Patents by Inventor Michael J. Cudzinovic
Michael J. Cudzinovic 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).
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Patent number: 8822257Abstract: A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate, forming a doped silicon layer atop the sacrificial substrate, forming a silicon film atop the doped silicon layer, forming a plurality of interdigitated contacts on the silicon film, contacting each of the plurality of interdigitated contacts with a metal contact, and removing the sacrificial layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2013Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: SunPower CorporationInventors: Seung Bum Rim, Michael Morse, Taeseok Kim, Michael J. Cudzinovic
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Publication number: 20140034128Abstract: A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate, forming a doped silicon layer atop the sacrificial substrate, forming a silicon film atop the doped silicon layer, forming a plurality of interdigitated contacts on the silicon film, contacting each of the plurality of interdigitated contacts with a metal contact, and removing the sacrificial layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Inventors: Seung Bum RIM, Michael MORSE, Taeseok KIM, Michael J. CUDZINOVIC
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Patent number: 8486746Abstract: A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate, forming a doped silicon layer atop the sacrificial substrate, forming a silicon film atop the doped silicon layer, forming a plurality of interdigitated contacts on the silicon film, contacting each of the plurality of interdigitated contacts with a metal contact, and removing the sacrificial layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: SunPower CorporationInventors: Seung Bum Rim, Michael Morse, Taeseok Kim, Michael J. Cudzinovic
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Patent number: 8399287Abstract: A solar cell that is readily manufactured using processing techniques which are less expensive than microelectronic circuit processing. In preferred embodiments, printing techniques are utilized in selectively forming masks for use in etching of silicon oxide and diffusing dopants and in forming metal contacts to diffused regions. In a preferred embodiment, p-doped regions and n-doped regions are alternately formed in a surface of the wafer through use of masking and etching techniques. Metal contacts are made to the p-regions and n-regions by first forming a seed layer stack that comprises a first layer such as aluminum that contacts silicon and functions as an infrared reflector, second layer such titanium tungsten that acts as diffusion barrier, and a third layer functions as a plating base. A thick conductive layer such as copper is then plated over the seed layer, and the seed layer between plated lines is removed.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2011Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: SunPower CorporationInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David D. Smith, Neil Kaminar, Keith McIntosh, Richard M. Swanson
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Publication number: 20120247560Abstract: A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate, forming a doped silicon layer atop the sacrificial substrate, forming a silicon film atop the doped silicon layer, forming a plurality of interdigitated contacts on the silicon film, contacting each of the plurality of interdigitated contacts with a metal contact, and removing the sacrificial layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Inventors: Seung Bum RIM, Michael MORSE, Taeseok KIM, Michael J. CUDZINOVIC
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Patent number: 7897867Abstract: A solar cell that is readily manufactured using processing techniques which are less expensive than microelectronic circuit processing. In preferred embodiments, printing techniques are utilized in selectively forming masks for use in etching of silicon oxide and diffusing dopants and in forming metal contacts to diffused regions. In a preferred embodiment, p-doped regions and n-doped regions are alternately formed in a surface of the wafer through use of masking and etching techniques. Metal contacts are made to the p-regions and n-regions by first forming a seed layer stack that comprises a first layer such as aluminum that contacts silicon and functions as an infrared reflector, second layer such titanium tungsten that acts as diffusion barrier, and a third layer functions as a plating base. A thick conductive layer such as copper is then plated over the seed layer, and the seed layer between plated lines is removed.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2008Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: SunPower CorporationInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David Smith, Neil Kaminar, Keith McIntosh, Richard M. Swanson
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Patent number: 7883343Abstract: A solar cell that is readily manufactured using processing techniques which are less expensive than microelectronic circuit processing. In preferred embodiments, printing techniques are utilized in selectively forming masks for use in etching of silicon oxide and diffusing dopants and in forming metal contacts to diffused regions. In a preferred embodiment, p-doped regions and n-doped regions are alternately formed in a surface of the wafer through use of masking and etching techniques. Metal contacts are made to the p-regions and n-regions by first forming a seed layer stack that comprises a first layer such as aluminum that contacts silicon and functions as an infrared reflector, second layer such titanium tungsten that acts as diffusion barrier, and a third layer functions as a plating base. A thick conductive layer such as copper is then plated over the seed layer, and the seed layer between plated lines is removed.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: SunPower CorporationInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David Smith, Neil Kaminar, Keith McIntosh, Richard M. Swanson
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Publication number: 20080210301Abstract: In a solar cell having p doped regions and n doped regions alternately formed in a surface of a semiconductor wafer in offset levels through use of masking and etching techniques, metal contacts are made to the p regions and n regions by first forming a base layer contacting the p doped regions and n doped regions which functions as an antireflection layer, and then forming a barrier layer, such as titanium tungsten or chromium, and a conductive layer such as copper over the barrier layer. Preferably the conductive layer is a plating layer and the thickness thereof can be increased by plating.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2008Publication date: September 4, 2008Applicant: SUNPOWER CORPORATIONInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David Smith, Richard M. Swanson
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Patent number: 7388147Abstract: In a solar cell having p doped regions and n doped regions alternately formed in a surface of a semiconductor wafer in offset levels through use of masking and etching techniques, metal contacts are made to the p regions and n regions by first forming a base layer contacting the p doped regions and n doped regions which functions as an antireflection layer, and then forming a barrier layer, such as titanium tungsten or chromium, and a conductive layer such as copper over the barrier layer. Preferably the conductive layer is a plating layer and the thickness thereof can be increased by plating.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2003Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: Sunpower CorporationInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David Smith, Richard M. Swanson
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Patent number: 7339110Abstract: A solar cell that is readily manufactured using processing techniques which are less expensive than microelectronic circuit processing. In preferred embodiments, printing techniques are utilized in selectively forming masks for use in etching of silicon oxide and diffusing dopants and in forming metal contacts to diffused regions. In a preferred embodiment, p-doped regions and n-doped regions are alternately formed in a surface of the wafer in offset levels through use of masking and etching techniques. Metal contacts are made to the p-regions and n-regions by first forming a seed layer stack that comprises a first layer such as aluminum that contacts silicon and functions as an infrared reflector, second layer such titanium tungsten that acts as diffusion barrier, and a third layer functions as a plating base. A thick conductive layer such as copper is then plated over the seed layer, and the seed layer between plated lines is removed.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2003Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Assignee: SunPower CorporationInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David Smith, Neil Kaminar, Keith McIntosh, Richard M. Swanson
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Patent number: 7135350Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming doped regions in a substrate of a back side contact solar cell includes the steps of depositing a first doped oxide layer on a back side of a substrate, depositing a first undoped oxide layer over the first doped oxide layer, diffusing a first dopant from the first doped oxide layer into the substrate to form a first doped region in the substrate, and diffusing a second dopant into the substrate by way of a front side of the substrate, wherein the diffusion of the first dopant and the second dopant into the substrate are performed in-situ. The method may further include the steps of patterning the first doped and undoped oxide layers to expose portions of the back side of the substrate and depositing a second doped and undoped oxide layers on the back side of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2006Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: Sunpower CorporationInventors: David D. Smith, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Keith R. McIntosh, Bharatkumar Gamanlal Mehta
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Patent number: 6998288Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming doped regions in a substrate of a back side contact solar cell includes the steps of depositing a first doped oxide layer on a back side of a substrate, depositing a first undoped oxide layer over the first doped oxide layer, diffusing a first dopant from the first doped oxide layer into the substrate to form a first doped region in the substrate, and diffusing a second dopant into the substrate by way of a front side of the substrate, wherein the diffusion of the first dopant and the second dopant into the substrate are performed in-situ. The method may further include the steps of patterning the first doped and undoped oxide layers to expose portions of the back side of the substrate and depositing a second doped and undoped oxide layers on the back side of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2004Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: Sunpower CorporationInventors: David D. Smith, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Keith R. McIntosh, Bharatkumar Gamanlal Mehta
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Publication number: 20040200520Abstract: In a solar cell having p doped regions and n doped regions alternately formed in a surface of a semiconductor wafer in offset levels through use of masking and etching techniques, metal contacts are made to the p regions and n regions by first forming a base layer contacting the p doped regions and n doped regions which functions as an antireflection layer, and then forming a barrier layer, such as titanium tungsten or chromium, and a conductive layer such as copper over the barrier layer. Preferably the conductive layer is a plating layer and the thickness thereof can be increased by plating.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2003Publication date: October 14, 2004Applicant: SunPower CorporationInventors: William P. Mulligan, Michael J. Cudzinovic, Thomas Pass, David Smith, Richard M. Swanson