gas is extracted from the enclosure so as to provide a low pressure therein. Microwave energy is introduced into the gas within the enclosure to produce a plasma therein by distributed electron cyclotron resonance (DECR) and cause material to be deposited from the plasma on the substrate. The said flow rate of the film precursor gas is altered during the course of deposition of material, so as to cause the bandgap to vary over the thickness of the deposited material. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100075458 | FILM DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS FILMS WITH A GRADED BANDGAP BY ELECTRON CYCLOTRON RESONANCE - A method is described of forming a film of an amorphous material on a substrate ( | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100136736 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THIN FILM TYPE SOLAR CELL - A method for manufacturing a thin film type solar cell is disclosed, which is capable of reducing degradation of solar cell by decreasing the number of dangling bonding sites or SiH | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100159634 | EDGE FILM REMOVAL PROCESS FOR THIN FILM SOLAR CELL APPLICATIONS - The present invention provides a method and apparatus for edge film stack removal process for fabricating photovoltaic devices. In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing solar cell devices on a substrate includes providing a substrate into a chemical vapor deposition chamber, contacting a shadow frame disposed in the deposition chamber to a periphery region of the substrate, depositing a silicon-containing layer on the substrate through an aperture defined by the shadow frame, transferring the substrate to a physical vapor deposition chamber, depositing a transparent conductive layer on the silicon-containing layer, transferring the substrate to a laser edge removal tool, and laser scribing the layers formed on the periphery region of the substrate. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100173448 | HIGH FREQUENCY PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION - The present invention generally comprises a method for forming a thin film transistor device in a capacitively coupled PECVD processing chamber. The method comprises forming an active layer on a substrate by a method comprising depositing a silicon nitride layer adjacent to the substrate with a first frequency power source, and depositing a semiconductor layer adjacent to the silicon nitride layer with a second frequency power source, and forming a passivation layer adjacent to the active layer by a method comprising depositing a silicon nitride layer adjacent to the semiconductor layer with the first frequency power source. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100221867 | LOW COST SOI SUBSTRATES FOR MONOLITHIC SOLAR CELLS - A lost cost method for fabricating SOI substrates is provided. The method includes forming a stack of p-type doped amorphous Si-containing layers on a semiconductor region of a substrate by utilizing an evaporation deposition process. A solid phase recrystallization step is then performed to convert the amorphous Si-containing layers within the stack into a stack of p-type doped single crystalline Si-containing layers. After recrystallization, the single crystalline Si-containing layers are subjected to anodization and at least an oxidation step to form an SOI substrate. Solar cells and/or other semiconductor devices can be formed on the upper surface of the inventive SOI substrate. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100227430 | PROCESS FOR DEPOSITING BORON COMPOUNDS BY CVD OR PVD - The present invention relates to a process for depositing films on a substrate by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or physical vapour deposition (PVD), said process employing at least one boron compound. This process is particularly useful for fabricating photovoltaic solar cells. The invention also relates to the use of boron compounds for conferring optical and/or electrical properties on materials in a CVD or PVD deposition process. This process is also particularly useful for fabricating a photovoltaic solar cell. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100240172 | METHODS OF MAKING AN EMITTER HAVING A DESIRED DOPANT PROFILE - A method for obtaining a desired dopant profile of an emitter for a solar cell which includes depositing a first amorphous silicon layer having a first doping level over an upper surface of the crystalline silicon substrate, depositing a second amorphous silicon layer having a second doping level on the first amorphous silicon layer, and heating the crystalline silicon substrate and the first and second amorphous silicon layers to a temperature sufficient to cause solid phase epitaxial crystallization of the first and second amorphous silicon layers, such that the first and second amorphous silicon layers, after heating, have the same grain structure and crystal orientation as the underlying crystalline silicon substrate | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100267192 | PROCESS TO REMOVE METAL CONTAMINATION ON A GLASS SUBSTRATE - The present disclosure relates to methods and related cleaning solutions ( | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100267193 | Method of manufacturing solar cell - A method of manufacturing a solar cell includes forming a transparent conductive layer on a substrate by depositing a transparent conductive oxide under room temperature, crystallizing the transparent conductive layer by irradiating a laser beam to the transparent conductive layer using a first laser; selectively etching the crystallized transparent conductive layer to form embossed and depressed patterns at a surface of the transparent conductive layer; forming transparent electrodes in unit cells by patterning the transparent conductive layer having the embossed and depressed patterns; forming a p-n junction semiconductor layer on the transparent electrodes and patterning the p-n junction semiconductor layer; and forming rear electrodes on the patterned p-n junction semiconductor layer by forming a metallic material layer and patterning the metallic material layer, the rear electrodes corresponding to the unit cells. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100317145 | SELECTIVE ETCH FOR DAMAGE AT EXFFOLIATED SURFACE - Ions are implanted into a silicon donor body, defining a cleave plane. A first surface of the donor body is affixed to a receiver element, and a lamina is exfoliated at the cleave plane, creating a second surface of the lamina. There is damaged silicon at the second surface, which will compromise the efficiency of a photovoltaic cell formed from the lamina. A selective etchant, having an etch rate which is positively correlated with the concentration of structural defects in silicon, is used to remove the damaged silicon at the second surface, while removing very little of the relatively undamaged lamina. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100317146 | LOW-COST SOLAR CELLS AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING LOW COST SUBSTRATES FOR SOLAR CELLS - Substrates for solar cells are prepared by etching a plurality of metallurgical grade wafers; depositing aluminum layer on backside of each wafer; depositing a layer of hydrogenated silicon nitride on front surface of each wafer; annealing the wafers at elevated temperature; removing the hydrogenated silicon nitride without disturbing the aluminum layer. A solar cell is then fabricated on the front surface of the wafer while the aluminum remain to serve as the back contact of the cell. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100323471 | Selective Etch of Laser Scribed Solar Cell Substrate - Methods for making solar cells are described. The methods include selectively etching strips formed by laser scribing to remove oxides formed during laser scribing. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100323472 | METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THIN SUBSTRATES - A method is provided for producing a thin substrate with a thickness below 750 microns, comprising providing a mother substrate, the mother substrate having a first main surface and a toughness; inducing a stress with predetermined stress profile in at least a portion of the mother substrate, said portion comprising the thin substrate, the induced stress being locally larger than the toughness of the mother substrate at a first depth under the main surface; such that the thin substrate is released from the mother substrate, wherein the toughness of the mother substrate at the first depth is not lowered prior to inducing the stress. The method can be used in the production of, for example, solar cells. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110008928 | Method for etching a see-through thin film solar module - This invention discloses a method for etching a see-through thin film solar module, comprising: printing ink paste which resists the etching of etching solutions in the protected area of the thin film solar module which is placed under a screen; drying and solidifying the ink paste; coating etching solutions on the thin film solar module; and removing the ink paste. The method of this invention can accurately position the see-through area, achieve various selections of see-through patterns, facilitate the realization of the see-through function in large-area thin film solar modules, and alleviate the problem that a short circuit easily occurs in a see-through thin film solar module. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110104849 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A photovoltaic device capable of improving an output characteristic is provided. The photovoltaic device includes an n-type single-crystal silicon substrate, a p-type amorphous silicon substrate, and a substantially intrinsic i-type amorphous silicon layer disposed between the n-type single-crystal silicon substrate and the p-type amorphous silicon layer. The i-type amorphous silicon layer includes: a first section which is located on the n-type single-crystal silicon substrate side, and which has an oxygen concentration equal to or below 10 | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110143496 | METHOD OF MAKING MONOLITHIC PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE ON FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE - A method of making a monolithic photovoltaic module having a flexible substrate is described. The method includes the following steps. First, a flexible substrate is provided, and a first adhesive layer, a metal layer, and a second adhesive layer are formed thereon. The second adhesive layer, the metal layer and the first adhesive layer are etched with at least one etching paste. In addition, a patterned semiconductor body layer patterned by an etching paste or a laser scribing is formed thereon. Furthermore, transparent top electrodes patterned by an etching paste or a cold laser scribing are formed on the patterned semiconductor body layer. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110217810 | ALIGNING SUCCESSIVE IMPLANTS WITH A SOFT MASK - A first species selectively dopes a workpiece to form a first doped region. In one embodiment, a selective implant is performed using a mask with apertures. A soft mask is applied to the first doped region. A second species is implanted into the workpiece to form a second implanted region. The soft mask blocks a portion of the second species. Then the soft mask is removed. The first species and second species may be opposite conductivities such that one is p-type and the other is n-type. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110223711 | PROCESS FOR FABRICATING A SILICON-BASED THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL - A process for fabricating a silicon-based thin-film photovoltaic cell, applicable for example in the energy generation field. The fabrication process includes a) depositing a p-doped or n-doped amorphous silicon film, the X-ray diffraction spectrum of which has a line centered at 28° that has a mid-height width, denoted by a, such that 4.7°≦a<6.0°, on a substrate. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110230008 | Method and Apparatus for Silicon Film Deposition - Embodiments of the present invention are directed to apparatus and methods for depositing amorphous and microcrystalline silicon films during the formation of solar cells. Specifically, embodiments of the invention provide for a pre-heated hydrogen-containing gas to be introduced into a processing chamber separately from the silicon-containing gas. A plasma, struck from the heated hydrogen-containing gas, reacts with the silicon-containing gas to produce a silicon film on a substrate. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110230009 | PIXEL LAYOUT STRUCTURE FOR RAISING CAPABILITY OF DETECTING AMORPHOUS SILICON RESIDUE DEFECTS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Disclosed is a pixel layout structure capable of increasing the capability of detecting amorphous silicon (a-Si) residue defects and a method for manufacturing the same. Wherein, an a-Si dummy layer is disposed on either one side or both sides of each data line. The design of such an a-Si dummy layer is utilized, so that in an existing testing conditions (by making use of an existing automatic array tester in carrying out the test), in case that there exists an a-Si residue in a pixel, the pixel having defects can be detected through an enhanced capacitance coupling effect and an electron conduction effect. Therefore, through the application of the above-mentioned design, the capability of an automatic array tester can effectively be increased in detecting a defective pixel having a-Si residues. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110237022 | IMPLANT ALIGNMENT THROUGH A MASK - Methods to form complementary implant regions in a workpiece are disclosed. A mask may be aligned with respect to implanted or doped regions on the workpiece. The mask also may be aligned with respect to surface modifications on the workpiece, such as deposits or etched regions. A masking material also may be deposited on the implanted regions using the mask. The workpiece may be a solar cell. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110263074 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING LIGHT INDUCED DAMAGE IN THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS - Apparatus and methods for forming a silicon-containing i-layer on a substrate for a thin film photovoltaic cell are disclosed. The apparatus includes a chamber body defining a processing region containing the substrate, a hydrogen source and a silane source coupled to a plasma generation region, an RF power source that applies power at a power level in the plasma generation region to generate a plasma and deposit the silicon-containing i-layer at a selected deposition rate to a selected thickness and a controller. The controller controls the power level and the deposition rate of the i-layer on the substrate such that the thin film solar cell exhibits light induced damage that conforms to a linear fit of the product of the RF power, the deposition rate and the selected thickness of the i-layer. In accordance with further aspects of the present invention, the controller controls the RF power and the deposition rate so that a product (x) of the RF power in watts, the deposition rate of the i-layer in nm per min and the thickness of the i-layer in nm is less than a predetermined number y and satisfies the equation y=5E11*x+3.3749 plus or minus a margin. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110300665 | Ablation Of Film Stacks In Solar Cell Fabrication Processes - A dielectric film stack of a solar cell is ablated using a laser. The dielectric film stack includes a layer that is absorptive in a wavelength of operation of the laser source. The laser source, which fires laser pulses at a pulse repetition rate, is configured to ablate the film stack to expose an underlying layer of material. The laser source may be configured to fire a burst of two laser pulses or a single temporally asymmetric laser pulse within a single pulse repetition to achieve complete ablation in a single step. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110318869 | Photovoltaic Element, Photovoltaic Module Comprising Photovoltaic Element, And Method of Fabricating Photovoltaic Element - A photovoltaic element comprising a transparent conductive film capable of improving weather resistance is obtained. This photovoltaic element includes a photoelectric conversion layer, and a transparent conductive film formed on a surface of the photoelectric conversion layer and including an indium oxide layer having (222) orientation and two X-ray diffraction peaks, in which the two X-ray diffraction peaks of the indium oxide layer is constituted by a first peak on a low angle side and a second peak on a high angle side having a peak intensity level lower than the first peak. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120003787 | Manufacturing Method of Semiconductor Film, Manufacturing Method of Semiconductor Device, and Manufacturing Method of Photoelectric Conversion Device - A method for forming an amorphous semiconductor which contains an impurity element and has low resistivity and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with excellent electrical characteristics with high yield are provided. In the method for forming an amorphous semiconductor containing an impurity element, which utilizes a plasma CVD method, pulse-modulated discharge inception voltage is applied to electrodes under the pressure and electrode distance with which the minimum discharge inception voltage according to Paschen's Law can be obtained, whereby the amorphous semiconductor which contains an impurity element and has low resistivity is formed. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120015474 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING SILICON HETEROJUNCTION SOLAR CELLS - The present invention discloses a method for fabricating a silicon heterojunction solar cell. The silicon heterojunction solar cell according to the present invention comprises a first conductive silicon substrate; a first intrinsic silicon layer and a second intrinsic silicon layer respectively formed on two sides of the first conductive silicon substrate and jointed with the first conductive silicon substrate to form silicon heterojunctions; a second conductive silicon layer and a first conductive heavily-doped silicon layer respectively formed on the first intrinsic silicon layer and the second intrinsic silicon layer, wherein the second conductive silicon layer and the first conductive heavily-doped silicon layer are formed via an ion implantation method, whereby is optimized the thickness and doped quality of the second conductive silicon layer and the first conductive heavily-doped silicon layer. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120040492 | Plasma Deposition of Amorphous Semiconductors at Microwave Frequencies - Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus avoids unintended deposition on windows or other microwave transmission elements that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with conduits passing therethrough that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to activate or energize them to a reactive state conducive to formation of a thin film material. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react or otherwise combine to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer. The deposition species are separately energized and swept away from the point of power transfer to prevent thin film deposition. Suitable deposition species include precursors that contain silicon, germanium, fluorine, and/or hydrogen. The invention allows for the ultrafast formation of silicon-containing amorphous semiconductors that exhibit high mobility, low porosity, little or no Staebler-Wronski degradation, and low defect concentration. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120040493 | PLASMA DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS SEMICONDUCTORS AT MICROWAVE FREQUENCIES - Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus avoids deposition on windows or other microwave transmission elements that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with conduits passing therethrough that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to transform them to a reactive state conducive to formation of a thin film material. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer. The deposition species are separately energized and swept away from the point of power transfer to prevent thin film deposition. The invention allows for the ultrafast formation of silicon-containing amorphous semiconductors that exhibit high mobility, low porosity, little or no Staebler-Wronski degradation, and low defect concentration. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120077305 | CONTROLLING LASER ANNEALED JUNCTION DEPTH BY IMPLANT MODIFICATION - Methods of enabling the use of high wavelength lasers to create shallow melt junctions are disclosed. In some embodiments, the substrate may be preamorphized to change its absorption characteristics prior to the implantation of a dopant. In other embodiments, a single implant may serve to amorphize the substrate and provide dopant. Once the substrate is sufficiently amorphized, a laser melt anneal may be performed. Due to the changes in the absorption characteristics of the substrate, longer wavelength lasers may be used for the anneal, thereby reducing cost. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120108002 | APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEPOSITING LAYER OF SOLAR CELL - The apparatus for thin film deposition for solar cells includes multiple unit chambers divided by a substrate as a boundary, a deposition gas injecting unit injecting deposition gases independently to each of the multiple unit chambers, and a decomposition unit in each of the multiple unit chambers to decompose the deposition gases, wherein both surfaces of the substrate each are exposed to the multiple unit chambers. The apparatus and the method for producing solar cells allow deposition on both surfaces of a substrate while the substrate is fixed without any rotation. Therefore, the number of processing units required for carrying out deposition is decreased, thereby providing high cost efficiency. Further, it results in a decrease in time during which the substrate is exposed to the exterior, thereby minimizing contamination of the surfaces of the substrate. As a result, it is possible to provide solar cells having excellent reliability. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120115273 | MANUFACTURING METHOD OF PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - A photoelectric conversion device has a structure that includes a first amorphous silicon layer and a second amorphous silicon layer that are in contact with a single crystalline silicon substrate, and a first microcrystalline silicon layer with one conductivity type and a second microcrystalline silicon layer with a conductivity type that is opposite the one conductivity type that are in contact with the first and second amorphous silicon layers, respectively. The first and second microcrystalline silicon layers are formed using a plasma CVD apparatus that is suitable for high pressure film formation conditions. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120115274 | Plasma Deposition of Amorphous Semiconductors at Microwave Frequencies - Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus inhibits deposition on windows or other microwave transmission elements that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with conduits passing therethrough that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to transform them to a reactive state conducive to formation of a thin film material. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer. The deposition species are separately energized and swept away from the point of power transfer to prevent thin film deposition. The invention allows for the ultrafast formation of silicon-containing amorphous semiconductors that exhibit high mobility, low porosity, little or no Staebler-Wronski degradation, and low defect concentration. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120122269 | PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC ELEMENT USING SAME - A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic element ( | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120171809 | Method and Apparatus for Forming a Thin Lamina - A method for producing a lamina from a donor body includes implanting the donor body with an ion dosage and heating the donor body to an implant temperature during implanting. The donor body is separably contacted with a susceptor assembly, where the donor body and the susceptor assembly are in direct contact. A lamina is exfoliated from the donor body by applying a thermal profile to the donor body. Implantation and exfoliation conditions may be adjusted in order to maximize the defect-free area of the lamina. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120184064 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE - A fragile layer is formed in a region at a depth of less than 1000 nm from one surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate, and a first impurity semiconductor layer and a first electrode are formed at the one surface side. After bonding the first electrode and a supporting substrate, the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated using the fragile layer or the vicinity as a separation plane, thereby forming a first single crystal semiconductor layer over the supporting substrate. An amorphous semiconductor layer is formed on the first single crystal semiconductor layer, and a second single crystal semiconductor layer is formed by heat treatment for solid phase growth of the amorphous semiconductor layer. A second impurity semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first impurity semiconductor layer and a second electrode are formed over the second single crystal semiconductor layer. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120220068 | Method to Form a Device by Constructing a Support Element on a Thin Semiconductor Lamina - A semiconductor assembly is described in which a support element is constructed on a surface of a semiconductor lamina. Following formation of the thin lamina, which may have a thickness about 50 microns or less, the support element is formed, for example by plating, or by application of a precursor and curing in situ, resulting in a support element which may be, for example, metal, ceramic, polymer, etc. This is in contrast to pre-formed support element which is affixed to the lamina following its formation, or to a donor wafer from which the lamina is subsequently cleaved. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20130065356 | Plasma Deposition of Amorphous Semiconductors at Microwave Frequencies - Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus avoids deposition on windows that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with one or more conduits that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to energize them to a reactive state. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react or otherwise combine to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer and deliver the microwave-excited species to a deposition chamber. Supplemental material streams may be delivered to the deposition chamber without passing through the microwave applicator and may combine with deposition species exiting the conduits to form a thin film material. Precursors for the microwave-excited deposition species include fluorinated forms of silicon. Precursors for supplemental material streams include hydrogenated forms of silicon. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130084675 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A photovoltaic device capable of improving an output characteristic is provided. The photovoltaic device includes an n-type single-crystal silicon substrate, a p-type amorphous silicon substrate, and a substantially intrinsic i-type amorphous silicon layer disposed between the n-type single-crystal silicon substrate and the p-type amorphous silicon layer. The i-type amorphous silicon layer includes: a first section which is located on the n-type single-crystal silicon substrate side, and which has an oxygen concentration equal to or below 10 | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130137209 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLAR CELL - A method of manufacturing a solar cell includes: forming an electrode on a first main surface of a photoelectric conversion body through screen printing; and then forming an electrode on a second main surface of the photoelectric conversion body, located on the opposite side from the first main surface, through screen printing, the photoelectric conversion body including a p- type or n-type semiconductor substrate and an amorphous silicon layer stacked on one surface of the semiconductor substrate on the first main surface side and having the opposite conductivity from the semiconductor substrate, such that the first main surface of the photoelectric conversion body comprises a pn junction. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130196466 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE OXIDE - A method and apparatus for manufacturing a multi-layered structure includes forming a crystalline layer of a material by depositing an amorphous layer of the material on a heated substrate. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130203210 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SILICON-BASED SOLAR CELL - Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based photoelectric conversion device having a first intrinsic silicon-based layer, a p-type silicon-based layer and a first transparent electroconductive layer, positioned in this order on one surface of a conductive single-crystal silicon substrate, and having a second intrinsic silicon-based layer, an n-type silicon-based layer and a second transparent electroconductive layer, positioned in this order on the other surface of the conductive single-crystal silicon substrate. In the present invention, a heat treatment is carried out after at least one of the transparent electroconductive layers is formed. This heat treatment is carried out at a temperature of less than 200° C. under a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130244371 | CELL AND MODULE PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERS FOR BACK-CONTACTED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE - The present invention relates to cost effective production methods of high efficiency silicon based back-contacted back-junction solar panels and solar panels thereof having a multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter- and base regions on the back-side of each cell, each with rectangular metallic electric finger conductor above and running in parallel with the corresponding emitter- and base region, a first insulation layer in-between the wafer and finger conductors, and a second insulation layer in between the finger conductors and cell interconnections. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130280856 | PHOTO SENSOR, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTO SENSOR, AND DISPLAY APPARATUS - A photo sensor, a method of manufacturing the photo sensor, and a display apparatus, the photo sensor including a substrate; a light receiving unit on the substrate, the light receiving unit including an amorphous semiconductor material; a first adjacent unit and a second adjacent unit formed as one body with the light receiving unit, the first adjacent unit and the second adjacent unit being separated from each other by the light receiving unit; a first photo sensor electrode electrically connected to the first adjacent unit; and a second photo sensor electrode electrically connected to the second adjacent unit, wherein at least one of the first adjacent unit and the second adjacent unit includes a crystalline semiconductor material. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130288423 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLAR CELL AND SOLAR CELL - Provided is a method capable of easily manufacturing a back contact solar cell with high photoelectric conversion efficiency. A semiconductor layer having a first conductivity which is the same as that of a semiconductor substrate is formed substantially entirely on the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate inclusive of a surface of an insulation layer. A portion of the semiconductor layer located on the insulation layer is removed, and thereby an opening is formed. The insulation layer exposed through the opening is removed while the semiconductor layer is used as a mask, and thereby a surface of a first semiconductor region is partially exposed. Electrodes which are electrically connected to the surface of the first semiconductor region and to a surface of the semiconductor layer respectively are formed. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130295714 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SITE CONTROLLED CRYSTALLIZATION - Systems and methods for site controlled crystallization are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for forming a composite film is disclosed. In one example embodiment, the method includes forming a layer of amorphous material. The method also includes forming a layer of metal material on each of a plurality of selected regions of the layer of amorphous material to form a structure including the layer of metal material on the layer of amorphous material, and annealing the structure to generate metal-induced crystallization at the interface of the layer of metal material and each of the selected regions of the layer of amorphous material such that crystalline structures are formed. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130316491 | Optoelectronic Devices And Applications Thereof - In one aspect, optoelectronic devices are described herein. In some embodiments, an optoelectronic device comprises a fiber core, a radiation transmissive first electrode surrounding the fiber core, at least one photosensitive inorganic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second electrode surrounding the inorganic layer and electrically connected to the inorganic layer. In some embodiments, the device comprises a photovoltaic cell. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20130337603 | METHOD FOR HYDROGEN PLASMA TREATMENT OF A TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE OXIDE (TCO) LAYER - A method for fabricating a thin film solar device that includes providing a substrate having a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer deposited on a surface of the substrate, the TCO layer having an as deposited sheet resistance. At least a portion of a surface of the TCO layer is exposed to a hydrogen plasma under conditions which result in a treated TCO layer having a reduced sheet resistance which is at least 10% less than the as deposited sheet resistance. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20140017849 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE FILM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SOLAR CELL - The purpose of the present invention is to favorably modify a transparent conductive film and provide a transparent conductive film with few grain boundaries. In the manufacturing method for the transparent conductive film of the present invention, a transparent conductive film 3 is formed on a substrate 2 inside a vacuum chamber 10, after which radiant heat is imparted from a surface modifying device 4 arranged near the substrate 2 to modify the transparent conductive film 3, and the substrate 2 having the modified transparent conductive film 3 is removed from the vacuum chamber 10. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140017850 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT - There is provided a method of producing a photovoltaic element comprising: a first step in which an i-type amorphous silicon layer ( | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140073083 | MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR SOLAR CELL - A manufacturing method for a solar cell having improved output characteristics is provided. After forming a p-side transparent conductive oxide layer ( | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140087513 | EMBEDDED JUNCTION IN HETERO-STRUCTURED BACK-SURFACE FIELD FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES - A photovoltaic device and method include a crystalline substrate and an emitter contact portion formed in contact with the substrate. A back-surface-field junction includes a homogeneous junction layer formed in contact with the crystalline substrate and having a same conductivity type and a higher active doping density than that of the substrate. The homogeneous junction layer includes a thickness less than a diffusion length of minority carriers in the homogeneous junction layer. A passivation layer is formed in contact with the homogeneous junction layer opposite the substrate, which is either undoped or has the same conductivity type as that of the substrate. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140170806 | TCOs for High-Efficiency Crystalline Si Heterojunction Solar Cells - Methods are used to develop and evaluate new processes for cleaning and texturing substrates and layers used in HJCS solar cells. In some embodiments, methods are used to develop and evaluate new processes for the deposition of resistive metal oxide interface layers that are formed between the TCO layers and the a-Si:H layers. The resistive metal oxide interface layers form good ohmic contact to the a-Si:H layers. In some embodiments, methods are used to develop and evaluate new processes for the deposition of amorphous TCO layers. The amorphous TCO layers allow improved control over the layer thickness and morphology. In some embodiments, methods are used to develop and evaluate new processes for the deposition of anti-reflection coating materials. The anti-reflection coating materials are selected to decrease the reflectivity of the solar cell and maintain the high conductivity of the TCO materials. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140349441 | SOLAR CELL WITH METAL GRID FABRICATED BY ELECTROPLATING - One embodiment of the present invention provides a solar cell. The solar cell includes a photovoltaic structure, a transparent-conductive-oxide (TCO) layer situated above the photovoltaic structure, and a front-side metal grid situated above the TCO layer. The TCO layer is in contact with the front surface of the photovoltaic structure. The metal grid includes at least one of: Cu and Ni. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20150011043 | SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME - A solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer formed of a silicon compound or a metal compound, and having a predetermined pattern over the substrate; and a surface covering layer formed of an amorphous semiconductor, having a same pattern as the insulating layer, and that directly contacts the insulating layer. | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150087108 | Process, Film, and Apparatus for Top Cell for a PV Device - This disclosure describes systems and methods for making at least a portion of a photovoltaic device. This may include a method of manufacturing, an optimization procedure and an apparatus for the PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) of thin films over large area substrates. In particular, the system may be used to deposit thin film silicon material for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The photovoltaic device may be achieved by a combination of plasma chamber design (e.g., inter-electrode separation) and plasma process parameters (e.g., pressure, applied RF voltage, etc.) to optimize the doped and/or intrinsic layers of the solar cell (e.g., p-i-n junction). | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150295125 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MANUFACTURING SELF-ALIGNED INTEGRATED BACK CONTACT HETEROJUNCTION SOLAR CELLS - Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing self-aligned integrated back contact heterojunction solar cells are provided. In some embodiments, systems for forming a solar cell on a substrate are provided, the systems comprising: a master shadow mask positioned adjacent to the substrate on a first side of the master shadow mask; a first blocking mask placed adjacent to a second side of the master shadow mask; and a deposition machine that deposits material on the substrate through holes in the master shadow mask and the first blocking mask. | 10-15-2015 |
| 20160020343 | LASER-TRANSFERRED IBC SOLAR CELLS - A laser processing system can be utilized to produce high-performance interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells. The laser processing system can be utilized to ablate, transfer material, and/or laser-dope or laser fire contacts. Laser ablation can be utilized to remove and pattern openings in a passivated or emitter layer. Laser transferring may then be utilized to transfer dopant and/or contact materials to the patterned openings, thereby forming an interdigitated finger pattern. The laser processing system may also be utilized to plate a conductive material on top of the transferred dopant or contact materials. | 01-21-2016 |
| 20160181457 | N-TYPE/P-TYPE MONOLITHIC SILICON WAFER | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160181461 | MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR SOLAR CELL | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160190382 | AMORPHOUS SILICON BASED LASER DOPED SOLAR CELLS - A passivated surface and base and emitter regions in a silicon substrate are formed. Intrinsic amorphous silicon is formed on first surface of a silicon substrate. A first dopant is formed on the intrinsic amorphous silicon. A first laser beam is applied through the first dopant and forms a first doped region in the silicon substrate. A second dopant is formed on the intrinsic amorphous silicon. A second laser beam is applied through the second dopant and forms a second doped region in the silicon substrate. | 06-30-2016 |
| 20160380130 | SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A method for manufacturing a solar cell, the method including: preparing a semiconductor substrate; ion-implanting a pre-amorphization element to form an amorphous layer at at least a part of one surface of the semiconductor substrate; ion-implanting a first conductive type dopant to the one surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a first dopant layer; and forming a first electrode electrically connected to the first dopant layer, wherein a concentration of the pre-amorphization element in one portion of the first dopant layer is different from a concentration of the pre-amorphization element in another portion of the first dopant layer. | 12-29-2016 |
| 20220140178 | SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Provided is a solar cell and a method for manufacturing the same, the method includes: forming a doped layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, the doped layer having a first doping concentration of a doping element in the doped layer; depositing, on a surface of the doped layer, a doped amorphous silicon layer including the doping element; selectively removing at least one region of the doped amorphous silicon layer; performing annealing treatment, for the semiconductor substrate to form a lightly doped region having the first doping concentration and a heavily doped region having a second doping concentration in the doped layer, the second doping concentration is greater than the first doping concentration; and forming a solar cell by post-processing the annealed semiconductor substrate. The solar cell and the method for manufacturing the same simplify the manufacturing process and improve conversion efficiency of the solar cell. | 05-05-2022 |
