Abstract: A combination comprises a device for receiving and for directing incoming light in a three dimensional manner to at least one predetermined location together with a solar cell. The device has two light reflecting surfaces and a total internal reflection surface. In operation, the total internal reflection surface transmits the incoming light into the device and totally internally reflects the light reflected from the surface which is incident at its surface at an angle within the range for total internal reflection. The reflection surfaces are operatively disposed with respect to one another so as to perform the function of a receiver/director by directing incoming light in a three dimensional manner to the rear surface of the solar cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate material having a photovoltaic cell, a semiconductor substrate material having an integrated array of at least two photovoltaic cells in electrical series with one another, systems for the production of electricity and method for the production of electricity are disclosed. In the semiconductor substrate material (301) having a photovoltaic cell (303, 304), the photovoltaic cell comprises at least one first type groove (305, 306, 307) having walls doped with a first type dopant (308), the first type groove having a first conducting material in conducting electrical contact with the first type doped walls and at least one second type groove (310, 311, 312) having walls doped with a second type dopant, the second type groove having a second conducting material in conducting electrical contact with the second type doped walls.

Abstract: In-situ, nondestructive examination to test the efficacy of a riveted, bolted or bonded join of metal sheets, or to test whether a composite material is faulted, or to test whether a multi-layer patch is bonded properly, involves the creation of an interferometric hologram. A photographic film or plate is mounted closely above, and isolated vibrationally from a region of a structure containing the join, composite material or patch. The film or plate is illuminated by the expanded beam from a laser firstly when the structure is in a first state of stress, and secondly when the structure is in a second state of stress (the change in stress being sufficient to deform the region over which the film or plate is mounted). At each illumination, a diffraction pattern is produced in the emulsion of the plate or film by interference between the illuminating beam and that part of it which is reflected from the region. The two diffraction patterns combine to produce a fringe pattern in the emulsion.

Abstract: A process for the production of poly(alkylene oxide) which includes providing a polyhydroxy compound or compounds and an acid resin catalyst or a salt thereof that has been converted to the acid form; and reacting said polyhydroxy compound or compounds in the presence of said acid resin catalyst at a temperature and under conditions to allow polymerization.

Abstract: A polyurethane or polyurethane-urea elastomeric composition, characterized in that the composition is a reaction product of:(A) a soft segment macrodiol which is either:(i) a homopolymer represented by formula I,HO--[(CH.sub.2).sub.n O].sub.m --H Iwherein n represents an integer greater than 5 and less than 13, m is a number such that the number average molecular weight of the compound of formula I falls in the range from 218 to 5000 and optionally at least one hydrogen atom represented in formula I is substituted by a C.sub.1 to C.sub.3 alkyl group or a halogen atom;(ii) a copolymer containing at least 25% by mass of repeating units --(CH.sub.2).sub.n O-- wherein n is as defined in formula I above; or(iii) mixture of macrodiols comprising greater than 10% of a macrodiol as defined in formula I above;(B ) an aliphatic or aromatic diisocyanate known in the art of polyurethane manufacture; and(C) optionally a chain extender.

Abstract: Sodium type X zeolite crystals of a particle size of 50 .mu.m or more are grown from seed crystals at a rate of about 5 .mu.m per day in a mother liquor having an approximate composition 0.94 Na.sub.2 O, 0.011 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, and 0.200 SiO.sub.2 mol/kg by adding a fine silica powder, a somewhat coarser alumina powder, and sodium hydroxide from time to time. The addition rates are such as to maintain the mother liquor at a super-saturation level of less than 20% with respect to the alumina to avoid the formation of a gel. Throughout the growing period the mother liquor is stirred and maintained at a temperature of about 95.degree.C.

Abstract: A method of coating a material surface with thin film silicon comprises dissolving silicon in a metal solvent to form a solution and subsequently deposited the dissolved silicon from the solution by controlling the temperature of the solution and thereby depositing a layer of silicon onto the material surface. The metal solvent is preferably a mixture of gold and a metal or metals which either have a melting point below the deposition temperature range or which form a eutectic with gold and have a eutectic temperature below the deposition temperature range. The temperature of the solution is controlled so that the silicon becomes super saturated in the solution and is deposited out of solution onto the material surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates in particular to electrostatic holding devices for holding semiconductor wafers and other materials during processing operations, such as vacuum sputtering, for example.One problem with such holding devices is that a residual electrostatic charge tends to build up on the surface of the device. This can lead to problems in the release of the wafer when processing is completed, as this electrostatic charge will tend to grip the wafer.The present invention overcomes this problem by determining a value of drive voltage to be applied to the electrostatic chuck to cancel out the holding effects of at least most of the residual electrostatic charge and thus enable release of the wafer. The value of drive voltage to be applied to allow release is determined by monitoring motion of the wafer as the drive voltage is varied, the motion of the wafer being indicative of whether it is being gripped by the body or not.

Abstract: A low electrical resistance bipolar membrane formed by the conjoining of treated anion and cation exchange membranes is disclosed. The treatment comprises contacting the membranes with an aqueous solution of at least one cation prior to conjoining and contacting at least one face of the membranes with an aqueous alkaline solution.A process for the preparation of acid and alkali using these bipolar membranes is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of reducing the impact of a reading deficiency caused by a slow transient response comprises the steps of inserting a light diffuser in a reader's light path to attenuate the high spatial frequency information mediated by the cone receptors of the eye(s) of the reader, and inserting a chromatic filter which limits stimulation to the red and/or green cone receptors relative to stimulation of the blue cone receptors in the eye(s) of the reader whereby the magnitude of the cone mediated sustained response of the reader is reduced towards a more normal balance relative to the impaired transient response of the reader. An apparatus for reducing the impact of a reading deficiency caused by a too slow transient response of a reader comprises a light diffuser and a chromatic filter to limit the red and/or green mediated sustained transmission relative to the blue cone mediated transient transmission, the diffuser and filter being locatable in the reader's light path.

Abstract: A tandem mass spectrometry system, capable of obtaining tandem mass spectra for each parent ion without separation of parent ions of differing mass from each other, comprising an ion source, (1) a particle detector (6), two separated time-of-flight devices (3, 5) between the source and the detector, a control ion-excitation device (4) between the time-of-flight devices, and means measuring a time-of-flight for particles reaching the detector (6), all of which lie on a common ion path, and wherein ion optics maintain ion flight from the source within the ion path and a computer control system controls the excitation device (4) and the optics.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to a new highly permeable anisotropic synthetic membrane useful in membrane separation of compounds in such processes as ultrafiltration, dialysis, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, gas permeation and gas diffusion. The membrane comprises a multi-layered structure, preferably of 4-12 layers, with each layer thereof serving as a molecular screen of a precise molecular weight cut-off. Between each layer of the membane there are rows of alveolae with adjacent alveolae in adjacent rows being connected by means of channels of molecular dimensions. For any type of plymeric starting material it is possible to obtain membranes of a predetermined molecular weight cut-off. The membranes have the advantage of providing a multilayered action for separation of compounds, with any defect in one layer being corrected by the following layer.

Abstract: A time of flight mass spectrometer includes an ion source (10) a lens system (18, 19) to focus the ions into a beam (21), an orthogonal accelerator (22) comprising two parallel electrodes one of which is a grid through which ions are deflected into a main accelerator and into a flight tube (26). At the distal end of the flight tube (26) is located an ion detector (27) which enables the measurement of the time of flight of ions from the orthogonal accelerator (22) to the detector (27).

Abstract: A process and equipment for the controlled malolactic fermentation of wine in which wine is introduced into a reaction vessel containing a concentration of at least 10.sup.8 cfu/ml of a bacterial or yeast species that is capable of converting malic acid to lactic acid through a bacteria retaining filter. The wine is removed from the reaction vessel through a bacteria retaining filter after a predetermined residence time in the reaction vessel sufficient to allow the desired malolactic fermentation to take place. The process and equipment are preferably operated on a continuous basis. The cells may be immobilized within the reaction vessel.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck for semiconductor wafers (10) uses at least three electrodes (12, 13, 14). Two electrodes (13, 14) defining a substantially planar surface and embedded in a thin dielectric film (11), are respectively excited by a low-frequency A.C. supply (15, 16, 17, 18, 23) to produce sinewave fields of controlled amplitude and phase, provided a low resultant voltage on the wafer surface. A third electrode (12) acts as a shield electrode or as a reference point for the other two electrodes (13, 14). In addition, by controlled rates of voltage application and removal, low voltage gradients are obtained on the wafer (10); and no retentive forces exist in the dielectric medium (11). A low A.C. amplitude excitation of the chuck enables capacitive current sensing of the relative positions of the wafer (10) and the dielectric film (11), enabling simple control of voltage application to the two electrodes (13, 14).

Abstract: An optical location system having a beam projection device (11, 51, 12, 13) to illuminate the field of view, and a detector array (29) to detect reflected light (21) from the field of view. The projected beam (13) is incrementably progressed across the field of view and for each increment the reflected points of light (61) detected by the detector (29) are recorded to build a map of the field of view, which is stored as a sparse array having as its first coordinate the angle of projection (A) of the illuminating beam (13) and as its second coordinate the azimuth angle (B) of the reflected ray detected by the detector. The value stored in each element of the array is the angle of the incidence (C) of the horizontal component of the detected ray with the detector.

Abstract: Solar cells are produced in which surface texturing of the substrate surface, in the form of geometric ridges and pyramids, are formed at an angle to the perpendicular such that the ridges and pyramids are not symmetrical about a perpendicular axis or plane. Such "tilted" texturing causes an increased number of passes of trapped light within the cell and also within the encapsulation covering the cell thereby increasing the chances of light being absorbed. A process for manufacture of cells with tilted texturing involves sawing a wafer from an ingot at an angle .alpha. to the 100 plane and then processing the wafer in a conventional fashion, including texturing the surface with ridges or pyramids.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the shaping of solar cell substrate surfaces in order to provide advantageous light-catching and interaction properties.Previous solar cell substrates have suffered from a relatively high percentage loss of light due to reflection from the substrate surface, as well as the disadvantage that light passing into the substrate may not be absorbed in regions of high collection probability, close to the semiconductor junctions.By specifically shaping the surface of the substrate to produce predetermined surface structures the above disadvantages can be minimized. Previous texturing of solar cell substrates has relied on the crystalline structure of the substrate to control the surface texture. The surface thus produced does not maximize the antireflection and absorption properties.By using a laser scriber and following this with a chemical etch, we produce surface shapes which maximize the anti-reflection and absorption properties of the solar cell.

Abstract: Method for the production of a catalyst suitable for use in the synthesis of methanol obtained by reacting carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide or mixtures thereof, with hydrogen, comprising forming an alloy containing 0 to 50 weight percent zinc, 30 to 75 weight percent aluminum and the balance being substantially all copper, and extracting aluminum from the alloy using an effective concentration of zincate ions in an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide. Catalysts made by this method are disclosed, together with their use in the preparation of methanol.