Patents by Inventor Stuart Ross Wenham
Stuart Ross Wenham 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).
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Patent number: 11031520Abstract: The present disclosure provides methodologies for manufacturing photovoltaic devices. In particular, the disclosure relates to the use of hydrogen during manufacturing of photovoltaic devices for passivating defects in the silicon and addressing light-induced degradation. The methodologies in the present disclosures take advantage of generation and manipulation of hydrogen in the neutral or charged state to optimise defect passivation. Some of the methodologies disclose use thermal treatments, illumination with sub-bandgap photons, electric fields or defects in the silicon to control the state of charge or hydrogen, move hydrogen to different locations in the device or retain hydrogen at specific locations.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2017Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Alison Ciesla, Darren Bagnall, Ran Chen, Malcolm David Abbott, Brett Jason Hallam, Catherine Emily Chan, Chee Mun Chong, Daniel Chen, David Neil Payne, Ly Mai, Moonyong Kim, Tsun Hang Fung, Zhengrong Shi
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Patent number: 10923618Abstract: The present disclosure provides methodologies for manufacturing high efficiency silicon photovoltaic devices using hydrogen passivation to improve performance. The processing techniques disclosed use tailored thermal processes, sometimes coupled with exposure to radiation to enable the use of cheaper silicon material to manufacture high efficiency photovoltaic devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Brett Jason Hallam, Stuart Ross Wenham, Roland Einhaus
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Patent number: 10910509Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for processing a silicon wafer that allows improving performance by exploiting the properties of crystallographic imperfections. The method comprises the steps of: forming a silicon layer with crystallographic imperfections in the proximity of a surface of the silicon; exposing at least a portion of the device to hydrogen atoms in a manner such that hydrogen atoms migrate towards the region with crystallographic imperfections and into the silicon along the crystallographic imperfections; and controlling the charge state of hydrogen atoms located at the crystallographic imperfections to be positive when the imperfections are in a p-type region of the wafer; and negative when the imperfections are at an n-type region of the wafer by thermally treating the silicon while exposing the silicon to an illumination intensity of less than 10 mW/cm2.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2017Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Alison Ciesla, Brett Jason Hallam, Catherine Emily Chan, Chee Mun Chong, Daniel Chen, Darren Bagnall, David Neil Payne, Ly Mai, Malcolm David Abbott, Moonyong Kim, Ran Chen, Stuart Ross Wenham, Tsun Hang Fung, Zhengrong Shi
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Patent number: 10505069Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for accelerating the formation of defects in doped silicon. A doped silicon area is exposed with high intensity electromagnetic radiation to provide a substantial excess of majority carriers and promote a high rate of defect formation to allow efficient silicon passivation.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2016Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: NewSouth Innovations Pty LimitedInventors: Brett Jason Hallam, Stuart Ross Wenham, Malcolm David Abbott, Phillip George Hamer
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Publication number: 20190371959Abstract: The present disclosure provides methodologies for manufacturing photovoltaic devices. In particular, the disclosure relates to the use of hydrogen during manufacturing of photovoltaic devices for passivating defects in the silicon and addressing light-induced degradation. The methodologies in the present disclosures take advantage of generation and manipulation of hydrogen in the neutral or charged state to optimise defect passivation. Some of the methodologies disclose use thermal treatments, illumination with sub-bandgap photons, electric fields or defects in the silicon to control the state of charge or hydrogen, move hydrogen to different locations in the device or retain hydrogen at specific locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2017Publication date: December 5, 2019Inventors: STUART ROSS WENHAM, ALISON CIESLA, DARREN BAGNALL, RAN CHEN, MALCOLM DAVID ABBOTT, BRETT JASON HALLAM, CATHERINE EMILY CHAN, CHEE MUN CHONG, DANIEL CHEN, DAVID NEIL PAYNE, LY MAI, MOONYONG KIM, TSUN FUNG, ZHENGRONG SHI
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Publication number: 20190371960Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for processing a silicon wafer that allows improving performance by exploiting the properties of crystallographic imperfections. The method comprises the steps of: forming a silicon layer with crystallographic imperfections in the proximity of a surface of the silicon; exposing at least a portion of the device to hydrogen atoms in a manner such that hydrogen atoms migrate towards the region with crystallographic imperfections and into the silicon along the crystallographic imperfections; and controlling the charge state of hydrogen atoms located at the crystallographic imperfections to be positive when the imperfections are in a p-type region of the wafer; and negative when the imperfections are at an n-type region of the wafer by thermally treating the silicon while exposing the silicon to an illumination intensity of less than 10 mW/cm2.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2017Publication date: December 5, 2019Inventors: ALISON CIESLA, BRETT JASON HALLAM, CATHERINE EMILY CHAN, CHEE MUN CHONG, DANIEL CHEN, DARREN BAGNALL, DAVID NEIL PAYNE, LY MAI, MALCOLM DAVID ABBOTT, MOONYONG KIM, RAN CHEN, STUART ROSS WENHAM, TSUN HANG FUNG, ZHENGRONG SHI
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Patent number: 10461212Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for manufacturing a photovoltaic device that comprise a sequence of annealing steps and exposure to electromagnetic radiation during annealing that allow passivating electrically active defects and stabilising the performance of photovoltaic device.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2017Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: NewSouth Innovations Pty LimitedInventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Alison Ciesla, Brett Jason Hallam, Catherine Emily Chan, Chee Mun Chong, Ran Chen, Malcolm David Abbott, David Neil Payne
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Publication number: 20190252572Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for manufacturing a photovoltaic device that comprise a sequence of annealing steps and exposure to electromagnetic radiation during annealing that allow passivating electrically active defects and stabilising the performance of photovoltaic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2017Publication date: August 15, 2019Inventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Alison Ciesla, Brett Jason Hallam, Catherine Emily Chan, Chee Mun Chong, Ran Chen, Malcolm David Abbott, David Neil Payne
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Publication number: 20190157494Abstract: The present disclosure provides methodologies for manufacturing high efficiency silicon photovoltaic devices using hydrogen passivation to improve performance. The processing techniques disclosed use tailored thermal processes, sometimes coupled with exposure to radiation to enable the use of cheaper silicon material to manufacture high efficiency photovoltaic devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2017Publication date: May 23, 2019Inventors: Brett Jason HALLAM, Stuart Ross WENHAM, Roland EINHAUS
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Patent number: 10211354Abstract: A monolithically integrated system of silicon solar cells. A system having a silicon substrate and a plurality of solar cells formed on the silicon substrate. Each solar cell can have an emitter portion and a base portion. The system can also have a plurality of intermediate regions, each intermediate region having a polarity and electrically separating at least two portions of adjacent solar cells from one another such that the polarity of the intermediate region is opposite to a polarity of at least one of the separated portions of the adjacent solar cells.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2014Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Catherine Emily Chan, Stuart Ross Wenham, Brett Jason Hallam, Alison Maree Wenham
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Patent number: 10199523Abstract: A surface region of a semiconductor material on a surface of a semiconductor device is doped during its manufacture, by coating the surface region of the semiconductor material with a dielectric material surface layer and locally heating the surface of the semiconductor material in an area to be doped to locally melt the semiconductor material with the melting being performed in the presence of a dopant source. The heating is performed in a controlled manner such that a region of the surface of the semiconductor material in the area to be doped is maintained in a molten state without refreezing for a period of time greater than one microsecond and the dopant from the dopant source is absorbed into the molten semiconductor. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor material structure in which a junction is formed and may incorporate a multi-layer anti-reflection coating.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2015Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignees: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITED, SUNTECH POWER INTERNATIONAL LTD.Inventors: Alison Maree Wenham, Ziv Hameiri, Jing Jia Ji, Ly Mai, Zhengrong Shi, Budi Tjahjono, Stuart Ross Wenham
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Patent number: 9947821Abstract: A silicon device, has a plurality of crystalline silicon regions. One crystalline silicon region is a doped crystalline silicon region. Deactivating some or all of the dopant atoms in the doped crystalline silicon region is achieved by introducing hydrogen atoms into the doped 5 crystalline silicon region, whereby the hydrogen coulombicly bonds with some or all of the dopant atoms to deactivate the respective dopant atoms. Deactivated dopant atoms may be reactivated by heating and illuminating the doped crystalline silicon region to break at least some of the dopant-hydrogen bonds while maintaining conditions to create a high concentration of neutral hydrogen atoms whereby 10 some of the hydrogen atoms diffuse from the doped crystalline silicon region without rebinding to the dopant atoms.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2014Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: Newsouth Innovations PTY LimitedInventors: Brett Jason Hallam, Matthew Bruce Edwards, Stuart Ross Wenham, Phillip George Hamer, Catherine Emily Chan, Chee Mun Chong, Pei Hsuan Lu, Ly Mai, Li Hui Song, Adeline Sugianto, Alison Maree Wenham, Guang Qi Xu
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Publication number: 20180040760Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for accelerating the formation of defects in doped silicon. A doped silicon area is exposed with high intensity electromagnetic radiation to provide a substantial excess of majority carriers and promote a high rate of defect formation to allow efficient silicon passivation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2016Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Brett Jason Hallam, Stuart Ross Wenham, Malcolm David Abbott, Phillip George Hamer
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Patent number: 9847443Abstract: A method of hydrogenation of a silicon photovoltaic junction device is provided, the silicon photovoltaic junction device comprising p-type silicon semiconductor material and n-type silicon semiconductor material forming at least one p-n junction. The method comprises: i) ensuring that any silicon surface phosphorus diffused layers through which hydrogen must diffuse have peak doping concentrations of 1×1020 atoms/cm3 or less and silicon surface boron diffused layers through which hydrogen must diffuse have peak doping concentrations of 1×1019 atoms/cm3 or less; ii) Providing one or more hydrogen sources accessible by each surface of the device; and iii) Heating the device, or a local region of the device to at least 40° C.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2016Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Phillip George Hamer, Brett Jason Hallam, Adeline Sugianto, Catherine Emily Chan, Lihui Song, Pei Hsuan Lu, Alison Maree Wenham, Ly Mai, Chee Mun Chong, GuangQi Xu, Matthew Edwards
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Patent number: 9824897Abstract: A method is provided for the processing of a device having a crystalline silicon region containing an internal hydrogen source. The method comprises: i) applying encapsulating material to each of the front and rear surfaces of the device to form a lamination; ii) applying pressure to the lamination and heating the lamination to bond the encapsulating material to the device; and iii) cooling the device, where the heating step or cooling step or both are completed under illumination.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2014Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Brett Jason Hallam, Matthew Bruce Edwards, Stuart Ross Wenham, Phillip George Hamer, Catherine Emily Chan, Chee Mun Chong, Pei Hsuan Lu, Ly Mai, Li Hui Song, Adeline Sugianto, Alison Maree Wenham, Guang Qi Xu
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Patent number: 9613814Abstract: A solar cell has a metal contact formed to electrically contact a surface of semiconductor material forming a photovoltaic junction. The solar cell includes a surface region or regions of heavily doped material and the contact comprises a contact metallisation formed over the heavily doped regions to make contact thereto. Surface keying features are located in the semiconductor material into which the metallisation extends to assist in attachment of the metallisation to the semiconductor material.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2010Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Alison Maree Wenham, Martin Andrew Green, Stuart Ross Wenham
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Publication number: 20160372625Abstract: A method of hydrogenation of a silicon photovoltaic junction device is provided, the silicon photovoltaic junction device comprising p-type silicon semiconductor material and n-type silicon semiconductor material forming at least one p-n junction. The method comprises: i) ensuring that any silicon surface phosphorus diffused layers through which hydrogen must diffuse have peak doping concentrations of 1×1020 atoms/cm3 or less and silicon surface boron diffused layers through which hydrogen must diffuse have peak doping concentrations of 1×1019 atoms/cm3 or less; ii) Providing one or more hydrogen sources accessible by each surface of the device; and iii) Heating the device, or a local region of the device to at least 40° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2016Publication date: December 22, 2016Inventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Phillip George Hamer, Brett Jason Hallam, Adeline Sugianto, Catherine Emily Chan, Lihui Song, Pei Hsuan Lu, Alison Maree Wenham, Ly Mai, Chee Mun Chong, GuangQi Xu, Matthew Edwards
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Patent number: 9508884Abstract: A solar cell and a method of forming a contact structure on a solar cell having a p-n junction formed between a first semiconductor region of a first dopant polarity and a second semiconductor region of a second dopant polarity opposite to the first dopant polarity. The method comprises: forming a plurality of contact points on a surface of the solar cell, whereby the contact points provide an electrical connection to the first semiconductor region; and locating a plurality of conducting wires over the solar cell to make electrical connection to the contact points. The contact points are either an exposed silicon surface or a silicon surface over which metal pads are formed. The metal pads may comprise a plated layer of a low-melting temperature metal and/or may have a thickness of less than 5 microns.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2014Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Matthew Bruce Edwards, Alison Joan Lennon, Pei Chieh Hsiao, Budi Santoso Tjahjono
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Patent number: 9412897Abstract: A method of hydrogenation of a silicon photovoltaic junction device is provided, the silicon photovoltaic junction device comprising p-type silicon semiconductor material and n-type silicon semiconductor material forming at least one p-n junction. The method comprises: i) ensuring that any silicon surface phosphorus diffused layers through which hydrogen must diffuse have peak doping concentrations of 1×1020 atoms/cm3 or less and silicon surface boron diffused layers through which hydrogen must diffuse have peak doping concentrations of 1×1019 atoms/cm3 or less; ii) providing one or more hydrogen sources accessible by each surface of the device; and iii) heating the device, or a local region of the device to at least 40° C.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITEDInventors: Stuart Ross Wenham, Phillip George Hamer, Brett Jason Hallam, Adeline Sugianto, Catherine Emily Chan, Lihui Song, Pei Hsuan Lu, Alison Maree Wenham, Ly Mai, Chee Mun Chong, GuangQi Xu, Matthew Edwards
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Publication number: 20160225930Abstract: A silicon device, has a plurality of crystalline silicon regions. One crystalline silicon region is a doped crystalline silicon region. Deactivating some or all of the dopant atoms in the doped crystalline silicon region is achieved by introducing hydrogen atoms into the doped 5 crystalline silicon region, whereby the hydrogen coulombicly bonds with some or all of the dopant atoms to deactivate the respective dopant atoms. Deactivated dopant atoms may be reactivated by heating and illuminating the doped crystalline silicon region to break at least some of the dopant-hydrogen bonds while maintaining conditions to create a high concentration of neutral hydrogen atoms whereby 10 some of the hydrogen atoms diffuse from the doped crystalline silicon region without rebinding to the dopant atoms.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2014Publication date: August 4, 2016Inventors: Brett Jason HALLAM, Matthew Bruce EDWARDS, Stuart Ross WENHAM, Phillip George HAMER, Catherine Emily CHAN, Chee Mun CHONG, Pei Hsuan LU, Ly MAI, Li Hui SONG, Adeline SUGIANTO, Alison Maree WENHAM, Guang Qi XU