Patents by Inventor Edgar L. Kochka

Edgar L. Kochka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5928438
    Abstract: A solar cell having self-aligned metal electrodes and underlying relatively deep emitter regions joined by relatively shallow emitter regions under the surface not covered by the electrodes is formed in a semiconductive substrate by forming relatively shallow p+ and n+ diffusion regions on the front and back surfaces, respectively, of a silicon semiconductive substrate, screen printing aluminum onto the front surface of the substrate in a desired electrode pattern, heat treating the developing cell to form the relatively deep p+ type emitter regions underneath the electrode pattern, while growing an oxide passivation layer over the uncovered portions of the substrate surface, applying an antireflective coating to the front surface in the regions not covered by the electrodes, and screen printing silver over the electrodes on the front surface and over the back surface of the solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Ebara Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Jalal Salami, Akio Shibata, Daniel L Meier, Edgar L Kochka
  • Patent number: 5098287
    Abstract: A lid for a susceptor in which a crystalline material is melted by induction heating to form a pool or melt of molten material from which a dendritic web of essentially a single crystal of the material is pulled through an elongated slot in the lid and the lid has a pair of generally round openings adjacent the ends of the slot and a groove extends between each opening and the end of the slot. The grooves extend from the outboard surface of the lid to adjacent the inboard surface providing a strip contiguous with the inboard surface of the lid to produce generally uniform radiational heat loss across the width of the dendritic web adjacent the inboard surface of the lid to reduce thermal stresses in the web and facilitate the growth of wider webs at a greater withdrawal rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Charles S. Duncan, Edgar L. Kochka, Paul A. Piotrowski, Raymond G. Seidensticker
  • Patent number: 4927489
    Abstract: A method for doping a silicon melt for growing silicon dendritic web crystals is disclosed. The melt is doped with antimony prior to commencing web growth, which allows the crystals to be grown without the need for replenishing the dopant, and producing crystals having uniform resistivities. Photovoltaic cells produced from crystals grown from the antimony doped melt exhibit superior properties relative to those doped according to other methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Robert B. Campbell, Edgar L. Kochka, Paul A. Piotrowski
  • Patent number: 4919901
    Abstract: This invention delineates a multiple barrier design for separating the feed compartment (12) from the growth compartment (13) in crucibles (10) used for silicon dendritic web growth. The use of the barrier design greatly reduces the thermal interaction between the two compartments permitting larger replenishment rates without adverse effect on crystal growth. Its novelty lies in having a primary and secondary barrier (15,16) spaced apart from one another such that there exists a space (22) between the barriers (15,16) which is devoid of liquid silicon thus reducing the thermal conductance of the combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Raymond G. Seidensticker, Edgar L. Kochka, Charles S. Duncan
  • Patent number: 4747774
    Abstract: A crucible/susceptor system is described in which the walls of the crucible and the susceptor cavity are sloped outward in an angle sufficient for the force of gravity to exceed the inward pulling forces created by the high surface tension of molten silicon allowing the softened quartz crucible walls to settle into and form to the sloped walls of the susceptor thereby improving heat transfer from the susceptor to the molten silicon and improving the reproducibility of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Paul A. Piotrowski, Edgar L. Kochka, Charles S. Duncan
  • Patent number: 4495140
    Abstract: A gas cooled nuclear reactor is permanently deactivated on occurrence of an emergency by pyrolytic deposition of boron or refractory or stable compounds of boron in the fluid channels of the fuel elements of the reactor. The boron is enriched in boron 10. The deposition takes place in so short a time interval as to preclude a major catastrophe by reason of penetration of water into the reactor. Carbon and/or nitrogen-containing boron compounds are injected directly into the reactor or compounds generated by reaction in the working fluid of the reactor between diborane and other boron hydrides with unsaturated compounds, such as acetylene and ammonia flow through the reactor. The compounds are carried by the working fluid through the core and are pyrolized in the heat of the core to produce more stable boron, or boron-carbon and boron-nitrogen compounds or metal borides which adhere to the walls of the channels in the fuel elements, deactivating the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1985
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Edgar L. Kochka, Joseph M. Tobin, deceased, Arlene F. Neve, administratrix
  • Patent number: 4448343
    Abstract: The method comprises applying a braze material to a sleeve in a manner so that the sleeve may be attached to a tube so as to bridge the defective region of the tube. The sleeve is constructed to have a groove on the outside surface thereof that extends around the entire circumference. The groove is filled with braze material and a flux is applied to the braze material in a manner to prevent the braze material and flux from becoming removed. Once such a sleeve has been inserted into the defective tube, the sleeve is internally expanded in the area of the sleeve wherein the groove is located. The expansion of the sleeve in the area wherein the groove is located causes the braze material to closely contact the inside surface of the tube. The other end of the sleeve can then be either similarly placed in contact with the tube or welded to the tube. Next, the area of the tube wherein the braze material is located is internally heated so as to create a brazed joint between the sleeve and the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Edgar L. Kochka, Robert D. Burack, Kenneth E. Pfeiffer