Abstract: The carrier-foil-attached ultra-thin copper foil according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a carrier foil, a release layer, a first ultra-thin copper foil, a Cu—Al bonding strength improvement layer, an Al layer, and a second ultra-thin copper foil, wherein the release layer may comprise a first metal (A3) having peeling properties, and a second metal (B3) and third metal (C3) facilitating the plating of the first metal (A3).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrolytic copper foil for a secondary battery, having excellent physical properties at a low temperature, and a method for producing the electrolytic copper foil. The electrolytic copper foil for a secondary battery shows little change in the physical properties, such as tensile strength and elongation, of a copper foil even at a low temperature and thereby exhibits excellent cycle properties at the low temperature. The electrolytic copper foil for a secondary battery is produced from a plating solution, containing total organic carbon (TOC), cobalt, iron and zinc, by using a drum and coated with a cathode active material, wherein the ratio between the TOC, cobalt, iron and zinc contained in the electrolytic copper foil follows the following formula 1: TOC/(cobalt+iron+zinc)=1.0-1.2.

Abstract: A continuous inline method for production of photovoltaic devices at high speed includes: providing a substrate; depositing a first carrier transport solution layer with a first carrier transport deposition device to form a first carrier transport layer on the substrate; depositing a Perovskite solution comprising solvent and perovskite precursor materials with a Perovskite solution deposition device on the first carrier transport layer; drying the deposited Perovskite solution to form a Perovskite absorber layer; and depositing a second carrier transport solution with a second carrier transport deposition device to form a second carrier transport layer on the Perovskite absorber layer, wherein the deposited Perovskite solution is dried at least partially with a fast drying device which causes a conversion reaction and the Perovskite solution to change in optical density by at least a factor of 2 in less than 0.5 seconds after the fast drying device first acts on the Perovskite solution.

Abstract: A method of making a perovskite layer includes providing a flexible substrate; providing a perovskite solution comprising an initial amount of solvent and perovskite precursor materials and a total solids concentration between 30 percent and 70 percent by weight of its saturation concentration; depositing the perovskite solution on the flexible substrate; removing a first portion of the solvent from the deposited perovskite solution and increasing the total solids concentration of the perovskite solution to at least 75 percent of its saturation concentration with a first drying step; and removing a second portion of the solvent from the deposited perovskite solution with a second drying step having a higher rate of solvent evaporation that causes saturation and a conversion reaction in the deposited perovskite solution resulting in perovskite crystal formation or formation of a perovskite intermediate phase, wherein the first drying step dwell time is at least 5 times longer than the second drying step dwell

Abstract: The present invention relates conductive nanostructured copolymer materials, such as thin film. In particular, the nanostructured copolymer material comprises plurality of chains substantially parallel to each other, each conductive chain comprising a plurality of conductive polyacetylene polymer blocks positioned along the chain and a plurality of polar poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer blocks in between the polyacetylene polymer blocks to form a pattern of alternatively repeating polyacetylene polymer blocks and poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer blocks and a ratio of polyacetylene polymer to poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer to provide the nanostructured copolymer material with conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. In some aspects, the invention relates to photoelectric devices comprising a nanostructured copolymer material and capable to convert light to electrical current.

Abstract: The present invention relates conductive nanostructured copolymer materials, such as thin film. In particular, the nanostructured copolymer material comprises plurality of chains substantially parallel to each other, each conductive chain comprising a plurality of conductive polyacetylene polymer blocks positioned along the chain and a plurality of polar poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer blocks in between the polyacetylene polymer blocks to form a pattern of alternatively repeating polyacetylene polymer blocks and poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer blocks and a ratio of polyacetylene polymer to poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer to provide the nanostructured copolymer material with conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. In some aspects, the invention relates to photoelectric devices comprising a nanostructured copolymer material and capable to convert light to electrical current.

Abstract: The present invention relates conductive nanostructured copolymer materials, such as thin film. In particular, the nanostructured copolymer material comprises plurality of chains substantially parallel to each other, each conductive chain comprising a plurality of conductive polyacetylene polymer blocks positioned along the chain and a plurality of polar poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer blocks in between the polyacetylene polymer blocks to form a pattern of alternatively repeating polyacetylene polymer blocks and poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer blocks and a ratio of polyacetylene polymer to poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer to provide the nanostructured copolymer material with conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. In some aspects, the invention relates to photoelectric devices comprising a nanostructured copolymer material and capable to convert light to electrical current.

Abstract: The chemical composition and method of the invention enable characterization of microscopic defects in membranes such as pinholes, cracks or fissures. The present invention, however, can be used to characterize defects on different types of porous and non-porous membranes used for diverse applications in various industries. It uses brightly fluorescing silica or silsesquioxane spheres prepared with pre-determined definitive and uniform sizes (15 nm-50 microns). The spheres' uniform, controlled size allows them to be used to characterize defects or holes in membranes based on a size exclusion mechanism. The spheres used are engineered to glow brightly when exposed to ultraviolet light in order to allow visual or highly sensitive fluorescence spectroscopy or microscopy to characterize the passage of the particles through defects or holes in a membrane and even identify where the defect is located.

Abstract: The invention discloses and claims a new class of chemical compositions with ideal sunscreen properties. The chemical composition comprises spherical particles between 200 nm and 10 microns in diameter prepared by an emulsion polymerization of tetraalkoxysilanes or organotrialkoxysilanes or organobridged trialkoxysilanes with a dye monomer bearing two or more alkoxysilyl groups attached to the bridging chromophore. The resulting spheres absorb ultraviolet light. The dye can be any organic chromophore capable of receiving multiple trialkoxysilyl groups resulting in multipoint covalent attachment that precludes leaching of the dye from the spheres. The formic acid-toluene-monomer emulsion polymerization allows for large-scale (>100 gram) synthesis of monodisperse particles under acidic, non-aqueous conditions without surfactants. The particles less than 1 micron in diameter are smooth as talc to the touch and will provide a smooth formulation for sunscreen creams or lotions.

Abstract: A system and process for growing extremely high quality single crystal materials, particularly silicon and other semiconductor materials, containing a generally uniform distribution of dopants, impurities, and oxygen, both axially and radially, wherein the concentration of impurities and oxygen and the number of defects are minimized. A significant feature is the use of a shallow tray-like crucible consisting of a replenishment zone and at least one crystal growth zone independently heated by one or more heating elements through the bottom of the crucible. In the preferred embodiment, an oval shaped crucible is used which consists of one replenishment zone and one growth zone. In one embodiment, a spiral shaped heater is centered underneath the feed rod and growing crystal and a "picture frame" shaped heater is located underneath the outer edges of the replenishment and growth zones to provide a more controlled thermal gradient.

Abstract: In a low angle silicon sheet growth process, a puller mechanism advances a seed crystal and solidified ribbon from a cooled growth zone in a melt at a low angle with respect to the horizontal. The ribbon is supported on a ramp adjacent the puller mechanism. Variations in the vertical position of the ribbon with respect to the ramp are isolated from the growth end of the ribbon by (1) growing the ribbon so that it is extremely thin, preferably less than 0.7 mm, (2) maintaining a large growth zone, preferably one whose length is at least 5.0 cm, and (3) spacing the ramp from the growth zone by at least 15 cm.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus are disclosed for the continuous formation of single crystal silicon ribbons. A seed crystal is placed on the surface of a pool of molten silicon and pulled at a slight angle above the horizontal over the edge of a meniscus attachment member at a rate commensurate with the rate of growth of the ribbon. The formation of the ribbon is controlled in part by a submerged stabilizer disposed under the molten silicon below the advancing edge of the ribbon at the surface of the silicon. A thermal impedance is provided below the surface of the molten silicon to provide stability in the formation of the ribbon and to provide the proper temperature gradients conducive to the efficient formation of the ribbon from the molten material.

Abstract: A method and related apparatus are provided for producing on a semi-continuous basis polycrystalline silicon and melt replenishment for a crystal growth crucible. The silicon is deposited in low density form on the inner walls of a multi-walled reaction chamber by delivering gaseous HSiCL.sub.3, SiH.sub.4, or the like, and reducing gas if needed, through the chamber which is heated to the reaction temperature of the feed gas. After a certain amount of silicon has been produced, the chamber temperature is raised sufficiently to melt down the silicon which is then used to replenish a crystal growth crucible. The operations are then cyclically repeated.The apparatus includes a reaction chamber having a multi-walled configuration to maximize the interior surface area on which the silicon is deposited. A drain trap such as a U-shaped tube, or the like, is connected to the bottom of the reaction chamber and provided with heating elements.