Abstract: This invention relates to photovoltaic (PV) systems with solar trackers. Retractable auxiliary panels are positioned at opposite sides of a solar panel along its tilt direction. The auxiliary panels do not obstruct the direct solar irradiation onto the solar panels, but rather redirect additional solar irradiation to the solar panels, including both direct beam and diffuse sunlight. While solar panels tilt to track the sun, configurations of the auxiliary panels can be adjusted to avoid shading on adjacent solar panels. Compared to conventional PV systems on solar trackers, the proposed PV system can significantly improve overall sunlight collection and PV system output throughout a day.

Abstract: This invention relates to photovoltaic (PV) systems with solar trackers. Retractable auxiliary panels are positioned at opposite sides of a solar panel along its tilt direction. The auxiliary panels do not obstruct the direct solar irradiation onto the solar panels, but rather redirect additional solar irradiation to the solar panels, including both direct beam and diffuse sunlight. While solar panels tilt to track the sun, configurations of the auxiliary panels can be adjusted to avoid shading on adjacent solar panels. Compared to conventional PV systems on solar trackers, the proposed PV system can significantly improve overall sunlight collection and PV system output throughout a day.

Abstract: This invention relates to slicing a thin semiconductor substrate from side wall into two substrates of half thickness. The substrate slicing process involves a laser irradiation step. The substrate slicing process can also involve a mechanical cleaving process after the laser irradiation step. The apparatus for substrate slicing comprises two opposite-facing substrate chucks, with a gap in between for the substrate to pass through. One portion of the two substrate chucks are in parallel to each other to center the substrate sidewall. The gap can increase between the second portion of the two substrate chucks after the location for substrate separation, to spread out the resulting two substrates after the slicing and to facilitate the continuous substrate separation process. The present invention is further directed to methods and apparatus of separating a continuous thin layer of materials from side wall of a rotating ingot.

Abstract: This invention relates to slicing a thin semiconductor substrate from side wall into two substrates of half thickness. The substrate slicing process involves a laser irradiation step. The substrate slicing process can also involve a mechanical cleaving process after the laser irradiation step. The apparatus for substrate slicing comprises two opposite-facing substrate chucks, with a gap in between for the substrate to pass through. One portion of the two substrate chucks are in parallel to each other to center the substrate sidewall. The gap can increase between the second portion of the two substrate chucks after the location for substrate separation, to spread out the resulting two substrates after the slicing and to facilitate the continuous substrate separation process. The present invention is further directed to methods and apparatus of separating a continuous thin layer of materials from side wall of a rotating ingot.

Abstract: The present invention relates to insertion of a substrate separation step in fabrication of electronics, optoelectronics and microelectromechanical devices (MEMS), particularly double-sided devices which functionalities require designs and fabrication processes at both sides of substrates. In the method, both sides of a semiconductor substrate are processed, prior to slicing of the substrate from the sidewall into two pieces, and the device fabrication continues on the new surfaces of the two resulting substrates after the slicing. The present invention is applicable to various schemes in crystalline silicon solar cell fabrication. Compared with the baseline manufacturing flow, the method can produce two solar cells from one starting substrate, with a potentially significant reduction in production cost per final solar cell.

Abstract: This invention relates to slicing a thin semiconductor substrate from side wall into two substrates of half thickness. The substrate slicing process involves a laser irradiation step. The apparatus for substrate slicing comprises two opposite-facing substrate chucks, with a gap in between for the substrate to pass through. The present invention is further directed to methods and apparatus of separating a continuous thin layer of materials from side wall of a rotating ingot. It can be accomplished by a laser irradiation on the ingot side wall from a tangential direction. A film can be deposited on/bonded to the ingot side wall prior to the separation of the thin film layers. The resulting thin layer of materials can be pulled away from the ingot by a substrate chuck.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods in fabrication of electronics and optoelectronics devices. Devices are first fabricated on the substrate, followed by a substrate thinning process with a laser irradiation on the substrate sidewall. This invention is further directed to methods of separating a substrate into two pieces with a laser irradiation on substrate sidewall. In one embodiment, the method involves a laser anneal of the materials, accompanied by forces applied from front and back surfaces to separate the substrate. In yet another embodiment, the method consists of both laser ablation and laser anneal process steps.

Abstract: The present invention relates to insertion of a substrate separation step in fabrication of electronics, optoelectronics and microelectromechanical devices (MEMS), particularly double-sided devices which functionalities require designs and fabrication processes at both sides of substrates. In the method, both sides of a semiconductor substrate are processed, prior to slicing of the substrate from the sidewall into two pieces, and the device fabrication continues on the new surfaces of the two resulting substrates after the slicing. The present invention is applicable to various schemes in crystalline silicon solar cell fabrication. Compared with the baseline manufacturing flow, the method can produce two solar cells from one starting substrate, with a potentially significant reduction in production cost per final solar cell.

Abstract: This invention relates to slicing a thin semiconductor substrate from side wall into two substrates of half thickness. The substrate slicing process involves a laser irradiation step. The apparatus for substrate slicing comprises two opposite-facing substrate chucks, with a gap in between for the substrate to pass through. The present invention is further directed to methods and apparatus of separating a continuous thin layer of materials from side wall of a rotating ingot. It can be accomplished by a laser irradiation on the ingot side wall from a tangential direction. A film can be deposited on/bonded to the ingot side wall prior to the separation of the thin film layers. The resulting thin layer of materials can be pulled away from the ingot by a substrate chuck.