Patents Assigned to Calisolar, Inc.
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Publication number: 20140338587Abstract: The present invention provides for methods of purifying silicon, methods for obtaining purified silicon, as well as methods for obtaining purified silicon crystals, purified granulized silicon and/or purified silicon ingots.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2014Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventor: Scott Nichol
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Patent number: 8316745Abstract: Techniques are here disclosed for a solar cell pre-processing method and system for annealing and gettering a solar cell semiconductor wafer having an undesirably high dispersion of transition metals, impurities and other defects. The process forms a surface contaminant layer on the solar cell semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafer. A surface of the semiconductor wafer receives and holds impurities, as does the surface contaminant layer. The lower-quality semiconductor wafer includes dispersed defects that in an annealing process getter from the semiconductor bulk to form impurity cluster toward the surface contaminant layer. The impurity clusters form within the surface contaminant layer while increasing the purity level in wafer regions from which the dispersed defects gettered. Cooling follows annealing for retaining the impurity clusters and, thereby, maintaining the increased purity level of the semiconductor wafer in regions from which the impurities gettered.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2011Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Calisolar Inc.Inventors: Fritz G. Kirscht, Kamel Ounadjela, Jean Patrice Rakotoniaina, Dieter Linke
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Publication number: 20120260850Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of purifying a material using a metallic solvent. The present invention includes a method of purifying silicon utilizing a cascade process. In a cascade process, as the silicon moves through the purification process, it contacts increasingly pure solvent metal that is moving through the process in an opposite direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2012Publication date: October 18, 2012Applicant: Calisolar Inc.Inventors: Alain Turenne, Scott Nichol, Dan Smith
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Publication number: 20120255485Abstract: The present invention provides for methods of purifying silicon, methods for obtaining purified silicon, as well as methods for obtaining purified silicon crystals, purified granulized silicon and/or purified silicon ingots.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2012Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: Calisolar Inc.Inventor: Scott Nichol
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Publication number: 20120251425Abstract: The present invention provides a method of purifying a material using a cascading dissolution and washing process. The dissolution and washing processes can contain single or multiple stages. Water and dissolving chemicals are recycled through the process towards the beginning of the process.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: CALISOLAR INC.Inventors: Scott Nichol, Anthony Tummillo, Dan Smith
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Patent number: 8273176Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a process for obtaining silicon crystals from silicon. The method includes contacting silicon powder with a solvent metal to provide a mixture containing silicon, melting the silicon under submersion to provide a first molten liquid, contacting the first molten liquid with a first gas to provide dross and a second molten liquid, separating the dross and the second molten liquid, cooling the second molten liquid to form first silicon crystals and a first mother liquid and separating the first silicon crystals and the first mother liquid.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2011Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Calisolar, Inc.Inventor: Scott Nichol
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Patent number: 8216539Abstract: The present invention provides a method of purifying a material using a cascading dissolution and washing process. The dissolution and washing processes can contain single or multiple stages. Water and dissolving chemicals are recycled through the process towards the beginning of the process.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2010Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Scott Nichol, Anthony Tummillo, Dan Smith
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Publication number: 20120067540Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for purifying materials using a rapid directional solidification. Devices and methods shown provide control over a temperature gradient and cooling rate during directional solidification, which results in a material of higher purity. The apparatus and methods of the present invention can be used to make silicon material for use in solar applications such as solar cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Abdallah Nouri, Kamel Ounadjela
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Publication number: 20110309478Abstract: Techniques are here disclosed for a solar cell pre-processing method and system for annealing and gettering a solar cell semiconductor wafer having an undesirably high dispersion of transition metals, impurities and other defects. The process forms a surface contaminant layer on the solar cell semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafer. A surface of the semiconductor wafer receives and holds impurities, as does the surface contaminant layer. The lower-quality semiconductor wafer includes dispersed defects that in an annealing process getter from the semiconductor bulk to form impurity cluster toward the surface contaminant layer. The impurity clusters form within the surface contaminant layer while increasing the purity level in wafer regions from which the dispersed defects gettered. Cooling follows annealing for retaining the impurity clusters and, thereby, maintaining the increased purity level of the semiconductor wafer in regions from which the impurities gettered.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2011Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Fritz Kirscht, Kamel Ounadjela, Jean Patrice Rakotoniana, Dieter Linke
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Publication number: 20110211995Abstract: Techniques for the formation of a silicon ingot using a low-grade silicon feedstock include forming within a crucible device a molten silicon from a low-grade silicon feedstock and performing a directional solidification of the molten silicon to form a silicon ingot within the crucible device. The directional solidification forms a generally solidified quantity of silicon and a generally molten quantity of silicon. The method and system include removing from the crucible device at least a portion of the generally molten quantity of silicon while retaining within the crucible device the generally solidified quantity of silicon. Controlling the directional solidification of the generally solidified quantity of silicon, while removing the more contaminated molten silicon, results in a silicon ingot possessing a generally higher grade of silicon than the low-grade silicon feedstock.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: September 1, 2011Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Fritz Kirscht, Vera Abrosimova, Matthias Heuer, Dieter Linke, Jean Patrice Rakotoniana, Kamel Ounadjela
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Patent number: 8008107Abstract: Techniques are here disclosed for a solar cell pre-processing method and system for annealing and gettering a solar cell semiconductor wafer having an undesirably high dispersion of transition metals, impurities and other defects. The process forms a surface contaminant layer on the solar cell semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafer. A surface of the semiconductor wafer receives and holds impurities, as does the surface contaminant layer. The lower-quality semiconductor wafer includes dispersed defects that in an annealing process getter from the semiconductor bulk to form impurity cluster toward the surface contaminant layer. The impurity clusters form within the surface contaminant layer while increasing the purity level in wafer regions from which the dispersed defects gettered. Cooling follows annealing for retaining the impurity clusters and, thereby, maintaining the increased purity level of the semiconductor wafer in regions from which the impurities gettered.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2006Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Fritz Kirscht, Kamel Ounadjela, Jean Patrice Rakotoniana, Dieter Linke
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Patent number: 7955433Abstract: Techniques for the formation of a silicon ingot using a low-grade silicon feedstock include forming within a crucible device a molten silicon from a low-grade silicon feedstock and performing a directional solidification of the molten silicon to form a silicon ingot within the crucible device. The directional solidification forms a generally solidified quantity of silicon and a generally molten quantity of silicon. The method and system include removing from the crucible device at least a portion of the generally molten quantity of silicon while retaining within the crucible device the generally solidified quantity of silicon. Controlling the directional solidification of the generally solidified quantity of silicon, while removing the more contaminated molten silicon, results in a silicon ingot possessing a generally higher grade of silicon than the low-grade silicon feedstock.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2007Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Fritz Kirscht, Vera Abrosimova, Matthias Heuer, Dieter Linke, Jean Patrice Rakotoniana, Kamel Ounadjela
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Publication number: 20110126758Abstract: Techniques for the formation of silicon ingots and crystals using silicon feedstock of various grades are described. A common feature is adding a predetermined amount of germanium to the melt and performing a crystallization to incorporate germanium into the silicon lattice of respective crystalline silicon materials. Such incorporated germanium results in improvements of respective silicon material characteristics, including increased material strength and improved electrical properties. This leads to positive effects at applying such materials in solar cell manufacturing and at making modules from those solar cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Fritz G. Kirscht, Matthias Heuer, Martin Kaes, Kamel Ounadjela
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Publication number: 20110094574Abstract: A polarization resistant solar cell is provided. The solar cell uses a dual layer dielectric stack disposed on the front surface of the cell. The dielectric stack consists of a passivation layer disposed directly on the front cell surface and comprised of either SiOx or SiON, and an outer AR coating comprised of SiCN.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2009Publication date: April 28, 2011Applicant: Calisolar Inc.Inventors: Renhua Zhang, Bill Phan, John Gorman, Alain Paul Blosse, Martin Kaes
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Publication number: 20110094575Abstract: A polarization resistant solar cell using an oxygen-rich interface layer is provided. The oxygen-rich interface layer may be comprised of SiOxNy, which may have a graded profile that varies between oxygen-rich proximate to the solar cell to nitrogen-rich distal to the solar cell. A silicon oxide passivation layer may be interposed between the solar cell and the SiOxNy graded dielectric layer. The graded SiOxNy dielectric layer may be replaced with a non-graded SiOxNy dielectric layer and a SiN AR coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2009Publication date: April 28, 2011Applicant: Calisolar Inc.Inventors: Bill Phan, Renhua Zhang, John Gorman, Omar Sidelkheir, Jean Patrice Rakotoniaina, Alain Paul Blosse, Martin Kaes
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Patent number: 7887633Abstract: Techniques for the formation of silicon ingots and crystals using silicon feedstock of various grades are described. Common feature is adding a predetermined amount of germanium to the melt and performing a crystallization to incorporate germanium into the silicon lattice of respective crystalline silicon materials. Such incorporated germanium results in improvements of respective silicon material characteristics, mainly increased material strength. This leads to positive effects at applying such materials in solar cell manufacturing and at making modules from those solar cells. A silicon material with a germanium concentration in the range (50-200) ppmw demonstrates an increased material strength, where best practical ranges depend on the material quality generated.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2008Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Fritz Kirscht, Vera Abrosimova, Matthias Heuer, Anis Jouini, Dieter Linke, Martin Kaes, Jean Patrice Rakotoniaina, Kamel Ounadjela
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Publication number: 20100327890Abstract: A quality control process for determining the concentrations of boron and phosphorous in a UMG-Si feedstock batch is provided. A silicon test ingot is formed by the directional solidification of molten UMG-Si from a UMG-Si feedstock batch. The resistivity of the silicon test ingot is measured from top to bottom. Then, the resistivity profile of the silicon test ingot is mapped. From the resistivity profile of the silicon test ingot, the concentrations of boron and phosphorous of the UMG-Si silicon feedstock batch are calculated. Additionally, multiple test ingots may be grown simultaneously, with each test ingot corresponding to a UMG-Si feedstock batch, in a multi-crucible crystal grower.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: CaliSolar, Inc.Inventors: Kamel Ounadjela, Marcin Walerysiak, Anis Jouini, Matthias Heuer, Omar Sidelkheir, Alain Blosse, Fritz Kirscht
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Publication number: 20100310445Abstract: A process control method for UMG-Si purification by performing a directional solidification of molten UMG-Si to form a silicon ingot is described. The ingot is divided into bricks and the resistivity profile of each silicon brick is mapped. A crop line for removing the impurities concentrated and captured in the ingot during the directional solidification is calculated based on the resistivity map. The concentrated impurities are then removed by cropping each brick along that brick's calculated crop line.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2010Publication date: December 9, 2010Applicant: CaliSolar, Inc.Inventors: Kamel Ounadjela, Marcin Walerysiak, Anis Jouini, Matthias Heuer, Omar Sidelkheir, Alain Blosse, Fritz Kirscht
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Publication number: 20100275984Abstract: A simplified manufacturing process and the resultant bifacial solar cell (BSC) are provided, the simplified manufacturing process reducing manufacturing costs. The BSC includes an active region located on the front surface of the substrate, formed for example by a phosphorous diffusion step. The back surface includes a doped region, the doped region having the same conductivity as the substrate but with a higher doping level. Contact grids are formed, for example by screen printing. Front junction isolation is accomplished using a laser scribe.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2009Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Martin Kaes, Peter Borden, Kamel Ounadjela, Andreas Kraenzl, Alain Blosse, Fritz G. Kirscht
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Publication number: 20100275983Abstract: A simplified manufacturing process and the resultant bifacial solar cell (BSC) are provided, the simplified manufacturing process reducing manufacturing costs. The BSC includes an active region located on the front surface of the substrate, formed for example by a phosphorous diffusion step. After removing the PSG, assuming phosphorous diffusion, and isolating the front junction, dielectric layers are deposited on the front and back surfaces. Contact grids are formed, for example by screen printing. Prior to depositing the back surface dielectric, a metal grid may be applied to the back surface, the back surface contact grid registered to, and alloyed to, the metal grid during contact firing.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2009Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: Calisolar, Inc.Inventors: Martin Kaes, Peter Borden, Kamel Ounadjela, Andreas Kraenzl, Alain Blosse, Fritz G. Kirscht