Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090104342 | PHOTOVOLTAIC FABRICATION PROCESS MONITORING AND CONTROL USING DIAGNOSTIC DEVICES - The formation of diagnostic devices on the same substrate used to fabricate a photovoltaic (PV) cell is described. Such devices, also referred to as process diagnostic vehicles (PDVs), are configured for in-line monitoring of electrical characteristics of PV cell features and are formed on the substrate using the same process steps for PV cell fabrication. The data collected via the PDVs can be used to tune or optimize subsequent PV cell fabrication, i.e., used as feedback for the fabrication process. Alternatively, the data collected via PDVs can be fed forward in the fabrication process, so that later process steps performed on a PV cell substrate can be modified to compensate for issues detected on the PV cell substrate via the PDVs. | 04-23-2009 |
20090256581 | SOLAR PARAMETRIC TESTING MODULE AND PROCESSES - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a module that can test and analyze various regions of a solar cell device in an automated or manual fashion after one or more steps have been completed in the solar cell formation process. The module used to perform the automated testing and analysis processes can also be adapted to test a partially formed solar cell at various stages of the solar cell formation process within an automated solar cell production line. The automated solar cell production line is generally an arrangement of automated processing modules and automation equipment that is used to form solar cell devices. | 10-15-2009 |
20090287446 | PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL REFERENCE MODULE FOR SOLAR TESTING - The present invention generally includes an apparatus and method of forming a reference module device that is able to deliver a repeatable and desirable amount of power that does not degrade or change over time. The reference module can be used to help test and calibrate various testing equipment used in the production of a photovoltaic device that may be formed in a solar cell fab. The solar cell fab is generally an arrangement of processing modules and automation equipment that is used to form solar cell devices. | 11-19-2009 |
20100132759 | CELL ISOLATION ON PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES FOR HOT SPOT REDUCTION - Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for fabricating a solar cell on a substrate that have proportionally reduced current to minimize or reduce the likelihood of shading of a portion of the solar cell causing damage to the formed device. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a series of solar cell arrays on a substrate includes providing a substrate having a TCO layer formed thereon, forming a first plurality of vertical scribing lines and a first plurality of horizontal scribing lines in the TCO layer, forming a film stack and a back metal layer on the scribed TCO layer, and forming a second plurality of the horizontal scribing lines in the film stack and the back metal layer, wherein the second plurality of horizontal scribing lines comprise pairs of scribing lines formed adjacent to each respective one of the first plurality of the horizontal scribing lines formed in the TCO layer. | 06-03-2010 |
20100197051 | METROLOGY AND INSPECTION SUITE FOR A SOLAR PRODUCTION LINE - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system used to form solar cell devices using processing modules adapted to perform one or more processes in the formation of the solar cell devices. In one embodiment, the system is adapted to form thin film solar cell devices by accepting a large unprocessed substrate and performing multiple deposition, material removal, cleaning, sectioning, bonding, and various inspection and testing processes to form multiple complete, functional, and tested solar cell devices that can then be shipped to an end user for installation in a desired location to generate electricity. In one embodiment, the system provides inspection of solar cell devices at various levels of formation, while collecting and using metrology data to diagnose, tune, or improve production line processes during the manufacture of solar cell devices. | 08-05-2010 |
20100276571 | CALIBRATION METHOD FOR SOLAR SIMULATORS USIED IN SINGLE JUNCTION AND TANDEM JUNCTION SOLAR CELL TESTING APPARATUS - A method of calibrating a light source used to simulate the sun in solar cell testing apparatus. The method comprises using a control cell to measure the intensity of light from the light source at a first wavelength range as a function of output short circuit current, comparing the measured intensity to a targeted intensity value, optionally adjusting power to the light source until the measured intensity is substantially equal to the targeted intensity value, repeatedly using a calibrated monitoring module to periodically measure monitoring measured values for monitoring module output short circuit current, monitoring module output open circuit voltage and monitoring module quantum efficiency, obtaining average values for monitoring module output short circuit current, monitoring module output open circuit voltage and monitoring module quantum efficiency, comparing the measured values with the average values, and determining if differences in measured values and average values are within an acceptable limit. | 11-04-2010 |
20100313929 | CELL ISOLATION ON PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES FOR HOT SPOT REDUCTION - Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for fabricating a solar cell on a substrate that have proportionally reduced current to minimize or reduce the likelihood of shading of a portion of the solar cell causing damage to the formed device. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a series of solar cell arrays on a substrate includes providing a substrate having a TCO layer formed thereon, forming a first plurality of vertical scribing lines and a first plurality of horizontal scribing lines in the TCO layer, forming a film stack and a back metal layer on the scribed TCO layer, and forming a second plurality of the horizontal scribing lines in the film stack and the back metal layer, wherein the second plurality of horizontal scribing lines comprise pairs of scribing lines formed adjacent to each respective one of the first plurality of the horizontal scribing lines formed in the TCO layer. | 12-16-2010 |
20110088763 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFICIENCY - A method and apparatus for improving efficiency of photovoltaic cells by improving light capture between the photoelectric unit and back reflector is provided. A transition layer is formed at the interface between the photoelectric unit and transmitting conducting layer of the back reflector by adding oxygen, nitrogen, or both to the surface of the photoelectric unit or the interface between the photoelectric unit and the transmitting conducting layer. The transition layer may comprise silicon, oxygen, or nitrogen, and may be silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxide with excess oxygen, metal oxide with nitrogen, or any combination thereof, including bilayers and multi-layers. The sputtering process for forming the transmitting conducting layer may feature at least one of nitrogen and excess oxygen, and may be performed by sputtering at low power, followed by an operation to form the rest of the transmitting conductive layer. | 04-21-2011 |
20110174362 | MANUFACTURE OF THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS WITH HIGH CONVERSION EFFICIENCY - A method and apparatus for forming solar cells is provided. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device includes a antireflection coating layer disposed on a first surface of a substrate, a barrier layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, a first transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on the barrier layer, a conductive contact layer disposed on the first transparent conductive oxide layer, a first p-i-n junction formed on the conductive contact layer, and a second transparent conductive oxide layer formed on the first p-i-n junction. | 07-21-2011 |
20110177648 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THIN FILM SOLAR CELLS HAVING A HIGH CONVERSION EFFICIENCY - A method and apparatus for forming solar cells is provided. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device includes a antireflection coating layer disposed on a first surface of a substrate, a barrier layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, a first transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on the barrier layer, a conductive contact layer disposed on the first transparent conductive oxide layer, a first p-i-n junction formed on the conductive contact layer, and a second transparent conductive oxide layer formed on the first p-i-n junction. | 07-21-2011 |
20110180122 | FLOATING GRID MODULE DESIGN FOR THIN FILM SILICON SOLAR CELLS - A photovoltaic device is provided. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device includes a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer deposited over the substrate, and a plurality of electrical conductive paths disposed in electrical contact with the TCO layer, wherein the plurality of electrical conductive paths extend discontinuously across opposing sides of the substrate. | 07-28-2011 |
20120037181 | CLEANING METHODS FOR IMPROVED PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE EFFICIENCY - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods for cleaning a substrate prior to a deposition process. The methods generally include multiple cleaning solutions for removing contaminants from a surface of a substrate. The multiple solutions generally have different compositions, and each of the solutions contain one or more additives selected to remove a variety of contaminants. Mechanical agitation may also be utilized to remove contaminants from the surface of a substrate. After cleaning a substrate, a material may be deposited on the substrate surface. | 02-16-2012 |
20130112264 | METHODS FOR FORMING A DOPED AMORPHOUS SILICON OXIDE LAYER FOR SOLAR CELL DEVICES - Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods for forming a doped amorphous silicon oxide layer utilized in thin film solar cells. In one embodiment, a method for forming a doped p-type amorphous silicon containing layer on a substrate includes providing a substrate in a processing chamber, supplying a gas mixture having a hydrogen-based gas, a silicon-based gas and a carbon and oxygen containing gas into the processing chamber, the gas mixture having a volumetric flow ratio of the hydrogen-based gas to the silicon-based gas between about 5 and about 15, wherein a volumetric flow ratio of the carbon and oxygen containing gas to the total combined flow of hydrogen-based gas and the silicon-based gas is between about 10 percent and about 50 percent; and maintaining a process pressure of the gas mixture within the processing chamber at between about 1 Torr and about 10 Torr while forming a doped p-type amorphous silicon containing layer. | 05-09-2013 |