Abstract: For additional energy supply and for recharging the energy store of a network-independent, portable electrical energy user, at least one flexible solar cell which is fabricated of a thin silicon tri-crystal wafer is laminated on the surface of the energy user.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for manufacturing highly efficient and especially thin polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells. More particularly, the present invention provides a silicon nucleation layer produced on amorphous substrates with a nucleation layer being selectively etched until uniformly <111> orientated nuclei remain. A silicon thin-film grown thereover is coarse-crystalline, has grain boundaries residing perpendicular to the substrate and has a pyramid structure as a consequence of the uniform orientation. High photocurrents can already be achieved with solar cells manufactured therefrom beginning with a layer thickness of 10 .mu.m.

Abstract: In a combined circuit having varistors, the varistors are contained in portions of a substrate body which consists of zinc oxide, and which has a high resistance due to doping. A varistor property is produced in the portions of the substrate body allocated to the varistors by means of further doping.

Abstract: A glass-free thick film varistor operable at operating voltages ranging from about 30 to 200 volts per mm of active varistor material is produced by providing a screen-printable paste comprised of a non-glass containing substantially homogeneous mixture of granular varistor materials which have ZnO as the main component thereof and an organic binder, applying such paste in a desired pattern onto an insulating substrate and sintering such applied paste at relatively high temperatures so as to convert the paste into thick film varistors.