Abstract: A method of producing a photovoltaic cell having a cover, comprising the steps of: providing a photovoltaic cell which comprises a crystalline silicon substrate; providing a transparent substrate; forming an antireflective coating on said transparent substrate to provide a coated transparent substrate; and covering the photovoltaic cell with said coated transparent substrate. The antireflective coating is a hybrid organic-inorganic material having an inorganic portion comprising silicon, oxygen and carbon, and further comprising an organic portion with organic groups connected to the inorganic portion. Methods of producing solar panels, coated glass substrates as well as antireflection coatings are disclosed as well as novel compositions of hybrid organic-inorganic materials.

Abstract: A layered structure comprising a substrate layer; and a layer of a siloxane polymer on the substrate layer, the layered structure being capable of being bent about a mandrel having a radius of curvature without breaking. The layer of the siloxane polymer has a thickness of 1 to 50 ?m, in particular about 5 to 20 ?m, and it is obtained by depositing on the substrate a composition comprising at least three different silane monomers, including at least one bi-silane; at least one of the silane monomers having an active group capable of achieving cross-linking to adjacent siloxane polymer; at least partially hydrolyzing the silane monomers to form siloxane polymer chains; and cross-linking the siloxane polymer chains so as to achieve a cross-linked siloxane polymer layer on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of passivating a silicon substrate for use in a photovoltaic device, comprising providing a silicon substrate having a bulk and exhibiting a front surface and a rear surface, and forming by liquid phase application a dielectric layer on at least said rear surface. The dielectric layer formed at the rear surface is capable of acting as a reflector to enhance reflection of light into the bulk of the silicon substrate, and the dielectric layer is capable of releasing hydrogen into the bulk as well as onto a surface of the silicon substrate in order to provide hydrogenation and passivation. The present invention provides an inexpensive, low cost method of improving the electrical and/or optical performance of photovoltaic devices through the application of coating chemicals onto the backside of the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method of producing a photovoltaic cell having a cover, comprising the steps of: providing a photovoltaic cell which comprises a crystalline silicon substrate; providing a transparent substrate; forming an antireflective coating on said transparent substrate to provide a coated transparent substrate; and covering the photovoltaic cell with said coated transparent substrate. The antireflective coating is a hybrid organic-inorganic material having an inorganic portion comprising silicon, oxygen and carbon, and further comprising an organic portion with organic groups connected to the inorganic portion. Methods of producing solar panels, coated glass substrates as well as antireflection coatings are disclosed as well as novel compositions of hybrid organic-inorganic materials.

Abstract: An organic-inorganic composition, which has a backbone containing —Si—O— units with chromophore groups attached directly to at least a part of the silicon atoms. The film forming composition and resulting coating properties can be tailored to suit the specific exposure wavelength and device fabrication and design requirements. By using two different chromophores the refractive index and the absorption co-efficient can be efficiently tuned and a desired Si-content of the anti-reflective coating composition can be obtained—a high Si-content will give good mechanical and thermal properties and also the required wet etch and dry etch properties.

Abstract: A siloxane composition and a method of producing the same. The composition comprises a siloxane prepolymer with a backbone exhibiting a group which is capable of being deprotonated in an aqueous base solution. Further, there are reactive functional groups, which are capable of reacting during thermal or radiation initiated curing. The siloxane is cross-linked during condensation polymerization to increase molecular weight thereof. The composition can be used in high-resolution negative tone lithographic fabrication processes where a water based developer system is applied in the development step of the lithography process.

Abstract: A method of producing a photovoltaic device which comprises a solar cell substrate forming the bulk of the device with at least one layer deposited thereon defining a surface of the device, said method comprising the step of introducing a functional layer on the substrate, said layer being capable of releasing hydrogen, and activating said layer to achieve hydrogenation of the photovoltaic device. The method makes it possible, in the case of thick film solar cell production, to have the whole manufacturing sequence performed using chemicals applied under atmospheric conditions.

Abstract: A method of passivating a silicon substrate for use in a photovoltaic device, comprising providing a silicon substrate having a bulk and exhibiting a front surface and a rear surface, and forming by liquid phase application a dielectric layer on at least said rear surface. The dielectric layer formed at the rear surface is capable of acting as a reflector to enhance reflection of light into the bulk of the silicon substrate, and the dielectric layer is capable of releasing hydrogen into the bulk as well as onto a surface of the silicon substrate in order to provide hydrogenation and passivation. The present invention provides an inexpensive, low cost method of improving the electrical and/or optical performance of photovoltaic devices through the application of coating chemicals onto the backside of the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method of modifying a silicon substrate which is intended for use in a photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of providing an n-type silicon substrate having a bulk and exhibiting a front surface and a rear surface; and forming by liquid phase application dielectric layers on said front and rear surfaces. The dielectric layer formed at the rear surface is capable of acting as a reflector to enhance reflection of light into the bulk of the silicon substrate, and the dielectric layer formed at the front comprises oxygen, hydrogen and at least one metal or semimetal and is capable of releasing hydrogen into the bulk as well as onto the surfaces of the silicon substrate in order to provide hydrogenation and passivation. The present invention provides a low cost method of improving the electrical or optical performance, or both, of photovoltaic devices: an increase in the efficiency of the current extraction and reduction of recombination occur within the device.

Abstract: A method of passivating a silicon substrate, comprising providing a silicon substrate having a surface, forming a stack of passivating and anti-reflection coating layers on said surface by liquid phase deposition, wherein the passivating and anti-reflection coating layers comprise hydrogenated silicon oxide layers, and providing at least titanium oxide or tantalum oxide capping layer on the stack opposite to the silicon substrate surface. The procedure offers an alternative to the existing ALD or PECVD methods using SiH4 and other gases, enabling the PV manufacturers to apply chemicals rather than work with hazardous gases to produce a series of layers that provide passivation as well as light absorption.

Abstract: Process for producing an organosiloxane polymer and novel organosiloxane polymer compositions. The process according to the invention comprises hydrolyzing tetraalkoxysilane monomers in a hydrolysis step; and polymerising said hydrolyzed monomers in a polymerization step by subjecting them to conditions conducive to polymerisation to form an organosiloxane polymer. The hydrolysis step is conducted in a reaction medium comprising an organic compound with hydroxy groups. The invention allows for the synthesis of siloxane polymer compositions suitable for thin-film applications using a high content of tetra- and trifunctional silixane polymer precursors.

Abstract: A silicon polymer material, which has a silicon polymer backbone with chromophore groups attached directly to at least a part of the silicon atoms, the polymer further exhibiting carbosilane bonds. The film forming composition and resulting coating properties can be tailored to suit the specific exposure wavelength and device fabrication and design requirements. By using two different chromophores the refractive index and the absorption co-efficient can be efficiently tuned. By varying the proportion of carbosilane bonds, and a desired Si-content of the anti-reflective coating composition can be obtained.

Abstract: A silicon polymer material, which has a silicon polymer backbone with chromophore groups attached directly to at least a part of the silicon atoms, the polymer further exhibiting carbosilane bonds. The film forming composition and resulting coating properties can be tailored to suit the specific exposure wavelength and device fabrication and design requirements. By using two different chromophores the refractive index and the absorption co-efficient can be efficiently tuned. By varying the proportion of carbosilane bonds, and a desired Si-content of the anti-reflective coating composition can be obtained.

Abstract: Process for producing an organosiloxane polymer and novel organosiloxane polymer compositions. The process according to the invention comprises hydrolyzing tetraalkoxysilane monomers in a hydrolysis step; and polymerizing said hydrolyzed monomers in a polymerization step by subjecting them to conditions conducive to polymerization to form an organosiloxane polymer. The hydrolysis step is conducted in a reaction medium comprising an organic compound with hydroxy groups. The invention allows for the synthesis of siloxane polymer compositions suitable for thin-film applications using a high content of tetra- and trifunctional silixane polymer precursors.

Abstract: An organic-inorganic composition, which has a backbone containing —Si—O— units with chromophore groups attached directly to at least a part of the silicon atoms. The film forming composition and resulting coating properties can be tailored to suit the specific exposure wavelength and device fabrication and design requirements. By using two different chromophores the refractive index and the absorption co-efficient can be efficiently tuned and a desired Si-content of the anti-reflective coating composition can be obtained—a high Si-content will give good mechanical and thermal properties and also the required wet etch and dry etch properties.

Abstract: Organo-tin compound having the formula I: [R—(Y)a]b—SnX4-b wherein R stands for a polycyclic hydrocarbyl residue which optionally carries one or several substituents; Y stands for a bivalent linker group; X represents a hydrolysable group; a is an integer 0 or 1; and b is an integer 1 or 2. The preferably stands for an unsubstituted or substituted fused hydrocarbon ring system selected from naphthalene, antracene, phenanthrene, and pentacene. The novel compounds are useful for producing polymers which can be employed as thin film materials in optoelectronic devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to metal oxide coating materials that can be used as thin film thin film coatings on various substrate surfaces. The invention also concerns a method of making metal oxide material which are stable in aqueous phase and that can be deposited on a substrate by liquid phase deposition, such as spin-on deposition. The new materials can be patterned lithographically or non-lithographically and are applicable for building up various electronic and opto-electronic device structures, such as anti-reflection layers, high-k interlayer and gate oxide structures for ICs, etch stop layer, CMP stop layer, solar cells, OLEDs packaging, optical thin film filters, optical diffractive grating applications and hybrid thin film diffractive grating structures.