Abstract: A testing apparatus or test jig is configured to accept a electrical device for testing prior to final assembly. In one example, a pair of conductive conveying belts compliantly engage a partially assembled photovoltaic (PV) module by its sides, and electrodes engage orthogonal sides of the module. The test apparatus or jig can be use for a variety of electrical tests, and may, for example be connected to a high potential (HiPot) tester.

Abstract: Pre-aligned, kinematically mounted modules including processing lasers, beam trains, and individually calibrated control beams are quickly and easily replaced on subassembly bases with minimal in situ alignment, and can maintain working-spot position to micron tolerances over ambient temperature variations of ±10° C. Subassembly bases, with features for kinematically mating to a plurality of pre-aligned laser modules and to a platform base incorporated in the laser processing tool, enable multi-module subassemblies to be quickly replaced with spare subassemblies of the same type, or swapped for subassemblies of a different type. The mating features and reversible locks are designed to mitigate thermal effects that are often a dominant cause of alignment drift in processing lasers.

Abstract: A treatment pattern (such as a focused spot, an image, or an interferogram) projected on a treatment target may lose precision if the treatment beam must pass through a birefringent layer before reaching the target. In the general case, the birefringent layer splits the treatment beam into ordinary and extraordinary components, which propagate in different directions and form two patterns, displaced from each other, at the target layer. The degree of birefringence and the orientation of the optic axis, which influence the amount of displacement, often vary between workpieces or between loci on the same workpiece. This invention measures the orientation of the optic axis and uses the data to adjust the treatment beam incidence direction, the treatment beam polarization, or both to superpose the ordinary and extraordinary components into a single treatment pattern at the target, preventing the birefringent layer from causing the pattern to be blurred or doubled.

Abstract: Pre-aligned, kinematically mounted modules including processing lasers, beam trains, and individually calibrated control beams are quickly and easily replaced on subassembly bases with minimal in situ alignment, and can maintain working-spot position to micron tolerances over ambient temperature variations of ±10° C. Subassembly bases, with features for kinematically mating to a plurality of pre-aligned laser modules and to a platform base incorporated in the laser processing tool, enable multi-module subassemblies to be quickly replaced with spare subassemblies of the same type, or swapped for subassemblies of a different type. The mating features and reversible locks are designed to mitigate thermal effects that are often a dominant cause of alignment drift in processing lasers.

Abstract: A treatment pattern (such as a focused spot, an image, or an interferogram) projected on a treatment target may lose precision if the treatment beam must pass through a birefringent layer before reaching the target. In the general case, the birefringent layer splits the treatment beam into ordinary and extraordinary components, which propagate in different directions and form two patterns, displaced from each other, at the target layer. The degree of birefringence and the orientation of the optic axis, which influence the amount of displacement, often vary between workpieces or between loci on the same workpiece. This invention measures the orientation of the optic axis and uses the data to adjust the treatment beam incidence direction, the treatment beam polarization, or both to superpose the ordinary and extraordinary components into a single treatment pattern at the target, preventing the birefringent layer from causing the pattern to be blurred or doubled.

Abstract: A treatment pattern (such as a focused spot, an image, or an interferogram) projected on a treatment target may lose precision if the treatment beam must pass through a birefringent layer before reaching the target. In the general case, the birefringent layer splits the treatment beam into ordinary and extraordinary components, which propagate in different directions and form two patterns, displaced from each other, at the target layer. The degree of birefringence and the orientation of the optic axis, which influence the amount of displacement, often vary between workpieces or between loci on the same workpiece. This invention measures the orientation of the optic axis and uses the data to adjust the treatment beam incidence direction, the treatment beam polarization, or both to superpose the ordinary and extraordinary components into a single treatment pattern at the target, preventing the birefringent layer from causing the pattern to be blurred or doubled.

Abstract: Multilayer radiation curable liquid coating compositions are provided that include one or more UV oligomers including at least one aliphatic urethane acrylic oligomer; at least one acrylate diluent monomer selected from a mono-, bi-, and tri-functional reactive acrylate diluent monomers; at least one photo-initiator; at least one UV absorber; at least one hindered amine light stabilizer; and at least one antioxidant, where the liquid composition does not comprise a solvent and does not comprise an adhesion promoter. The UV oligomer in the base coat composition has elongation higher than 200% and tensile strength lower than 1000 psi. The UV oligomer in the top coat composition has tensile strength higher than 5000 psi. A coating system is provided that includes a liquid primer coat composition, a liquid base coat composition and a liquid top coat composition.

Abstract: A front transparent conductor assembly and, in one embodiment, a photovoltaic cell, includes at least three transparent conductor layers. In one embodiment, first and second transparent conductors comprised of SnO2 are positioned above and below a third transparent conductor comprised of ZnO2. In one embodiment, the second transparent conductor layer is significantly thicker than either the first or third transparent conductor layers. In one embodiment of a photovoltaic cell incorporating such an assembly, a sealing layer of SiO2 is interposed between a superstrate and the first transparent conductor. In another embodiment, first and second intermediate layers of ZnSnO3 are incorporated into the assembly, with the first intermediate layer interposed between the first and second transparent conductors and with the second intermediate layer interposed between the second and third transparent conductors.