Patents Examined by Jayne Mershon
  • Patent number: 8729384
    Abstract: A solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells each including a substrate, an emitter region positioned at a back surface of the substrate, first electrodes electrically connected to the emitter region, second electrodes electrically connected to the substrate, a first current collector connecting the first electrodes, and a second current collector connecting the second electrodes, and a first connector connecting a first current collector of a first solar cell of the plurality of solar cells to a second current collector of a second solar cell adjacent to the first solar cell. The first current collector of the first solar cell and the second current collector of the second solar cell have a different polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Myungjun Shin, Haejong Cho, Minho Choi, Seongeun Lee
  • Patent number: 8729386
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided, which comprises a first electrode, crystalline semiconductor particles, a semiconductor layer, and a second electrode. The crystalline semiconductor particles of which adjacent particles are fusion-bonded, the crystalline semiconductor particles have a first conductivity type, and the semiconductor layer has a second conductivity type which is different from the first conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 8716589
    Abstract: A p- or n-conductive semiconductor material comprises a compound of the general formula (I) Pb1?(x1+x2+ . . . +xn)A1x1A2x2 . . . AnxnTe1+z??(I) where: in each case independently n is the number of chemical elements different from Pb and Te 1 ppm?x1 . . . xn?0.05 ?0.05?z?0.05 and n?2 A1 . . . An are different from one another and are selected from the group of the elements Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Si, Ge, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Br, I, Sc, Y, La, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu or n=1 A1 is selected from Ti, Zr, Ag, Hf, Cu, Gr, Nb, Ta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Frank Haass
  • Patent number: 8716596
    Abstract: A silicon solar cell having a silicon substrate includes p-type and n-type emitters on a surface of the substrate, the emitters being doped nano-particles of silicon. To reduce high interface recombination at the substrate surface, the nano-particle emitters are preferably formed over a thin interfacial tunnel oxide layer on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Richard M. Swanson
  • Patent number: 8704085
    Abstract: The present invention shows a solar cell element comprising a semiconductor substrate layer (2) with precisely one first doping, a layer structure (1) which is disposed on the front-side of the substrate layer (2) and is adjacent to the substrate layer, said layer structure having at least one doping complementary to the first doping, a rear-side metallization (3) which is disposed on the rear-side of the substrate layer which is situated opposite the layer structure (1) and is adjacent to the substrate layer, and a first (4) and a second (6) front-side metallization, the first front-side metallization (4) contacting the layer structure (1) electrically and the second front-side metallization (6), electrically insulated from the first front-side metallization and the layer structure (1), being disposed on the front-side of the substrate layer adjacent to the substrate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Fraunhoer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung e.v.
    Inventor: Rüdiger Löckenhoff
  • Patent number: 8704079
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is a photovoltaic windable composite comprising at least one photovoltaic cell, a textile panel and a bond layer providing a bonding between said at least one photovoltaic cell and said textile panel. Typically, the exterior side of the textile panel comprises at least two electrically conductive areas separated by a non electrically conductive area, and the bond layer comprises at least two electrically conductive areas emerging on the exterior and interior sides of said bond layer and separated by a non conductive area. Both conductive areas of the bond layer are arranged between the photovoltaic cell and the superior side of the textile panel in order that the positive and negative poles of said photovoltaic cell are in electrically conductive connection with both conductive areas of the textile panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Dickson Constant S.A.
    Inventors: Christophe Nocito, Vladan Koncar, Laurent Raymond
  • Patent number: 8704086
    Abstract: An H-pattern solar cell structure includes at least one busbar disposed in a first direction on an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate, and parallel gridlines formed on the semiconductor substrate such that each gridline extends over and contacts each busbar, wherein each gridline includes a central gridline portion and at least one endpoint structure disposed on at least one end thereof, the endpoint structure having a nominal width that is at least 1.5 times the width of the central gridline portion. The gridlines are co-extruded with a sacrificial material such that a base portion of each gridline forms a flattened structure with sacrificial material formed thereon. The endpoint structures are formed such that Each central gridline portion forms a raised vertex portion extending upward from the upper surface of each busbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Solarworld Innovations GmbH
    Inventors: David K. Fork, Scott E. Solberg
  • Patent number: 8686281
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor circuit on an insulated metal substrate, which includes an anodized film formed on at least one side of an Al substrate, wherein the Al substrate has a potential higher than an average potential of the semiconductor circuit when the semiconductor circuit is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Shigenori Yuuya
  • Patent number: 8674212
    Abstract: An assembly is provided and includes at least one solar cell comprising a photovoltaic element having an upper surface for receiving and absorbing radiation, a lower surface for coupling to an article, a first end and a second end. The solar cell further includes at least one magnet attached to the first end of the photovoltaic element. The assembly further includes an article comprising a substrate, and a magnetic film disposed on the substrate and defining at least one receptor site. Each solar cell is disposed at a respective receptor site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Hullinger Huber, Charles Stephen Korman, Raymond Albert Fillion, Anil Raj Duggal, William Edward Burdick, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8669464
    Abstract: A thermophotovoltaic system is described. The thermophotovoltaic system includes a chamber body, an emitter, a filter and a photovoltaic cell. The chamber body has an ellipsoid chamber including a first focus and a second focus. The emitter is disposed on the first focus, and the emitter is suitable for emitting a plurality of electromagnetic waves. The filter is surrounding the emitter to filter the electromagnetic waves and to pass the electromagnetic waves with a predetermined wavelength band. The photovoltaic cell is disposed on the second focus and is suitable for receiving the electromagnetic waves with the predetermined wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: National Cheng Kung University
    Inventors: Wen-Chi Hou, Tung-Hsien Wu, Chih-Jui Ni, Chih-Lien Chiang, Chau-Nan Hong
  • Patent number: 8669461
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell is provided. The photovoltaic cell includes a concentrator optic structure separating the solar spectrum of light into a plurality of spectral bands. The concentrator optic structure focuses these spectral bands into a plurality of concentric tightly focused ring-shaped spots and a central round spot. A multitude of circular sub-cells are each approximately positioned at a ring-shaped spot associated with a respective spectral band produced by the concentrator optic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Rajesh Menon
  • Patent number: 8664518
    Abstract: Provided is an organic photoelectric conversion element containing: a first electrode; a second electrode; and an organic photoelectric conversion layer sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises: a conductive fiber layer; and a transparent conductive layer containing a conductive polymer comprising a ? conjugated conductive polymer and a polyanion, and an aqueous binder, and at least a part of the transparent conductive layer containing the conductive polymer and the aqueous binder is cross-linked therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdngs, Inc.
    Inventors: Ayako Wachi, Takahiko Nojima, Yasushi Okubo, Hiroaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 8664510
    Abstract: The infrared ray absorbing film 2 is provided with a first layer 21 containing TiN and a second layer 22 containing an Si based compound, converting energy of infrared ray made incident from the second layer 22 to heat. TiN is high in absorption rate of infrared ray over a wavelength range shorter than 8 ?m, while high in reflection rate of infrared ray over a wavelength range longer than 8 ?m. Therefore, if an Si based compound layer excellent in absorption rate of infrared ray over a longer wavelength range is laminated on a TiN layer, infrared ray over a wavelength range lower in absorption rate on the TiN layer can be favorably absorbed on the Si based compound layer, and also infrared ray in an attempt to transmit the Si based compound layer can be reflected on a boundary surface of the TiN layer and returned to the Si based compound layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Fumikazu Ojima, Jun Suzuki, Ryusuke Kitaura
  • Patent number: 8664515
    Abstract: A solar concentrator is described. The solar concentrator includes a plane including a plurality of concentrating elements, wherein each concentrating element includes a hollow taper including a first opening; and at least one photoelectric conversion layer covering inner side surfaces of the concentrating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: National Cheng Kung University
    Inventors: Chau-Nan Hong, Shu-Chun Chu, Wang-Chieh Yu, Shan-Bin Chang, Min-Hsiung Hon
  • Patent number: 8664522
    Abstract: A thin film solar cell is disclosed comprising the following layers deposited on a substrate: a microcrystalline p- or n-layer, an intermediate microcrystalline silicon i-layer applied by a hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition (HWCVD) method on the microcrystalline p- or n-layer a), an additional i-layer of microcrystalline silicon, which is formed by depositing on the intermediate microcrystalline silicon i-layer, by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a sputtering process, or a photo-CVD method whereby layers b) and c) together form an i-layer, and if a p-layer is present as the layer of step a), an n-layer, and if an n-layer is present as the layer of step a), a p-layer that is either microcrystalline or amorphous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Klein, Yaohua Mai, Friedhelm Finger, Reinhard Carius
  • Patent number: 8664516
    Abstract: A structure and a method of the solar cell efficiency improvement by the strain technology are provided. The solar cell has a first surface and a second surfaces which at least a gasket is disposed thereon for supporting the solar cell and being the axle whiling stressing. The method includes the steps of: (a) applying at least a stress on the first surface; (b) generating a supporting force on the second surface; and (c) generating at least a strain in the solar cell. In addition, the present invention also includes a method involving a step of: (a) applying a mechanical stress to the solar cell; (b) generating a tension in the solar cell by at least two materials having different lattice constants; or (c) generating another tension in the solar cell by a shallow trench isolation filler, a high tensile/compressive stress silicon nitride layer and a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Jyun-Jhe Tsai, Ying-Jhe Yang, Chee Wee Liu
  • Patent number: 8558104
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first portion and a second portion; an emitter portion of the semiconductor substrate arranged on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate and extending to a rear surface of the first portion of the semiconductor substrate; a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter portion of the semiconductor substrate and arranged on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a second electrode electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate and arranged on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first portion of the semiconductor substrate is thinner than the second portion of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Wook Park
  • Patent number: 8552288
    Abstract: Photovoltaic modules with adhesion promoters and methods for fabricating photovoltaic modules with adhesion promoters are described. A photovoltaic module includes a solar cell including a first surface and a second surface, the second surface including a plurality of interspaced back-side contacts. A first glass layer is coupled to the first surface by a first encapsulating layer. A second glass layer is coupled to the second surface by a second encapsulating layer. At least a portion of the second encapsulating layer is bonded directly to the plurality of interspaced back-side contacts by an adhesion promoter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Grace Xavier
  • Patent number: 8552558
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a thick film conductive composition comprising: (a) electrically conductive silver powder; (c) fluorine-containing glass frit; dispersed in (d) organic vehicle and devices made therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Alan Frederick Carroll, Kenneth Warren Hang, Brian J. Laughlin, Yueli Wang
  • Patent number: 8410351
    Abstract: A solar power system concurrently generates electricity and a heated transparent fluid while maintaining the solar cells at an optimum temperature and optimizing the heat transfer by matching the refractive index of the secondary sunlight concentrator to the transparent fluid. A solar tracker aligns a primary sunlight concentrator to collect sunlight and directs the sunlight and a system for transferring solar heat to a transparent fluid and into a solar power electrical generating system. The concentrated sunlight transfers solar heat to a transparent fluid via first pass through the transparent fluid. The concentrated sunlight is further concentrated to raise its temperature by passing the concentrated sunlight through a secondary sunlight concentrator, and then passed again through the transparent fluid to transfer heat. The solar energy diminished concentrated sunlight strikes a solar cell array to generate electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Inventor: Bingwu Gu