Abstract: A solar cell module package having improved resistance to mechanical breakage and environmental stress has a layer of asphaltic material interposed between a support member and one or a plurality of solar cells affixed to a first support member. Resistance to environmental stress is further increased by including a barrier coating between the one or plurality of solar cells and the layer of asphaltic material. A method is provided for the preparation of the solar cell module package which includes interposing a layer of asphaltic material between a support member and one or a plurality of solar cells and curing the layer assembled with the module.

Abstract: A vacuum chamber houses a rotatable substrate holder next to a door having a cathode target mounted therein. A plate-like mask is movable to a position between the substrate holder and the door so that the target can be cleaned without contaminating the substrate. The mask is preferably moved by a screw jack including a tube driven through a sealed hole in the chamber wall.

Abstract: A flexible cover (14) for a flexible solar cell (12) protects the cell from the ambient and increases the cell's efficiency. The cell(12)includes silicon spheres (16) held in a flexible aluminum sheet matrix (20,22). The cover (14) is a flexible, protective layer (60) of light-transparent material having a relatively flat upper, free surface (64) and an irregular opposed surface (66). The irregular surface (66) includes first portions (68) which conform to the polar regions (31R) of the spheres (16) and second convex (72) or concave (90) portions (72 or 90) which define spaces (78) in conjunction with the reflective surface (20T) of one aluminum sheet (20). Without the cover (14) light (50) falling on the surface (20T) between the spheres (16) is wasted, that is, it does not fall on a sphere (16).

Abstract: A back-contacted solar cell having laser-drilled vias connecting the front-surface carrier-collector junction to an electrode grid on the back surface. The structure may also include a rear surface carrier-collector junction connected to the same grid. The substrate is connected to a second grid which is interdigitated with the first. Both grids are configured for easy series connection with neighboring cells. Several processes are disclosed to produce the cell.

Abstract: A flexible cover (14) for a flexible solar cell (12) protects the cell from the ambient and increases the cell's efficiency. The cell (12)includes silicon particles (16) held in a flexible aluminum sheet matrix (20,22). The cover (14) is a flexible, protective layer (60) of a light-transparent material such as a fluoropolymer, preferably TEFZEL.RTM. film having a relatively flat upper, free surface (64) and an opposed surface (66) coated with an adhesive, preferably EVA. The surface (66) is applied to the particles (16) so as to include first portions (68) which conform to the poles (31 P) and the polar regions (31R) of the particles (16) and second, projecting convex (72) or concave (90) prism-like portions which define spaces (78) in conjunction with the reflective surface (20T) of one aluminum sheet (20). Without the cover (14), light (50) falling on the surface (20T) between the particles (16) is wasted, that is, it does not fall on a particle (16).

Abstract: A solar panel unit includes a solar panel (10) supported for rotation about a frame (13) and driven around the frame (13) by an electric motor (14). Radiation sensors (22) and (23) have their planar axes equally and oppositely off-set from the planar axis of the panel (10). Signals from the sensors (22) and (23) are monitored and used to control the operation of the motor (14) such that the panel (10) moves as the sun moves during daylight hours and the panel remains with its planar axis at right angles to rays of the sun throughout the day.

Abstract: Electrical interconnects for solar cells or other electronic components using a silver-silicone paste or a lead-tin (Pb-Sn) no-clean fluxless solder cream, whereby the high breakage of thin (<6 mil thick) solar cells using conventional solder interconnect is eliminated. The interconnects of this invention employs copper strips which are secured to the solar cells by a silver-silicone conductive paste which can be used at room temperature, or by a Pb-Sn solder cream which eliminates undesired residue on the active surfaces of the solar cells. Electrical testing using the interconnects of this invention has shown that no degradation of the interconnects developed under high current testing, while providing a very low contact resistance value.

Abstract: Ferrite films are formed by reactively sputtering elemental iron in an oxygen-containing plasma to deposit a layer of iron oxide (14) on a ceramic substrate (12). A dopant layer (16) of a transition metal-oxide is reactively sputtered onto the iron oxide layer from a target of a transition metal, such as nickel or zinc, using an oxygen-containing plasma. The substrate, the layer of iron oxide and the dopant layer are all heated under conditions sufficient to diffuse the dopant layer into the layer of iron oxide, thereby forming a doped ferrite thin film (20). The resulting doped ferrite film can be FeFe.sub.2 O.sub.4, NiFe.sub.2 O.sub.4, (NiZn)Fe.sub.2 O.sub.4, or ZnFe.sub.2 O.sub.4.

Abstract: A solar cell assembly is fabricated by adapting efficient microelectronics assembly techniques to the construction of an array of small scale solar cells. Each cell is mounted on an individual carrier, which is a conventional integrated circuit (IC) package such as a dual-in-line package. Electrical connections are made between the cell and the carrier leads by automated wire bonding, followed by the emplacement of an optional secondary solar concentrator element if desired. The carriers are then automatically mounted and electrically connected to a common substrate, such as a printed circuit board, that has its own electrical interconnection network to interconnect the various cells. Finally, a primary concentrator lens assembly is placed over the array of cells. The resulting panel is thin and light weight, inexpensive to produce, allows for any desired interconnection to be made between the cells, and is capable of high conversion efficiencies.

Abstract: The subject inventions concern various photovoltaic module designs to protect the module from horizontal and vertical impacts and degradation of solar cell efficiency caused by moisture. In one design, a plurality of panel supports that are positioned adjacent to the upper panel in a photovoltaic module absorb vertical forces exerted along an axis perpendicular to the upper panel. Other designs employ layers of glass and tempered glass, respectively, to protect the module from vertical impacts. A plurality of button-shaped channels is used around the edges of the photovoltaic module to absorb forces applied to the module along an axis parallel to the module and direct moisture away from the module that could otherwise penetrate the module and adversely affect the cells within the module. A spacer is employed between the upper and lower panels that has a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially equivalent to the coefficient of thermal expansion of at least one of the panels.

Abstract: A magnetron sputtering cathode apparatus has a single magnetron cathode including a magnet assembly in which first and second types of rectangular magnet units whose N and S poles are opposite are alternately disposed adjacent to each other. Two types of loop loci in which drift electron motions are directed in opposite directions are alternately formed adjacent to each other by the first and second magnet units on the surface of the target. The two types of magnet units are disposed so that a substantially common ion current generation region is formed by the first and second magnet units, thereby hybridizing drift electron orbits adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A solar cell fabricated on an insulative substrate, which comprises a first electrode formed on said insulative substrate, a photovoltaic conversion layer formed on said first electrode, an insulative layer formed on said photovoltaic conversion layer, and a second electrode formed on said insulative layer, wherein said insulative layer comprises a plurality of openings in which said second electrode is electrically connected with the photovoltaic conversion layer. Also claimed is a process for fabricating the same.

Abstract: The method comprises the following steps:(a) producing a first cell (1) comprising a first substrate (4), a first optically active layer (5), and between said substrate and said active layer, a soluble thin layer (12);(b) producing a second cell (2) comprising a second substrate (8) and a second optically active layer (9), different in nature from the first;(c) placing said two cells face to face so that the active layers face each other;(d) uniting the two elementary cells via their active layers by means of a transparent adhesive (3); and(e) dissolving the material of the soluble layer while leaving the other materials intact, thereby separating the first substrate from the remainder of the structure, without dissolving the first substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the long wavelength sensitivity, the fill factor, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency are improved. In order to provide photoelectric conversion elements wherein light deterioration is reduced, the field durability enhanced, and the temperature characteristic improved, a p-layer composed of amorphous silicon type semiconductor containing hydrogen, an i-layer composed of amorphous silicon-germanium type semiconductor containing hydrogen and further including microcrystalline germanium, and an n-layer composed of amorphous silicon type semiconductor containing hydrogen are laminated on a substrate, the i-layer being formed at a substrate temperature from 400.degree. to 600.degree. C. by microwave plasma CVD, the particle diameter of said microcrystalline germanium ranging from 50 to 500 angstroms. Also, the content of microcrystalline germanium varies in the layer thickness direction.

Abstract: Solar cell made using a heterojunction formed from a crystalline silicon layer of a first conductivity type and a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon film includes oxygen.

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices comprised of one or more encapsulated slabs of photovoltaic material are prepared by a process wherein a large area body of photovoltaic material is divided into a plurality of slabs. A photoactive area is defined within each slab, and defects therein passivated. Current collecting structures are affixed to each slab, and if the device includes a plurality of slabs, they are electrically interconnected. The front surfaces of the slabs are laminated with a transparent protective material, and the rear surfaces are bonded to a support plate. Also disclosed herein is a particular configuration of bus bar tape for interconnecting the slabs and an apparatus for preparing the current collecting wires.

Abstract: A process for producing multi-terminal devices such as solar cells wherein a pulsed high energy source is used to melt and crystallize amorphous silicon deposited on a substrate which is intolerant to high processing temperatures, whereby to amorphous silicon is converted into a microcrystalline/polycrystalline phase. Dopant and hydrogenization can be added during the fabrication process which provides for fabrication of extremely planar, ultra shallow contacts which results in reduction of non-current collecting contact volume. The use of the pulsed energy beams results in the ability to fabricate high efficiency microcrystalline/polycrystalline solar cells on the so-called low-temperature, inexpensive plastic substrates which are intolerant to high processing temperatures.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to the fabrication of heterojunction diodes from semiconducting (conjugated) polymers and acceptors such as, for example, fullerenes, particularly Buckminsterfullerenes, C.sub.60, and more particularly to the use of such heterojunction structures as photodiodes and as photovoltaic cells.

Abstract: The invention provides for methods that include the steps of continuous liquid phase epitaxy followed by evaporation or implantation of dopant, barrier-interconnect, and additional interconnect-dopant layers to grow cylindrical helical multi-layer structures which form long series chains of photocells when sliced, etched, and passivated. The invention also provides for uniquely formed photovoltaic devices fabricated by the method, as well as the use of such devices as infrared photovoltaic generators using radiation from a local thermal source or reservoir.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for depositing multiple layer, thin optical films onto a substrate and an optical filter made thereby. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber; moving means for moving the substrate between regions of the vacuum chamber; material depositing means within each region for depositing a film of material on the substrate; a reactive substance source for introducing a reactive substance into each region so as to react with the material as it is deposited in that region; and control means for controlling the degree of such reaction in one region relative to the other, to obtain desired stoichiometry in the deposited materials.