Patents by Inventor Rick C. Powell

Rick C. Powell 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).

  • System and method for depositing a material on a substrate
    Patent number: 9328408
    Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate which includes a distributor for providing a semiconductor coating on a substrate, a power source for heating the distributor and a plasma source positioned proximate to a distributor for exposing the semiconductor coating to a plasma prior to deposition on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventor: Rick C. Powell
  • Photovoltaic device with protective layer over a window layer and method of manufacture of the same
    Patent number: 9276154
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device including a protective layer between a window layer and an absorber layer, the protective layer inhibiting dissolving/intermixing of the window layer into the absorber layer during a device activation step, and methods of forming such photovoltaic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Damjanovic, Jing Guo, Sreenivas Jayaraman, Oleh P. Karpenko, Feng Liao, Chong Lim, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Zhibo Zhao
  • Photovoltaic devices including doped semiconductor films
    Patent number: 9263608
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell can include a dopant in contact with a semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick C. Powell, Upali Jayamaha, Anke Abken, Markus Gloeckler, Akhlesh Gupta, Roger T. Green, Peter Meyers
  • METHOD OF PROVIDING CHLORIDE TREATMENT FOR A PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE AND A CHLORIDE TREATED PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE
    Publication number: 20150380572
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device including depositing a cadmium telluride layer onto a substrate; treating the cadmium telluride layer with a compound comprising chlorine and an element from Groups 1-11, zinc, mercury, or copernicium or a combination thereof; and annealing the cadmium telluride layer. A chloride-treated photovoltaic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Scott Christensen, Rick C. Powell, Gang Xiong
  • Method of providing chloride treatment for a photovoltaic device and a chloride treated photovoltaic device
    Patent number: 9147792
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device including depositing a cadmium telluride layer onto a substrate; treating the cadmium telluride layer with a compound comprising chlorine and an element from Groups 1-11, zinc, mercury, or copernicium or a combination thereof; and annealing the cadmium telluride layer. A chloride-treated photovoltaic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Christensen, Rick C. Powell, Gang Xiong
  • POWDER FEED RATE SENSOR
    Publication number: 20150211903
    Abstract: A powder feed rate sensor includes a surface or diaphragm configured to detect powder feed rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventor: Rick C. Powell
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORT
    Publication number: 20150203963
    Abstract: A deposition system and method includes a deposition source, a roll conveyor and at least one shield positioned at a location proximate to the deposition source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventor: Rick C. Powell
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PROVIDING DOPANT CONCENTRATION CONTROL IN DIFFERENT LAYERS OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
    Publication number: 20150171258
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the amount of a second material incorporated into a first material by controlling the amount of a third material which can interact with the second material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Arnold Allenic, John Barden, Feng Liao, Xilin Peng, Rick C. Powell, Kenneth M. Ring, Gang Xiong
  • PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE
    Publication number: 20150155424
    Abstract: In general, a photovoltaic module may include a binary semiconductor layer formed from a vapor rich in one component of a binary semiconductor source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Viral Parikh, Rick C. Powell, Gang Xiong
  • Method and system of providing dopant concentration control in different layers of a semiconductor device
    Patent number: 9006020
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the amount of a second material incorporated into a first material by controlling the amount of a third material which can interact with the second material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Xiong, Rick C. Powell, Xilin Peng, John Barden, Arnold Allenic, Feng Liao, Kenneth M. Ring
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING MULTI-STEP DEPOSITION OF THIN FILM LAYER
    Publication number: 20150079725
    Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
  • Method and apparatus providing multi-step deposition of thin film layer
    Patent number: 8921147
    Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
  • THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE WTIH LARGE GRAIN STRUCTURE AND METHODS OF FORMATION
    Publication number: 20140261685
    Abstract: Embodiments include photovoltaic devices that include at least one absorber layer, e.g. CdTe and/or CdSxTe1-x (where 0?x?1), having an average grain size to thickness ratio from greater than 2 to about 50 and an average grain size of between about 4 ?m and about 14 ?m and methods for forming the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Liao, Jigish Trivedi, Zhibo Zhao, Rick C. Powell, Long Cheng, Markus Gloeckler, Benyamin Buller, Igor Sankin, Jeremy Brewer
  • PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE WITH A ZINC OXIDE LAYER AND METHOD OF FORMATION
    Publication number: 20140261686
    Abstract: Photovoltaic devices with a zinc oxide layer replacing all or part of at least one of a window layer and a buffer layer, and methods of making the devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC
    Inventors: Benyamin Buller, Daniel Damjanovic, Feng Liao, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Zhibo Zhao
  • HIGH EFFICIENCY PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE EMPLOYING CADMIUM SULFIDE TELLURIDE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE
    Publication number: 20140261688
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device is disclosed including at least one Cadmium Sulfide Telluride (CdSxTe1-x) layer as are methods of forming such a photovoltaic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC
    Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, Benyamin Buller, Markus Gloeckler, Benjamin Milliron, Xilin Peng, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Oomman K. Varghese, Jianjun Wang, Zhibo Zhao
  • METHOD OF REDUCING SEMICONDUCTOR WINDOW LAYER LOSS DURING THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE FABRICATION, AND RESULTING DEVICE STRUCTURE
    Publication number: 20140261687
    Abstract: A completed photovoltaic device and method forming it are described in which fluxing of a window layer into an absorber layer is mitigated by the presence of a sacrificial fluxing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC
    Inventors: Dan Damjanovic, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Zhibo Zhao
  • PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE WITH PROTECTIVE LAYER OVER A WINDOW LAYER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME
    Publication number: 20140216535
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device including a protective layer between a window layer and an absorber layer, the protective layer inhibiting dissolving/intermixing of the window layer into the absorber layer during a device activation step, and methods of forming such photovoltaic devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Damjanovic, Jing Guo, Sreenivas Jayaraman, Oleh P. Karpenko, Feng Liao, Chong Lim, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Zhibo Zhao
  • Photovoltaic device
    Patent number: 8785232
    Abstract: A method to improve CdTe-based photovoltaic device efficiency is disclosed. The CdTe-based photovoltaic device can include oxygen or silicon in semiconductor layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Xiong, Rick C. Powell, Aaron Roggelin, Kuntal Kumar, Arnold Allenic, Kenneth M. Ring, Charles E. Wickersham
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING MULTI-STEP DEPOSITION OF THIN FILM LAYER
    Publication number: 20140051206
    Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC
    Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
  • APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING EFFICIENCY OF THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES
    Publication number: 20130327391
    Abstract: A method for producing apparatus for producing and photovoltaic device including semiconductor layers with halide heat treated surfaces that increase grain growth within at least one of the semiconductor layers and improve the interface between the semiconductor layers. The halide heat treatment includes applying and heating multiple coatings of a halide compound on surfaces adjacent to or part of the semiconductor layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC
    Inventors: Markus Gloeckler, Akhlesh Gupta, Xilin Peng, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Jianjun Wang, Zhibo Zhao