Abstract: A temperature compensated photovoltaic module (20) comprised of a series of solar cells (22) having a thermally activated switch (24) connected in parallel with several of the cells (22). The photovoltaic module (20) is adapted to charge conventional batteries having a temperature coefficient (TC) differing from the temperature coefficient (TC) of the module (20). The calibration temperatures of the switches (24) are chosen whereby the colder the ambient temperature for the module (20), the more switches that are on and form a closed circuit to short the associated solar cells (22). By shorting some of the solar cells (22) as the ambient temperature decreases, the battery being charged by the module (20) is not excessively overcharged at lower temperatures. PV module (20) is an integrated solution that is reliable and inexpensive.

Abstract: Efficiency of a photoelectric conversion device is increased by inducing a surface plasmon also on a metallic electrode located on the side of the device where light is incident. Incident He-Ne laser light is refracted by a semicylindrical lens and is incident on a magnesium fluoride layer and an Al electrode. The surface plasmon is absorbed by a copper phthalocyanine layer to give a photoelectric current between the Al electrode and an Ag electrode.

Abstract: A process for making an aluminum contact comprising sputter depositing in a contact opening in a semiconductor substrate a first layer of titanium, forming a thin layer of titanium oxide thereover, sputter depositing a titanium nitride layer, smoothing the titanium nitride layer in an argon plasma, and sputter depositing an aluminum contact over the treated titanium nitride layer. The argon plasma treatment smooths the surface of the titanium nitride layer and improves the wettability between this layer and aluminum.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a customized storage, high voltage, photovoltaic power station, having at least one photovoltaic solar module and a customized storage device.

Abstract: Hydrophobic liquid salts of the general formula ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 are the same or different and each represent a straight or branched chain alkyl radical, a fluoroalkyl radical or an alkoxyalkyl radical of 1 to 8 carbon atoms; and R.sub.2, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 are the same or different and each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl radical with 1 to 3 carbon atoms.The invention has applications as an electrolyte solvent in electrochemical photovoltaic cells.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element comprising an electrode comprising an electrically conductive core member which is coated with a conductive adhesive fixed on the light incident surface of a photoactive semiconductor layer, via the conductive adhesive, is disclosed.The conductive adhesive is composed of at least two layers. The softening point of the conductive adhesive layer nearer to the core member is higher than the highest temperature encountered in the manufacture of the photovoltaic element.

Abstract: A group of solar cell elements is obtained by connecting a plurality of solar cell elements in series or in parallel by metal foil members, which is characterized in that an insulating tape is adhered in parallel with the metal foil members on and across the back surfaces of the plurality of solar cell elements arranged next to each other. The insulating tape is characterized by comprising a base member of a resin, for example polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A solar cell module is characterized in that the above group of solar cell elements is covered with a polymeric organic resin. Further, a method for producing the solar cell module comprises a step of adjacently arranging a plurality of solar cell elements, a step of adhering an insulating tape on the back surfaces of the plurality of solar cell elements, a step of connecting the plurality of solar cell elements in series or in parallel by metal foil members, and a step of covering the elements with a polymeric organic resin.

Abstract: A solar cell has a chalcopyrite absorber layer that is applied on the substrate side over an adhesive layer which is chosen from chromium, titanium, tantalum, and titanium nitride.

Abstract: A target, target backing plate, and cover plate form a target plate assembly. The sputtering target assembly includes an integral cooling passage. A series of grooves are constructed in either the target backing plate or the target backing cooling cover plate, which are then securely bonded to one another. The sputtering target can be a single monolith with a target backing plate or can be securely attached to the target backing plate by one of any number of conventional bonding methods. Tantalum to titanium, titanium to titanium and aluminum to titanium, diffusion bonding can be used.The target plate assembly completely covers and seals against a top opening of a sputtering processing chamber. Cooling liquid connections are provided only from the perimeter of the target assembly. When a top vacuum chamber seals the side opposite the pressure chamber, the pressure on both sides of the target assembly is nearly equalized.

Abstract: In order to permit a mounting and demounting of targets free of tools and essentially of friction, snap pins are provided on the system side which, when the target is inserted, automatically engage in a groove which is machined laterally into the target. A releasing slide permits the return of the pins. When the cooling system is acted upon by pressure, a heat transfer membrane is placed against the rear of the target and presses the target onto the snapped-in pins. The pins are released by a releasing slide after the cooling system is relieved from the pressure.

Abstract: A thin microcrystalline silicon semiconductor film suitable for use as an intrinsic semiconductor layer in an amorphous silicon solar cell or the like. The thin microcrystalline silicon semiconductor film comprises an amorphous phase with crystallites contained therein in the form of a prismatic or conical crystallite aggregate phase. Additional crystallites may be dispersed as individual crystallites in the amorphous phase. In the thin film, the crystalline fraction may preferably range from 5 to 80% and the crystallite size may preferably range from 2 to 1,000 nm. This thin film can be formed by first forming an initial film to a thickness in a range of from 2 nm to 100 nm at a deposition rate of from 0.01 nm/sec to 0.1 nm/sec on a substrate and then forming a principal film at a deposition rate of from 0.1 nm/sec to 2 nm/sec, for example, in accordance with RF plasma CVD.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element comprising a substrate and a multi-layered semiconductor active layer having a pin junction structure disposed on said substrate, said multi-layered semiconductor layer comprising a non-single crystal semiconductor layer of n- or p-type, a non-single crystal i-type semiconductor layer and a non-single crystal semiconductor layer of p- or n-type being stacked in this order from the substrate side, characterized in that said i-type semiconductor layer comprises a three-layered structure comprising a non-single crystal layer (b) formed by means of a microwave plasma CVD process interposed between a pair of non-single crystal layers (a) and (c) each formed by means of a RF plasma CVD process, and said i-type layer (b) is a non-single crystal i-type layer formed by means of the microwave plasma process from a mixture of a silane series gas not containing chlorine atom(s), a chlorine-containing raw material gas in an amount of 10% or less of the total amount of the chlorine-free silane series

Abstract: A target assembly for use in a sputtering system used for forming a thin film on a substrate is disclosed. The target assembly includes a mounting element having an interior wall which defines an aperture. The target assembly further includes a target for providing material for forming the film on the substrate. In particular, the target is affixed within the mounting element by an interference fit between the aperture and the target. Furthermore, the mounting ring includes a groove for holding an O-ring which serves to maintain a vacuum in the sputtering system.

Abstract: Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells.

Abstract: Methods are provided for the production of supported monophasic group I-III-VI semiconductor films. In the subject methods, a substrate is coated with group I and III elements and then contacted with a reactive group VI element containing atmosphere under conditions sufficient to produce a substrate coated with a composite of at least two different group I-III-IV alloys. The resultant composite coated substrate is then annealed in an inert atmosphere under conditions sufficient to convert the composite coating to a monophasic group I-III-VI semiconductor film. The resultant supported semiconductor films find use in photovoltaic applications, particularly as absorber layers in solar cells.

Abstract: An inexpensive, robust concrete solar cell (10) comprises a photovoltaic material embedded in and extending beyond front and rear major surfaces (18 and 16) of a matrix layer (14). The matrix layer typically comprises a high-strength, cementitious material, such as a macrodefect-free cement, reinforced with electrically nonconductive fibers (54) distributed throughout the matrix layer. The photovoltaic material comprises particles (12) of high-resistivity single crystal silicon, typically ball milled from ingot sections unsuitable for slicing into silicon wafers. An aluminum sheet (28) attached to the rear major surface provides electrical contact to one of two electrical region (22 and 24) of the semiconductor particle, and a translucent conductive layer (30) on the front major surface provides electrical contacts to the second electrical region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a sputtering method for preparing optical coatings having low light scattering characteristics by controlling the angle of incidence of the material being sputtered without significantly reducing the coating efficiency of the sputtering process. The angle of incidence is controlled by reducing the collision scattering of the material being sputtered and by intercepting the sputtered material that would without interception arrive at the surface to be coated at high angles of incidence. The collision scattering is reduced by utilizing a sputtering gas that has a mass less than the mass of the material being sputtered.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to accurately detect a defective photoelectric conversion element regardless of the installation place and indicate the corresponding information. The above object can be achieved by a power generating system having a solar cell array constituted by a plurality of parallel-connected solar cell strings each consisting of a plurality of series-connected solar cell modules. The system includes electrical parameter detection units for measuring electrical parameters in solar cell strings, a comparing unit for mutually comparing the detected electrical parameters, and a unit for warning of an abnormality on the basis of the comparison result.

Abstract: A solar module, containing a front glass plate, a rear support plate and solar cells placed between these two plates, the hollow space between these same plates being filled with a cast polyether-polyurethane resin, and a method for the preparation of the solar module are provided.

Abstract: A method for sputtering metal from a sputtering target includes: a) providing a reaction chamber; b) providing a substrate within the reaction chamber; c) providing a metal target within the reaction chamber, the metal target comprising an erodable surface; d) providing a gaseous mixture comprising argon gas and at least one of helium gas or neon gas; e) forming a plasma from said gaseous mixture, the plasma having a threshold plasma pressure below which the plasma will not exist, the ratio of argon gas to other plasma components being selected to substantially minimize the threshold plasma pressure; f) impacting components of the plasma onto the erodable surface of the metal target to sputter target atoms therefrom; and g) depositing the sputtered target atoms onto the substrate.