Abstract: A method is disclosed for making semiconductor films from a eutectic alloy comprising a metal and a semiconductor. Through heterogeneous nucleation said film is deposited at a deposition temperature on flexible substrates, such as glass. Specifically said film is vapor deposited at a fixed temperature in said deposition temperature where said deposition temperature is above a eutectic temperature of said eutectic alloy and below a temperature at which the substrate softens. Such films are nearly to entirely free of metal impurities and have widespread application in the manufacture and benefit of photovoltaic and display technologies.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously tempering and coating glass, including heating a glass substrate, depositing a textured buffer layer on the glass substrate, depositing a material on the buffer layer, depositing O2, and rapidly cooling the glass substrate by introducing a gas. This includes coating the glass substrate with crystalline sapphire or a low E film, for example.

Abstract: A method is provided for depositing textured wide bandgap materials, such as polymers or perovskites, on a textured transparent conducting oxide on inorganic thin-film, which serves as a recombination layer, or interfacial conducting layer (ICL), for tandem or multi junction solar cells.

Abstract: A method of making a CIGS/inorganic thin film tandem semiconductor device including the steps of depositing a textured buffer layer on an inexpensive substrate, depositing a metal-inorganic film from a eutectic alloy on the buffer layer, the metal being selected from a group of CIGS elements, and adding the remaining CIGS elements to the metal, thereby growing a CIGS film on the inorganic film for the tandem semiconductor device.

Abstract: Highly textured [111] oriented films such as MgO crystalline films are deposited by e-beam evaporation on ordinary soda-lime glass. Semiconductor films such as silicon can be deposited on these MgO films using eutectics at temperatures below the softening point of ordinary glass and having extremely high textured and strong [111] orientation. The invention may be used for efficient and cost effective solar cells, displays, etc.

Abstract: Architectures for tandem solar cell including two thin films forming a top layer and a bottom layer. Such cells can be bi-facial. Exemplary materials used for the top layer are CIGS (CGS), perovskites (Sn and Ge), amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper oxide, tin sulfide, CZTS and III-V materials. For the bottom layer an inorganic film such as either silicon or germanium may be used. In general, the architecture includes of a glass, plastic or metal substrate and a buffer layer, either an oxide insulator or nitride conductor.

Abstract: A bi-facial tandem solar cell and a method of making a non-toxic perovskite/inorganic thin-film tandem solar cell stable, having matching bandgaps and a hysteresis free design including the steps of depositing a textured oxide buffer layer on an inexpensive substrate, depositing a metal-inorganic film from a eutectic alloy on the buffer layer; and depositing perovskite elements on the metal-inorganic film, thus forming a perovskite layer based on a metal from the metal-inorganic film, incorporating the metal into the perovskite layer wherein said perovskite layer is stable, hysteresis-free, and has a bandgap that matches the bandgap of the metal-inorganic.

Abstract: A method for making ceramic glass that is textured, hard, transparent and conducting, for use in various electronic devices and displays, such as LEDs, solar cells, the covers of solar panels, CICs used in satellites, smartphones, and computer displays. The ceramic glass can also be used for window shields in automobiles, and in any other industries where anti-scratch glass is beneficial. The ceramic glass is composed of ultra-thin layers which reduces the cost of manufacturing, and provides advantageous properties such as smoothness for stringent electronic device fabrication requirements.

Abstract: A method for annealing thin-films of ceramics such as Al2O3 on glass by laser such that the underlying glass substrate is unaffected by the laser heating. This is accomplished by applying a thin MgO buffer layer to the glass, depositing an amorphous ceramic layer on the textured transparent buffer layer, and annealing the ceramic layer with a heated line source. The ceramic layer crystallizing forming a ceramic coated substrate. The buffer layer is also textured which serves to induce texture in the Al2O3 film deposited on the buffer layer. The induced texture on the Al2O3 provides advantageous properties. The ceramic glass can be used for a variety of applications such as covers to solar panels, CICs used in satellites, displays, automobile windows, and substrates for LEDs.

Abstract: A method is provided for making smooth crystalline semiconductor thin-films and hole and electron transport films for solar cells and other electronic devices. Such semiconductor films have an average roughness of 3.4 nm thus allowing for effective deposition of additional semiconductor film layers such as perovskites for tandem solar cell structures which require extremely smooth surfaces for high quality device fabrication.

Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing ceramic glass, including sapphire glass, for use in display covers in smartphones, computers, and watches, as well as for use as substrates on which semiconductor films can be deposited for a wide range of electronic applications, including solar cells, LEDs, and FETs.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for making a hybrid solar cell comprising organic and inorganic materials on an inexpensive substrate, such as glass. The materials are deposited on the substrate at low temperatures using eutectics and crystalline buffer layers such as MgO and Al2O3. Such a device can also be used for OLETs and OLEDs used in displays.

Abstract: Eutectic fuel cells are prepared by depositing a metal-semiconductor eutectic alloy over non-platinum electrodes on a substrate. In some embodiments the electrodes are the same metal and in other cases the electrodes are dissimilar.

Abstract: Highly textured [111] oriented films such as MgO crystalline films are deposited by e-beam evaporation on ordinary soda-lime glass. Semiconductor films such as silicon can be deposited on these MgO films using eutectics at temperatures below the softening point of ordinary glass and having extremely high textured and strong [111] orientation. The invention may be used for efficient and cost effective solar cells, displays, etc.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for growing large grain to single crystalline semiconductor films on inexpensive glass substrates.

Abstract: The present invention concerns the enhancement of critical current densities in cuprate superconductors. Such enhancement of critical current densities include using wave function symmetry and restricting movement of Abrikosov (A) vortices, Josephson (J) vortices, or Abrikosov-Josephson (A-J) vortices by using the half integer vortices associated with d-wave symmetry present in the grain boundary.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for making semiconductor films from a eutectic alloy comprising a metal and a semiconductor. Through heterogeneous nucleation said film is deposited at a deposition temperature on relatively inexpensive buffered substrates, such as glass. Specifically said film is vapor deposited at a fixed temperature in said deposition temperature where said deposition temperature is above a eutectic temperature of said eutectic alloy and below a temperature at which the substrate softens. Such films could have widespread application in photovoltaic and display technologies.