Patents by Inventor Frank Sanford Prescott

Frank Sanford Prescott 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).

  • Heat strengthening of a glass superstrate for thin film photovoltaic devices
    Patent number: 8722136
    Abstract: Process and apparatus are generally provided for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. In one particular embodiment, the process includes: depositing a photovoltaic absorber layer on a glass substrate; heating the glass substrate to an anneal temperature; and quenching the glass substrate to cool the glass substrate to a quenched temperature in less than 10 seconds. The quenched temperature can be about 85° C. to about 200° C. less than the anneal temperature. The quenching atmosphere can have a quenching pressure of about 1 torr or more and can include an inert gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Yangang Andrew Xi, Frank Sanford Prescott, Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody, Donald E. Rhonehouse, Mark Jeffrey Pavol
  • System and method for gapping conveyed substrates
    Patent number: 8714342
    Abstract: A method for gapping substrates conveyed through a vacuum chamber is disclosed. The method may include positioning an upstream substrate outside the vacuum chamber as a downstream substrate is conveyed within the vacuum chamber, detecting a position of the downstream substrate within the vacuum chamber and conveying the upstream substrate into the vacuum chamber at a conveyance rate greater than a conveyance rate of the downstream substrate to set a gap between the downstream substrate and the upstream substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Timothy Halloran, James Victor Schaefer, Frank Sanford Prescott
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GAPPING CONVEYED SUBSTRATES
    Publication number: 20130259610
    Abstract: A method for gapping substrates conveyed through a vacuum chamber is disclosed. The method may include positioning an upstream substrate outside the vacuum chamber as a downstream substrate is conveyed within the vacuum chamber, detecting a position of the downstream substrate within the vacuum chamber and conveying the upstream substrate into the vacuum chamber at a conveyance rate greater than a conveyance rate of the downstream substrate to set a gap between the downstream substrate and the upstream substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: PRIMESTAR SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Sean Timothy Halloran, James Victor Schaefer, Frank Sanford Prescott
  • HEAT STRENGTHENING OF A GLASS SUPERSTRATE FOR THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES
    Publication number: 20130098111
    Abstract: Process and apparatus are generally provided for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. In one particular embodiment, the process includes: depositing a photovoltaic absorber layer on a glass substrate; heating the glass substrate to an anneal temperature; and quenching the glass substrate to cool the glass substrate to a quenched temperature in less than 10 seconds. The quenched temperature can be about 85° C. to about 200° C. less than the anneal temperature. The quenching atmosphere can have a quenching pressure of about 1 torr or more and can include an inert gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: PRIMESTAR SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Yangang Andrew Xi, Frank Sanford Prescott, Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody, Donald E. Rhonehouse, Mark Jeffrey Pavol