Abstract: A method for thermocapillary drying of substrates includes the step of elevating a submerged substrate away from a rinsing liquid. Such movement of the substrate forms a meniscus on opposite sides of the substrate. The curved raised portion of the meniscus at each side of the substrate is gently heated in such a way as to induce thermocapillary flows, which cause the rinsing fluid to flow away from the substrate so that the withdrawing substrate may be pulled out dry and clean. Heating may be accomplished by directing a warm gas onto the meniscus or by heating the meniscus with rays from a radiation/light source. Apparatus is also provided for performing the various method steps.

Abstract: Interdigitated back contact solar cells are made by screen printing dopant materials onto the back surface of a semiconductor substrate in a pair of interdigitated patterns. These dopant materials are then diffused into the substrate to form junctions having configurations corresponding to these patterns. Contacts having configurations which match the patterns are then applied over the junctions.

Abstract: A high voltage multijunction solar cell comprises a plurality of discrete voltage generating regions, or unit cells, which are formed in a single semiconductor wafer (10) and are connected together so that the voltages of the individual cells are additive. The unit cells comprise doped regions of opposite conductivity types (30, 32) separated by a gap. The method includes forming V-shaped grooves (16) in the wafer and thereafter orienting the wafer so that ions of one conductivity type can be implanted in one face (e.g., 16a) of the groove while the other face (e.g., 16b) is shielded. A metallization layer (22) is applied and selectively etched away to provide connections between the unit cells.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with reducing the operating temperature and increasing the output of a solar cell.A solar cell (10) constructed in accordance with the invention carries electrodes (22) in a grid finger pattern on its back surface (12). These electrodes are sintered at the proper temperature to provide good ohmic contact.After sintering, a reflective material (24) is deposited on the back surface by vacuum evaporation. Thus, the application of the back surface reflector is separate from the back contact formation.Back surface reflectors formed in conjunction with separate grid finger configuration back contacts are more effective than those formed by full back metallization of the reflector material.

Abstract: A high voltage multijunction solar cell is provided wherein a plurality of discrete voltage generating regions or unit cells are formed in a single generally planar semiconductor body (12). The unit cells comprise a doped regions (20, 22) of opposite conductivity type separated by a gap or undiffused region (24). Metal contacts (26) connect adjacent cells together in series so that the output voltages of the individual cells are additive. In some embodiments, doped field regions (14) separated by gap (16) overlie the unit cells but the cells may be formed in both faces of the wafer (FIG. 2).

Abstract: A method is provided for making a high voltage multijunction solar cell which comprises a plurality of discrete voltage generating regions, or unit cells, which are formed in a single semiconductor wafer (10) and are connected together so that the voltages of the individual cells are additive. The unit cells comprise doped regions of opposite conductivity types (30, 32) separated by a gap. The method includes forming V-shaped grooves (16) in the wafer and thereafter orienting the wafer so that ions of one conductivity type can be implanted in one face (e.g., 16a) of the groove while the other face (e.g., 16b) is shielded. A metallization layer (22) is applied and selectively etched away to provide connections between the unit cells.