Patents by Inventor Mikio Murozono
Mikio Murozono 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: 8597971Abstract: A method for producing a photovoltaic device that includes spherical photovoltaic elements and a support with a large number of recesses for receiving the elements one by one and to the photovoltaic device. Each of the spherical photovoltaic elements includes a spherical first semiconductor and a second semiconductor layer covering the first semiconductor. A conductive adhesive is applied to the bottoms of the recesses of the support serving as a second conductor layer. The elements are disposed in the bottoms of the recesses with the conductive adhesive applied thereto, to fix the elements to the support and electrically connect their second semiconductor layers to the support. An electrical insulator layer, which has through-holes serving as conductive paths, is bonded to the backside of the support, and a first conductor layer, which interconnects the electrodes of the first semiconductors of the respective elements, is formed thereon.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2012Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Clean Venture 21 CorporationInventors: Mikio Murozono, Takeshi Hibino, Noboru Mouri, Young-tae Park, Toshiyuki Nakamura, Yoshiaki Kodani
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Patent number: 8338690Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a photovoltaic device that includes spherical photovoltaic elements and a support with a large number of recesses for receiving the elements one by one and to the photovoltaic device. Each of the spherical photovoltaic elements comprises a spherical first semiconductor and a second semiconductor layer covering the surface of the first semiconductor. A conductive adhesive is applied in advance to the bottoms of the recesses of the support serving as a second conductor layer. The elements are disposed in the bottoms of the recesses with the conductive adhesive applied thereto, to fix the elements to the support and electrically connect their second semiconductor layers to the support. An electrical insulator layer, which has through-holes serving as conductive paths, is bonded to the backside of the support, and a first conductor layer, which interconnects the electrodes of the first semiconductors of the respective elements, is formed thereon.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2006Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Clean Venture 21 CorporationInventors: Mikio Murozono, Takeshi Hibino, Noboru Mouri, Young-tae Park, Toshiyuki Nakamura, Yoshiaki Kodani
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Publication number: 20100084776Abstract: A method for producing semiconductor particles includes the steps of: forming granules of predetermined mass from a feedstock including a semiconductor powder by a granulation process; heating the granules to melt and fuse the semiconductor powder included in the granules, to obtain molten spheres; and cooling the molten spheres to solidify them, to obtain spherical semiconductor particles. The granules preferably contain a binder that binds the particles of the semiconductor powder together. When the granules contain a binder, it is preferable to perform a preliminary heating step for removing the binder from the granules before the heating step for melting the semiconductor powder.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: April 8, 2010Inventors: Mikio MUROZONO, Yoji OHSHIMA, Toshiyuki NAKAMURA, Yoshihiro AKASHI
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Publication number: 20060185716Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a photovoltaic device that includes spherical photovoltaic elements and a support with a large number of recesses for receiving the elements one by one and to the photovoltaic device. Each of the spherical photovoltaic elements comprises a spherical first semiconductor and a second semiconductor layer covering the surface of the first semiconductor. A conductive adhesive is applied in advance to the bottoms of the recesses of the support serving as a second conductor layer. The elements are disposed in the bottoms of the recesses with the conductive adhesive applied thereto, to fix the elements to the support and electrically connect their second semiconductor layers to the support. An electrical insulator layer, which has through-holes serving as conductive paths, is bonded to the backside of the support, and a first conductor layer, which interconnects the electrodes of the first semiconductors of the respective elements, is formed thereon.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2006Publication date: August 24, 2006Inventors: Mikio Murozono, Takeshi Hibino, Noboru Mouri, Young-tae Park, Toshiyuki Nakamura, Yoshiaki Kodani
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Publication number: 20060162763Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element is disposed in each of a plurality of recesses of a support. Light reflected by the inside surface of the recess shines on the photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element has an approximately spherical shape and has the following structure. The outer surface of a center-side n-type amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer is covered with a p-type amorphous SiC (a-SiC) layer having a wider optical band gap than a-Si does, whereby a pn junction is formed. A first conductor of the support is connected to the p-type a-SiC layer of the photoelectric conversion element at the bottom or its neighborhood of the recess. A second conductor, which is insulated from the first conductor by an insulator, of the support is connected to the n-type a-Si layer of the photoelectric conversion element.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2003Publication date: July 27, 2006Inventors: Yoshihiro Hamakawa, Mikio Murozono, Hideyuki Takakura, Yukio Yamaguchi, Jun Yamagata, Hidenori Yasuda
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Patent number: 6706959Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element is disposed in each of a plurality of recesses of a support. Light reflected by the inside surface of the recess shines on the photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element has an approximately spherical shape and has the following structure. The outer surface of a center-side n-type amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer is covered with a p-type amorphous SiC (a-SiC) layer having a wider optical band gap than a-Si does, whereby a pn junction is formed. A first conductor of the support is connected to the p-type a-SiC layer of the photoelectric conversion element at the bottom or its neighborhood of the recess. A second conductor, which is insulated from the first conductor by an insulator, of the support is connected to the n-type a-Si layer of the photoelectric conversion element.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2001Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Clean Venture 21 CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Hamakawa, Mikio Murozono, Hideyuki Takakura
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Publication number: 20040016456Abstract: A photovoltaic device comprising a plurality of spherical photovoltaic elements, a support and a first conductor layer and its production method are disclosed. Each of the photovoltaic elements comprises a spherical first semiconductor and a second semiconductor layer covering the surface thereof, the second semiconductor layer having an opening through which a part of the first semiconductor is exposed. An electrode is formed on each of the exposed part of the first semiconductor and the outer surface of the second semiconductor layer. The support has a plurality of recesses, each having a connection hole in its bottom, and comprises an electric insulator layer having the connection holes and a second conductor layer which is formed on the electric insulator layer except around the connection holes and which constitutes the inner surface of the recesses. The first conductor layer is disposed on the backside of the support.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2003Publication date: January 29, 2004Applicant: CLEAN VENTURE 21 CORPORATIONInventors: Mikio Murozono, Yoshimitsu Hiroshima, Ryoji Okazaki, Takeo Takayanagi, Satoshi Omae
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Publication number: 20020096206Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element is disposed in each of a plurality of recesses of a support. Light reflected by the inside surface of the recess shines on the photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element has an approximately spherical shape and has the following structure. The outer surface of a center-side n-type amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer is covered with a p-type amorphous SiC (a-SiC) layer having a wider optical band gap than a-Si does, whereby a pn junction is formed. A first conductor of the support is connected to the p-type a-SiC layer of the photoelectric conversion element at the bottom or its neighborhood of the recess. A second conductor, which is insulated from the first conductor by an insulator, of the support is connected to the n-type a-Si layer of the photoelectric conversion element.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2001Publication date: July 25, 2002Applicant: Clean Venture 21 CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Hamakawa, Mikio Murozono, Hideyuki Takakura, Yukio Yamaguchi, Jun Yamagata, Hidenori Yasuda
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Patent number: 6211043Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a compound semiconductor thin film by the thermal decomposition of a metal organic compound and a solar cell using the above thin film. An organic solvent solution of the metal organic compound containing at least one metal-sulfur bond is pulverized into fine particles by an ultrasonic vibration method or by a spray injection method and the obtained fine particles or gaseous metal organic compound are thermally decomposed by contacting them on the heated surface of a thin film forming substrate and thus a compound semiconductor metal sulfide thin film is formed on the thin film forming substrate. With this method, a compound semiconductor thin film of large surface area with uniform quality can be manufactured at low manufacturing cost with good reproducibility. These metal sulfide thin films are of high purity, high density and high quality and thus can be used for various photo-electronic devices.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 1999Date of Patent: April 3, 2001Assignee: Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tsuyoshi Nishio, Kuniyoshi Omura, Takeshi Hibino, Satoshi Shibutani, Mikio Murozono
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Patent number: 5994642Abstract: A method for forming a CdTe film of good quality by an improved close-spaced sublimation process is disclosed. This method comprises: a step of applying a paste which contains material for CdTe semiconductor on a supporting member, thereby to form a coating film which contains the material for the semiconductor on the surface of the supporting member; a step of closely arranging the supporting member and a substrate on which a CdTe film is to be formed, to make the coating film to face the surface of the substrate; and a step of forming a CdTe film on the substrate, by heating the coating film and the substrate, and causing the material for the semiconductor in the coating film to evaporate.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 1998Date of Patent: November 30, 1999Assignee: Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Higuchi, Seiji Kumazawa, Takashi Arita, Akira Hanafusa, Mikio Murozono, Tetsuya Aramoto
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Patent number: 5920798Abstract: A semiconductor layer for photoelectric transfer device for forming a p-n junction, which has large surface area and uniform film pressure, is formed in the atmosphere under normal pressure for several minutes. The semiconductor layer for forming a p-n junction is composed of a compound semiconductor of a Group II element(selected from the group consisting of Cd, Zn and Hg)-Group VI element(selected from the group consisting of S and Te). A semiconductor layer having a p or n conductive type is formed on a substrate by pyrolytically decomposing an organometallic compound containing a II-VI group atom bond. A semiconductor film is formed on the surface of a substrate by dispersing or dissolving an organometallic compound in a solvent to form a solution, applying ink on the surface of the substrate using a suitable printing method and subjecting to a heat treatment.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 1997Date of Patent: July 6, 1999Assignee: Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Higuchi, Akira Hanafusa, Kuniyoshi Omura, Mikio Murozono, Hideaki Oyama
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Patent number: 5714391Abstract: This invention relates to a manufacturing method of a compound semiconductor thin film derived from a metal sulfide produced by thermal decomposition of a sulfur-containing metal organic compound, the compound containing at least one functional group having at least one metal atom selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, and lead, and the functional group also containing at least one sulfur atom. Since the obtained metal sulfides are of high-purity and dense, they can be utilized in various photoelectric devices. Particularly, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a CdS/CdTe system thin film compound semiconductor solar cell can be improved remarkably by employing a layer made of a CdS thin film as a window of the solar cell.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 1996Date of Patent: February 3, 1998Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kuniyoshi Omura, Tsuyoshi Nishio, Satoshi Shibutani, Shigeo Kondoh, Mikio Murozono, Akira Hanafusa, Hideaki Oyama
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Patent number: 5538903Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising the steps of forming a layer of n-type compound semiconductor, a layer of p-type compound semiconductor, and an electrode layer on a glass substrate, wherein at least one of said steps of forming a layer of compound semiconductor layer comprises preparing a paste by mixing a semiconductor raw material and a viscous agent, applying said paste to said substrate, drying said paste to harden it, and firing the dried paste, and vibrating said substrate during or after the application of the paste, to remove the bubbles in the paste, resulting in a semiconductor layer which is smooth, dense, and having good adhesion, thus realizing a solar cell with improved and uniform characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1994Date of Patent: July 23, 1996Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuya Aramoto, Nobuo Nakayama, Kuniyoshi Omura, Mikio Murozono
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Patent number: 5411601Abstract: A solar cell is constructed using a heterojunction formed by layering an n-type compound semiconductor followed by a p-type compound semiconductor on an insulator layer containing titanium oxide which has been formed on one side of a glass plate. The insulator layer can improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell by lowering the sheet resistance of the n-type semiconductor film which is used as the window material of the solar cell. In addition, light transmittance is improved.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1993Date of Patent: May 2, 1995Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Higuchi, Takashi Arita, Sotoyuki Kitamura, Mikio Murozono
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Patent number: 4940604Abstract: A polycrystalline CuInSe.sub.2 film is produced by adding a liquid cooling medium to a mixture of Cu, In and Se powders, grinding the resulting composition by means of a ball-mill to provide a slurry containing CuInSe.sub.2 of low crystallinity, drying and adding a binding agent to the slurry to form a paste, coating a substrate with the paste, and sintering the paste so applied under a nitrogen atmosphere.The starting materials that can be used are not limited to respective powders of the above-mentioned elements but may be Cu-Se and In-Se compounds and the method provides CuInSe.sub.2 of excellent quality on a mass production scale at low cost.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1988Date of Patent: July 10, 1990Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Suyama, Noriyuki Ueno, Kuniyoshi Omura, Hazime Takada, Yuutaro Kita, Mikio Murozono