Patents by Inventor Nobuyuki Kitahara
Nobuyuki Kitahara 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: 7323047Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a granular silicon crystal by allowing silicon melt in a crucible to be granularly discharged and fallen from a nozzle part composed of silicon carbide or silicon nitride, and cooling and solidifying the granular silicon melt during falling, a carbon source is added when the nozzle part is composed of silicon carbide, and a nitrogen source is added when the nozzle part is composed of silicon nitride, to the silicon melt in the crucible. Thereby, melt droplets of uniform size can be generated, so that granular silicon crystals having narrow variations in particle size can be manufactured at high productivity and superior reproducibility.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2006Date of Patent: January 29, 2008Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Shin Sugawara, Eigo Takahashi, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Yoshio Miura, Hisao Arimune
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Publication number: 20060213427Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a granular silicon crystal by allowing silicon melt in a crucible to be granularly discharged and fallen from a nozzle part composed of silicon carbide or silicon nitride, and cooling and solidifying the granular silicon melt during falling, a carbon source is added when the nozzle part is composed of silicon carbide, and a nitrogen source is added when the nozzle part is composed of silicon nitride, to the silicon melt in the crucible. Thereby, melt droplets of uniform size can be generated, so that granular silicon crystals having narrow variations in particle size can be manufactured at high productivity and superior reproducibility.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2006Publication date: September 28, 2006Inventors: Shin Sugawara, Eigo Takahashi, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Yoshio Miura, Hisao Arimune
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Patent number: 7001543Abstract: A crucible is formed of a cylindrical body member and a disk-shaped nozzle member fitted to the bottom portion of the body member, and the nozzle member is provided with a nozzle hole for discharging out a semiconductor molten solution dropwise therethrough. The semiconductor molten solution drops discharged out of the crucible through the nozzle hole are cooled and solidified during falling to become semiconductor grains. Silicon grains having high crystal quality can be manufactured at low cost.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2002Date of Patent: February 21, 2006Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Nobuyuki Kitahara, Toshio Suzuki, Noboru Suda, Shin Sugawara, Hisao Arimune
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Patent number: 6653552Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion device comprising a lower electrode, numerous crystalline semiconductor particles of one conductivity type deposited on the lower electrode, an insulator interposed among the crystalline semiconductor particles, and a semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type provided over the crystalline semiconductor particles, in which a pyramidal projection having a cross section in the shape of a trapezoid or triangle and a lateral face that faces one of the crystalline semiconductor particles is provided between the crystalline semiconductor particles. In this device, light incident on areas among the crystalline semiconductor particles is reflected or refracted by the pyramidal projection and directed into the crystalline semiconductor particles. Accordingly, this device can achieve high conversion efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2002Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Shin Sugawara, Takeshi Kyoda, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Hisao Arimune, Toshifumi Kiyohara, Ken Watanuki
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Patent number: 6620997Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having numerous crystalline semiconductor grains deposited on a substrate, the substrate includes an aluminum layer or an aluminum alloy layer, an intermediate layer, and a base material layer, in which the intermediate layer is arranged such that it is composed mainly of one or a plurality of elements selected from among nickel, titanium, chromium, and cobalt. With the constitution as above, it is possible to suppress reaction between the aluminum electrode layer and the base material layer, thereby maintaining the high adhesiveness of the aluminum electrode layer. A photoelectric conversion device with high reliability and high conversion efficiency is therefore realized.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2001Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Takeshi Kyoda, Shin Sugawara, Hisao Arimune, Nobuyuki Kitahara
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Patent number: 6563041Abstract: This photoelectric conversion device comprises a lower electrode, numerous p-type crystalline semiconductor particles deposited thereon, an insulator formed among the crystalline semiconductor particles, and a n-type semiconductor layer formed on the side of the upper portions of the crystalline semiconductor particles. The insulator is formed of a translucent material, and the surface of the lower electrode has been subjected to roughening treatment. Roughening the surface of the lower electrode allows light incident on the surface of the lower electrode to be scattered and directed to the crystalline semiconductor particles so that the photoelectric conversion efficiency is improved.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2001Date of Patent: May 13, 2003Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Shin Sugawara, Takeshi Kyoda, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Hisao Arimune
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Publication number: 20030080451Abstract: A crucible is formed of a cylindrical body member and a disk-shaped nozzle member fitted to the bottom portion of the body member, and the nozzle member is provided with a nozzle hole for discharging out a semiconductor molten solution dropwise therethrough. The semiconductor molten solution drops discharged out of the crucible through the nozzle hole are cooled and solidified during falling to become semiconductor grains. Silicon grains having high crystal quality can be manufactured at low cost.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2002Publication date: May 1, 2003Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuyuki Kitahara, Toshio Suzuki, Noboru Suda, Shin Sugawara, Hisao Arimune
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Publication number: 20020162585Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric conversion device comprising a lower electrode, numerous crystalline semiconductor particles of one conductivity type deposited on the lower electrode, an insulator interposed among the crystalline semiconductor particles, and a semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type provided over the crystalline semiconductor particles, in which a pyramidal projection having a cross section in the shape of a trapezoid or triangle and a lateral face that faces one of the crystalline semiconductor particles is provided between the crystalline semiconductor particles. In this device, light incident on areas among the crystalline semiconductor particles is reflected or refracted by the pyramidal projection and directed into the crystalline semiconductor particles. Accordingly, this device can achieve high conversion efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2002Publication date: November 7, 2002Inventors: Shin Sugawara, Takeshi Kyoda, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Hisao Arimune, Toshifumi Kiyohara, Ken Watanuki
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Publication number: 20020134420Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device having numerous crystalline semiconductor grains deposited on a substrate, the substrate includes an aluminum layer or an aluminum alloy layer, an intermediate layer, and a base material layer, in which the intermediate layer is arranged such that it is composed mainly of one or a plurality of elements selected from among nickel, titanium, chromium, and cobalt. With the constitution as above, it is possible to suppress reaction between the aluminum electrode layer and the base material layer, thereby maintaining the high adhesiveness of the aluminum electrode layer. A photoelectric conversion device with high reliability and high conversion efficiency is therefore realized.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2001Publication date: September 26, 2002Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATIONInventors: Takeshi Kyoda, Shin Sugawara, Hisao Arimune, Nobuyuki Kitahara
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Publication number: 20020117667Abstract: This photoelectric conversion device comprises a lower electrode, numerous p-type crystalline semiconductor particles deposited thereon, an insulator formed among the crystalline semiconductor particles, and a n-type semiconductor layer formed on the side of the upper portions of the crystalline semiconductor particles. The insulator is formed of a translucent material, and the surface of the lower electrode has been subjected to roughening treatment. Roughening the surface of the lower electrode allows light incident on the surface of the lower electrode to be scattered and directed to the crystalline semiconductor particles so that the photoelectric conversion efficiency is improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2001Publication date: August 29, 2002Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATIONInventors: Shin Sugawara, Takeshi Kyoda, Nobuyuki Kitahara, Hisao Arimune
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Patent number: RE41512Abstract: A crucible is formed of a cylindrical body member and a disk-shaped nozzle member fitted to the bottom portion of the body member, and the nozzle member is provided with a nozzle hole for discharging out a semiconductor molten solution dropwise therethrough. The semiconductor molten solution drops discharged out of the crucible through the nozzle hole are cooled and solidified during falling to become semiconductor grains. Silicon grains having high crystal quality can be manufactured at low cost.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2008Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Kyocera CorporationInventors: Nobuyuki Kitahara, Toshio Suzuki, Noboru Suda, Shin Sugawara, Hisao Arimune