Patents by Inventor Eberhard Beck

Eberhard Beck 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).

  • Thin-film deposition methods with thermal management of evaporation sources
    Patent number: 11866817
    Abstract: An evaporation system comprises an evaporation chamber having an interior enclosed by one or more chamber walls; an evaporation source comprising (i) a source body for containing a feedstock material, and (ii) an evaporation port fluidly coupling the source body with an interior of the evaporation chamber; an insulation material; and a computer-based controller for configuring the insulation material in (i) a first configuration in which the insulation material is disposed snugly around the source body and (ii) a second configuration in which at least a portion of the insulation material is spaced away from the source body and at least a second portion of the insulation material is disposed snugly around the source body; wherein the insulation material does not cover an opening of the evaporation port in the first configuration and the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne
  • THIN-FILM DEPOSITION METHODS WITH THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF EVAPORATION SOURCES
    Publication number: 20220259718
    Abstract: An evaporation system comprises an evaporation chamber having an interior enclosed by one or more chamber walls; an evaporation source comprising (i) a source body for containing a feedstock material, and (ii) an evaporation port fluidly coupling the source body with an interior of the evaporation chamber; an insulation material; and a computer-based controller for configuring the insulation material in (i) a first configuration in which the insulation material is disposed snugly around the source body and (ii) a second configuration in which at least a portion of the insulation material is spaced away from the source body and at least a second portion of the insulation material is disposed snugly around the source body; wherein the insulation material does not cover an opening of the evaporation port in the first configuration and the second configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne
  • Thin-film deposition methods with thermal management of evaporation sources
    Patent number: 11326249
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition processes have disposed therearound an insulation material configurable to fit snugly around the source body of the evaporation source and to be at least partially distanced away from the source body to expedite heat transfer therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne
  • FLUID-ASSISTED THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF EVAPORATION SOURCES
    Publication number: 20210198783
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition systems are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt
  • Methods of hermetically sealing photovoltaic modules
    Patent number: 10727362
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventor: Markus Eberhard Beck
  • THIN-FILM DEPOSITION METHODS WITH THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF EVAPORATION SOURCES
    Publication number: 20200165717
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition processes have disposed therearound an insulation material configurable to fit snugly around the source body of the evaporation source and to be at least partially distanced away from the source body to expedite heat transfer therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne
  • Thin-film deposition methods with thermal management of evaporation sources
    Patent number: 10458014
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition processes have disposed therearound an insulation material configurable to fit snugly around the source body of the evaporation source and to be at least partially distanced away from the source body to expedite heat transfer therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne
  • METHODS OF HERMETICALLY SEALING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES
    Publication number: 20190165196
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventor: Markus Eberhard Beck
  • Methods of hermetically sealing photovoltaic modules
    Patent number: 10236402
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventor: Markus Eberhard Beck
  • Thin-film deposition methods with fluid-assisted thermal management of evaporation sources
    Patent number: 10174417
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system during deposition of thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt
  • FLUID-ASSISTED THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF EVAPORATION SOURCES
    Publication number: 20180245209
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition systems are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt
  • METHODS OF HERMETICALLY SEALING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES
    Publication number: 20180175226
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventor: Markus Eberhard Beck
  • Methods of forming thin-film photovoltaic devices with discontinuous passivation layers
    Patent number: 9972741
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic devices incorporate discontinuous passivation layers (i) disposed between a thin-film absorber layer and a partner layer, (ii) disposed between the partner layer and a front contact layer, and/or (iii) disposed between a back contact layer and the thin-film absorber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Timothy J. Nagle, Sourav Roger Basu
  • Fluid-assisted thermal management of evaporation sources
    Patent number: 9932666
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition systems are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt
  • Methods of hermetically sealing photovoltaic modules
    Patent number: 9929295
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventor: Markus Eberhard Beck
  • THIN-FILM DEPOSITION METHODS WITH FLUID-ASSISTED THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF EVAPORATION SOURCES
    Publication number: 20180073127
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system during deposition of thin films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt
  • Thin-film deposition methods with fluid-assisted thermal management of evaporation sources
    Patent number: 9816175
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system during deposition of thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt
  • METHODS OF FORMING THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WITH DISCONTINUOUS PASSIVATION LAYERS
    Publication number: 20170323997
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic devices incorporate discontinuous passivation layers (i) disposed between a thin-film absorber layer and a partner layer, (ii) disposed between the partner layer and a front contact layer, and/or (iii) disposed between a back contact layer and the thin-film absorber layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Timothy J. Nagle, Sourav Roger Basu
  • Methods of forming thin-film photovoltaic devices with discontinuous passivation layers
    Patent number: 9748435
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic devices incorporate discontinuous passivation layers (i) disposed between a thin-film absorber layer and a partner layer, (ii) disposed between the partner layer and a front contact layer, and/or (iii) disposed between a back contact layer and the thin-film absorber layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Timothy J. Nagle, Sourav Roger Basu
  • FLUID-ASSISTED THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF EVAPORATION SOURCES
    Publication number: 20160289822
    Abstract: In various embodiments, evaporation sources for deposition systems are heated and/or cooled via a fluid-based thermal management system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Markus Eberhard Beck, Ulrich Alexander Bonne, Robert G. Wendt