Patents by Inventor Daniel Inns

Daniel Inns has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20190288146
    Abstract: A solar cell having n-type and p-type interdigitated back contacts (IBCs), which cover the entire back surface of the absorber layer. The spatial separation of the IBCs is in a direction perpendicular to the back surface, thus providing borderless contacts having a zero-footprint separation. As the contacts are on the back, photons incident on the cell's front surface can be absorbed without any shadowing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel P. De Souza, Harold John Hovel, Daniel Inns, Jeehwan Kim, Christian Lavoie, Devendra K. Sadana, Katherine L. Saenger, Davood Shahrjerdi, Zhen Zhang
  • Patent number: 8962459
    Abstract: A method selectively diffuses dopants into a substrate wafer. The method comprises blanket depositing a doped liquid precursor including dopants on a surface of the substrate wafer to create a doped film on the surface of the substrate wafer, selectively forming a diffusion source in the doped film to selectively diffuse the dopants into the substrate wafer, and heating the doped film on the substrate wafer, wherein said heating the doped film diffuses the dopants from the doped film into the substrate wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Piquant Research LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Inns
  • Publication number: 20140162444
    Abstract: A method selectively diffuses dopants into a substrate wafer. The method comprises blanket depositing a doped liquid precursor including dopants on a surface of the substrate wafer to create a doped film on the surface of the substrate wafer, selectively forming a diffusion source in the doped film to selectively diffuse the dopants into the substrate wafer, and heating the doped film on the substrate wafer, wherein said heating the doped film diffuses the dopants from the doped film into the substrate wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: PIQUANT RESEARCH LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Inns
  • Patent number: 8669169
    Abstract: Methods for selectively diffusing dopants into a substrate wafer are provided. A liquid precursor is doped with dopants. The liquid precursor is selected from a group comprising monomers, polymers, and oligomers of silicon and hydrogen. The doped liquid precursor is deposited on a surface of the substrate wafer to create a doped film. The doped film is heated on the substrate wafer for diffusing the dopants from the doped film into the substrate wafer at different diffusion rates to create a heavily diffused region and a lightly diffused region in the substrate wafer. The method disclosed herein further comprises selective curing of the doped film on the surface of the substrate wafer. The selectively cured doped film acts as a diffusion source for selectively diffusing the dopants into the substrate wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Piquant Research LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Inns
  • Publication number: 20120285517
    Abstract: A Schottky Barrier solar cell having at least one of a low work function region and a high work function region provided on the front or back surface of a lightly-doped absorber material, which may be produced in a variety of different geometries. The method of producing the Schottky Barrier solar cells allows for short processing times and the use of low temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel P. de Souza, Harold John Hovel, Daniel Inns, Jeehwan Kim, Christian Lavoie, Conal Eugene Murray, Devendra K. Sadana, Katherine L. Saenger, Ghavam Shahidi, Davood Shahrjerdi, Zhen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120285518
    Abstract: A solar cell having n-type and p-type interdigitated back contacts (IBCs), which cover the entire back surface of the absorber layer. The spatial separation of the IBCs is in a direction perpendicular to the back surface, thus providing borderless contacts having a zero-footprint separation. As the contacts are on the back, photons incident on the cell's front surface can be absorbed without any shadowing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joel P. De Souza, Harold John Hovel, Daniel Inns, Jeehwan Kim, Christian Lavoie, Devendra K. Sadana, Katherine L. Saenger, Davood Shahrjerdi, Zhen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120052618
    Abstract: Methods for selectively diffusing dopants into a substrate wafer are provided. A liquid precursor is doped with dopants. The liquid precursor is selected from a group comprising monomers, polymers, and oligomers of silicon and hydrogen. The doped liquid precursor is deposited on a surface of the substrate wafer to create a doped film. The doped film is heated on the substrate wafer for diffusing the dopants from the doped film into the substrate wafer at different diffusion rates to create a heavily diffused region and a lightly diffused region in the substrate wafer. The method disclosed herein further comprises selective curing of the doped film on the surface of the substrate wafer. The selectively cured doped film acts as a diffusion source for selectively diffusing the dopants into the substrate wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Daniel Inns
  • Publication number: 20110212622
    Abstract: A low cost method is described for forming a textured Si surface such as for a solar cell which includes forming a dielectric layer containing pinholes, anisotropically etching through the pinholes to form inverted pyramids in the Si surface and removing the dielectric layer thereby producing a high light trapping efficiency for incident radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joel P. Desouza, Harold J. Hovel, Daniel Inns, Jeehwan Kim, Devendra K. Sadana, Katherine L. Saenger
  • Patent number: 7935612
    Abstract: A method for layer transfer using a boron-doped silicon germanium (SiGe) layer includes forming a boron-doped SiGe layer on a bulk silicon substrate; forming an upper silicon (Si) layer over the boron-doped SiGe layer; hydrogenating the boron-doped SiGe layer; bonding the upper Si layer to an alternate substrate; and propagating a fracture at an interface between the boron-doped SiGe layer and the bulk silicon substrate. A system for layer transfer using a boron-doped silicon germanium (SiGe) layer includes a bulk silicon substrate; a boron-doped SiGe layer formed on the bulk silicon substrate, such that the boron-doped SiGe layer is located underneath an upper silicon (Si) layer, wherein the boron-doped SiGe layer is configured to propagate a fracture at an interface between the boron-doped SiGe layer and the bulk silicon substrate after hydrogenation of the boron-doped SiGe layer; and an alternate substrate bonded to the upper Si layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Bedell, Keith Fogel, Daniel Inns, Jeehwan Kim, Devendra Sadana, James Vichiconti