Patents by Inventor Naofumi HAYASHI

Naofumi HAYASHI 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).

  • Patent number: 11114577
    Abstract: This photovoltaic power generation device is provided with: a mounting bracket which is fixed to a roof and on which a frame, arranged on the ridge-side end of a solar cell module, and a frame, arranged on the eave-side end of a solar cell module, are mounted; and a fixing bracket which is arranged in the space between the frame and the frame, and which is fixed to the mounting bracket and holds said frames from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Kubo, Tomohide Yoshida, Mamoru Arimoto, Naofumi Hayashi, Minoru Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10546969
    Abstract: A solar cell is provided that comprising a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; a first semiconductor layer having the first conductivity type, and on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate; an insulation layer on the first semiconductor layer; a protective layer on the insulation layer; and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type, and on the semiconductor substrate and the protective layer. A recessed region is positioned at a lateral side of the insulation layer, the recessed region formed by recessing a side surface of the insulation layer inward from a side surface of the first semiconductor layer and a side surface of the protective layer, and the second semiconductor layer is positioned in the recessed region above the first semiconductor layer in the recessed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Hayashi, Takahiro Mishima, Keiichiro Masuko
  • Publication number: 20190221696
    Abstract: This photovoltaic power generation device is provided with: a mounting bracket which is fixed to a roof and on which a frame, arranged on the ridge-side end of a solar cell module, and a frame, arranged on the eave-side end of a solar cell module, are mounted; and a fixing bracket which is arranged in the space between the frame and the frame, and which is fixed to the mounting bracket and holds said frames from above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Kubo, Tomohide Yoshida, Mamoru Arimoto, Naofumi Hayashi, Minoru Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20190222170
    Abstract: This photovoltaic power generation device is provided with: a mounting bracket which is fixed to a roof and on which a frame, arranged on the ridge-side end of a solar cell module, and a frame, arranged on the eave-side end of a solar cell module, are mounted; and a securing bracket for securing the frames to the mounting bracket. The ridge-side edge of the mounting bracket is inclined in the eaves-ridge direction and the girder direction of the roof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Lt d.
    Inventors: Koichi Kubo, Naofumi Hayashi, Minoru Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10121917
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: a base substrate that has a principle surface; a first semiconductor layer provided in a first region on the principle surface; a second semiconductor layer provided in a second region on the principle surface; an n-side electrode provided on the first semiconductor layer; a p-side electrode provided on the second semiconductor layer; and grooves that separate the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode from each other. The respective widths of the grooves in a direction in which the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode are spaced apart are set to be wider in the outer peripheral region than in the inner region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Hayashi, Takahiro Mishima, Tsuyoshi Takahama, Tsutomu Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10014420
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface; a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor layer on the back surface; a second-conductivity-type second semiconductor layer on the back surface; a first electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer; a second electrode electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer; and an insulating layer in a boundary region between a first-conductivity-type region of the first semiconductor layer and a second-conductivity-type region of the second semiconductor layer. The insulating layer has an inclined side surface adjacent the second-conductivity-type region inclined such that the thickness of the insulating layer decreases with decreasing distance from the second-conductivity-type region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Shigematsu, Naofumi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9780241
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate of first conductivity type, including first and second principal surfaces; a region of the first conductivity type, including a semiconductor layer structure of the first conductivity type provided on the first principal surface; and a region of an second conductivity type, including a semiconductor layer structure of the second conductivity type provided on the first principal surface. The semiconductor layer structure of the first conductivity type is formed extending into the region of the second conductivity type. Thereby the solar cell is provided with a stack region where the semiconductor layer structure of the second conductivity type is formed on the semiconductor layer structure of the first conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Arimoto, Tsuyoshi Takahama, Naofumi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9705027
    Abstract: A solar cell manufacturing method includes: forming a first amorphous semiconductor layer of one conductivity type on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulation layer on the first amorphous semiconductor layer; etching to remove the insulation layer and the first amorphous semiconductor layer in a predetermined first region; forming a second amorphous semiconductor layer of an other conductivity type on the insulation layer after the etching, the other conductivity type being different from the one conductivity type; and etching to remove the second amorphous semiconductor layer in a predetermined second region, wherein the etching to remove the insulation layer and the first amorphous semiconductor layer in a predetermined first region includes: applying an etching paste to the insulation layer in the predetermined first region; and etching to remove the insulation layer and the first amorphous semiconductor layer in the predetermined first region using the etching paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi Hayashi, Mitsuaki Morigami, Masato Shigematsu, Takahiro Mishima
  • Publication number: 20160336464
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface; a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor layer on the back surface; a second-conductivity-type second semiconductor layer on the back surface; a first electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer; a second electrode electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer; and an insulating layer in a boundary region between a first-conductivity-type region of the first semiconductor layer and a second-conductivity-type region of the second semiconductor layer. The insulating layer has an inclined side surface adjacent the second-conductivity-type region inclined such that the thickness of the insulating layer decreases with decreasing distance from the second-conductivity-type region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato SHIGEMATSU, Naofumi HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20160268470
    Abstract: A solar cell manufacturing method includes: forming a first amorphous semiconductor layer of one conductivity type on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulation layer on the first amorphous semiconductor layer; etching to remove the insulation layer and the first amorphous semiconductor layer in a predetermined first region; forming a second amorphous semiconductor layer of an other conductivity type on the insulation layer after the etching, the other conductivity type being different from the one conductivity type; and etching to remove the second amorphous semiconductor layer in a predetermined second region, wherein the etching to remove the insulation layer and the first amorphous semiconductor layer in a predetermined first region includes: applying an etching paste to the insulation layer in the predetermined first region; and etching to remove the insulation layer and the first amorphous semiconductor layer in the predetermined first region using the etching paste.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naofumi HAYASHI, Mitsuaki MORIGAMI, Masato SHIGEMATSU, Takahiro MISHIMA
  • Publication number: 20160197210
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: a base substrate that has a principle surface; a first semiconductor layer provided in a first region on the principle surface; a second semiconductor layer provided in a second region on the principle surface; an n-side electrode provided on the first semiconductor layer; a p-side electrode provided on the second semiconductor layer; and grooves that separate the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode from each other. The respective widths of the grooves in a direction in which the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode are spaced apart are set to be wider in the outer peripheral region than in the inner region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Naofumi HAYASHI, Takahiro MISHIMA, Tsuyoshi TAKAHAMA, Tsutomu YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160093754
    Abstract: A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; a first semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type on the semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor layer of the other conductivity type on the semiconductor substrate; an insulation layer between the first and second semiconductor layers in an area where the first and second semiconductor layers layer overlap each other; a first region where the first semiconductor layer is joined to the semiconductor substrate; a second region where the second semiconductor layer is joined to the semiconductor substrate; and a third region, which is a part of the first region, where the insulation layer is provided. The first region includes first finger sections and a first busbar section. The second region includes second finger sections and a second busbar section. At least a part of the first busbar section is provided in the third region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi TAKAHAMA, Naofumi HAYASHI, Taiki HASHIGUCHI, Akimichi MAEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150340531
    Abstract: A solar cell is provided that comprising a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; a first semiconductor layer having the first conductivity type, and on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate; an insulation layer on the first semiconductor layer; a protective layer on the insulation layer; and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type, and on the semiconductor substrate and the protective layer. A recessed region is positioned at a lateral side of the insulation layer, the recessed region formed by recessing a side surface of the insulation layer inward from a side surface of the first semiconductor layer and a side surface of the protective layer, and the second semiconductor layer is positioned in the recessed region above the first semiconductor layer in the recessed region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Naofumi HAYASHI, Takahiro MISHIMA, Keiichiro MASUKO
  • Publication number: 20150083214
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate of first conductivity type, including first and second principal surfaces; a region of the first conductivity type, including a semiconductor layer structure of the first conductivity type provided on the first principal surface; and a region of an second conductivity type, including a semiconductor layer structure of the second conductivity type provided on the first principal surface. The semiconductor layer structure of the first conductivity type is formed extending into the region of the second conductivity type. Thereby the solar cell is provided with a stack region where the semiconductor layer structure of the second conductivity type is formed on the semiconductor layer structure of the first conductivity type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Mamoru ARIMOTO, Tsuyoshi TAKAHAMA, Naofumi HAYASHI