Patents Assigned to Material Concepts, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20180097128
    Abstract: Provided is a solar cell device wherein: a Cu-containing metal layer exhibits good adhesion strength with respect to an Si substrate and a tab wire; and diffusion of Cu into the substrate and an Ag finger wiring line is suppressed. Provided is a solar cell device which comprises a silicon semiconductor substrate, a Cu-containing metal layer, an Ag-containing finger wiring line, and an interface layer containing an oxide or an organic compound. The Ag-containing finger wiring line is formed on the light receiving surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate; the interface layer is formed on the light receiving surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate; and the Cu-containing metal layer is formed on the interface layer and is arranged at a distance from the Ag-containing finger wiring line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: Material Concept, Inc.
    Inventors: Junichi KOIKE, Makoto WADA, Yuji SUTOU, Daisuke ANDO
  • Patent number: 4764665
    Abstract: A heated glove includes an electrically heated woven fabric in which the fabric has been coated with electrically conducting metal to enable its use as a heating element. The fabric heating element is in the shape of the front and back of a hand with the front and back being electrically connected together only at the tips of the fingers, and is disposed between inner and outer insulating fabric layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph F. Orban, J. Clifford Lewis
  • Patent number: 4645574
    Abstract: A method of continuously sequentially coating polyamide filaments with copper and silver which utilizes as a key step in the process the use of a wetter solution containing alcohol, a detergent and an ethylene oxide and propylene oxide copolymer surfactant. The filaments are in the form of multi-filament tows, roving, woven tape or fabric and the steps involve immersing the filaments in a sodium hydroxide trisodium phosphate cleaning solution, followed by a water rinse and then immersion in the wetter solution, followed by water rinse and then followed by a conventional commercial pre-activator, then a commercial palladium chloride/stannous chloride catalytic activator, followed by commercial autocatalytic copper plating as a first copper plating step, followed by a subsequent copper plating step from a copper cyanide bath, followed by a conventional silver plating step, with appropriate water rinses after each of the plating steps, and finally with an alcohol rinse and drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1987
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph F. Orban
  • Patent number: 4645573
    Abstract: A method of continuously sequentially coating polyester with copper and silver which utilizes as a key step in the process the use of a wetter solution containing alcohol, a detergent and an ethylene oxide and propylene oxide copolymer surfactant. The filaments are in the form of multi-filament tows, roving, woven tape or fabric and the steps involve immersing the filaments in a sodium hydroxide trisodium phosphate cleaning solution, followed by a water rinse and the immersion in the wetter solution, followed by water rinse and then followed by an etch in hydrogen peroxide, followed by a commercial palladium chloride/stannous chloride catalytic activator, followed by a hydrochloric acid immersion, followed by commercial autocatalytic copper plating as a first copper plating step, followed by a subsequent copper plating step from a copper cyanide bath, followed by a conventional silver plating step, with appropriate water rinses after each of the plating steps, and finally with an alcohol rinse and drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1987
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph F. Orban
  • Patent number: 4643918
    Abstract: A method of preparation of fiberglass filaments for subsequent coating with metal wherein the fiberglass filaments first are immersed in a wetter solution containing alcohol, a detergent, and an ethylene oxide and propylene oxide copolymer surfactant. Following this treatment the filaments may be treated with conventional palladium chloride or tin chloride activators, followed by treatment with an acid accelerator and then autocatalytically coated with metals such as copper, gold, palladium, cobalt, nickel, and nickel alloys of phosphorus, boron, or tungsten. A second electroplating or immersion plating step may be included where the metal-coated filaments are electroplated or immersion plated with either the same metal, or a different metal taken from the group consisting of nickel, silver, zinc, cadmium, platinum, iron, cobalt, chromium, tin, lead, rhodium, ruthenium, or iridium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph F. Orban
  • Patent number: 4634805
    Abstract: A conductive cable made up of a plurality of polyaramid elements referred to as tows, which are woven, twisted, or braided together, in which each of said tows comprises a large number of individual fine filaments (usually about 1,000 or so) with each of the individual filaments being coated with an adherent metal coating such as copper, nickel, silver, zinc, cadmium, platinum, iron, cobalt, chromium, tin, lead, rhodium, ruthenium, and indium in single or multiple layers so as to provide strength and good electrical conductivity. Woven polyaramid fabric is also disclosed with the individual filaments in each element or tow of the fabric having been treated in the same manner.Methods of making such a cable or woven fabric are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph F. Orban
  • Patent number: 4357985
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process of forming a copper base alloy composite which is reinforced by graphite fibers, wherein the fibers are first coated with a continuous coating of an alloy constituent and then continuously coated with a coating of copper or a copper base alloy. The coated fibers are then heated in a vacuum under applied load, in combination with copper or a copper base alloy at a temperature above the melting point of the copper or copper base alloy but below the melting point of the alloy to be formed from the copper or copper base alloy and the alloy constituent with which said graphite fiber has first been coated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard W. Sexton
  • Patent number: 4341823
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process of preparing metal matrix composites which are reinforced by ceramic or graphite fibers, wherein the fibers are pretreated; first by a nickel coating, then by a second coating which is sacrificed when the fibers are ultimately immersed in a liquid metallic bath which becomes the matrix of the composite material formed. Usually the second coating is copper.In addition, a third coating on the fibers comprising a noble metal such as silver may also be used for certain matrix metal materials. Preferably the thickness of the nickel coating is a minimum of 0.5 micrometers and the second sacrificial coating is a minimum of 0.5 micrometers. After the fibers have been coated with the two or more successive coatings, they are incorporated into a metal matrix composite material by immersion in a molten bath of the desired matrix metal, or by placing the fibers in a suitable mold and casting the molten metal matrix around them, or by other suitable means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1982
    Assignee: Material Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Sexton, David M. Goddard