Abstract: A method for producing a P-N junction in a thin film photovoltaic cell comprising a deposition step in which are carried out successively: a layer of precursors of a photovoltaic material of type P or N, a barrier layer and a layer of precursors of a semiconducting material of type N or P, this deposition step being followed by an annealing step carried out with a supply of S and/or Se, this annealing step leading to the formation of an absorbing layer of the type P or N and of a buffer layer of type N or P and of a P-N junction at the interface between said layers.

Abstract: The device for knife coating a layer of ink based on copper and indium on a substrate includes a supply tank of an ink, said tank collaborating with a coating knife. In addition, the device includes means that allow the ink, the substrate and the coating knife to be kept at different and increasing respective temperatures.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device including a CIGS photovoltaic module having a so-called top surface, intended to be exposed to light radiation; and a light emitting diode emitting light at a wavelength of less than 600 nm and transparent to radiation in the near infrared, attached to the top surface of the photovoltaic module. A photovoltaic generation system having: at least one such photovoltaic device; a system of switches to selectively connect the photovoltaic module to the light emitting diode or to a terminal supplying an external load; and a control circuit for controlling the system of switches. An electrical system having: such a photovoltaic generation system; a battery connected to the supply terminal; and at least one electronic circuit connected to the battery in order to be powered. An implantable medical device having such an electronic system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an implantable energy source comprising at least one energy storage sub-system (171) constructed in the form of a stack of thin layers (175) on a substrate (176), characterised in that said energy storage sub-system has a plurality of through-openings (174) for allowing the development and the passage of blood vessels. Preferably, the energy source thereof has a thickness of less than, or equal to, 1 mm, over at least 80% of its surface.

Abstract: Hermetic housing comprising: a first element (11) in sheet form, made from at least one material chosen from a metal, a ceramic and a glass; a second element (15, 17, 18) for covering said first element, likewise made of at least one material chosen from a metal, a ceramic and a glass; a first metal surround (12) interposed between said first element and said second element, comprising an internal part (14) partially or fully positioned within the perimeter of said first element and an outer part (13) positioned fully on the outside of said perimeter of said first element; a first hermetic seal between said first element and said internal part of said first metal surround; and a second hermetic seal between said second element and said outer part of said first metal surround. Method of encapsulating a device, notably an implantable medical device, using such a hermetic housing.

Abstract: Method for producing a hermetically sealed casing, comprising the following steps: a) supplying a ceramic substrate (20), b) supplying a metal surround (21) and placing it facing the said substrate (20), c) forming a first hermetically sealed joint (22) at the interface between the said substrate (20) and the said metal surround (21), in order to assemble them and form an assembly, d) superposing a cover (23) on the said assembly, e) forming a second hermetically sealed joint (24) between an upper face of the metal surround (21) which is the opposite face to the said interface, and the cover (23), in order to obtain the said casing, characterized in that, during step c), the first hermetically sealed joint (22) is formed on a portion of the said interface and in that prior to step c), the method involves an additional step consisting in placing a ceramic surround (25) on the upper face of the metal surround so as to partially cover the said face of the metal surround, the projected surface of the said ceram

Abstract: An arrangement for a stack of a photovoltaic cell comprises a first photon-absorbing layer (11) which includes sulphur (S) and selenium (Se). The first layer (11) comprises a variation, along the direction (Z) of the thickness (t) of the first layer, in the proportion of sulphur with respect to the sum of the proportions of sulphur and of selenium, the said variation being such that the first layer (11) exhibits a band-separation gradient along the direction (Z) of the thickness (t) of the first layer (11). The invention also relates to a manufacturing process and to an implemental apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for selective wet chemical etching of a thin-film substrate comprising a CIGS surface layer. The present invention also relates to a process for producing cells in series for thin-film photovoltaic modules, which process implements the selective wet chemical etching process according to the invention. The present invention furthermore relates to a process for creating small patterns, such as for example monolithic interconnects, in thin-film photovoltaic devices, which process implements the selective wet chemical etching process according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising plurality of solar cells in a thin-layer structure, in which the following are formed consecutively in the structure: an electrode on the rear surface (41), a photovoltaic layer (43) obtained by depositing components including metal precursors and at least one element taken from Se and S and by annealing such as to convert said components into a semiconductor material, and another semiconductor layer (44) in order to create a pn junction with the photovoltaic layer (43); characterised in that the metal precursors form, on the electrode on the rear surface (41), a continuous layer, while said at least one element forms a layer having at least one break making it possible, at the end of the annealing step, to leave an area (430) of the layer of metal precursors in the metal state at said break.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for selective wet chemical etching of a thin-film substrate comprising a CIGS surface layer. The present invention also relates to a process for producing cells in series for thin-film photovoltaic modules, which process implements the selective wet chemical etching process according to the invention. The present invention furthermore relates to a process for creating small patterns, such as for example monolithic interconnects, in thin-film photovoltaic devices, which process implements the selective wet chemical etching process according to the invention.

Abstract: A method is provided for eliminating catalyst residues that are present on the surface of solid structures. The solid structures are made from a first material and are obtained by catalytic growth from a substrate. The method includes the following steps: catalytically growing, from the catalyst residues, solid structures made from a second material; and selectively eliminating the solid structures made from the second material, thereby eliminating the catalyst residues.

Abstract: The device for knife coating a layer of ink based on copper and indium on a substrate includes a supply tank of an ink, said tank collaborating with a coating knife. In addition, the device includes means that allow the ink, the substrate and the coating knife to be kept at different and increasing respective temperatures.

Abstract: A device includes a plurality of wires of nanometric or micrometric dimensions formed by a semiconductor material chosen from silicon, germanium and a silicon and germanium alloy. The device further includes pellets enhancing the mechanical strength and the optical absorption properties of the device. The pellets have a diameter between 100 nm and 1 ?m and are formed by spherical agglomerates of zinc oxide particles with a diameter between 10 mn and 200 nm. The pellets are in particular obtained by immersing the wires in a bath containing an alcohol-based solvent and zinc acetate under temperature and pressure conditions keeping the alcohol-based solvent in the liquid state and by thermal annealing of the wires transforming the zinc acetate into zinc oxide.

Abstract: A method and device for the deposition of a film made of a semiconductive material having the formula Cu(In, Ga)X2, where X is S or Se, involves cathode sputter deposition of Cu, In, and Ga onto at least one surface of a substrate and simultaneous deposition of X in vapor phase onto the surface in a cathode chamber. A vapor form of X or its precursor is moved in a first laminar gas flow parallel to and in contact with the surface, and is simultaneously moved in a second laminar gas flow for inert gas parallel to the first laminar gas flow and located between the first laminar gas flow and a sputtering target(s), to confine the first laminar gas flow to the area around the substrate.

Abstract: This method for eliminating the catalyst residues present on the surface of solid structures made from a first material and obtained by catalytic growth, includes the following steps: catalytic growth, from the catalyst residues, of solid structures made from a second material; selective elimination of said solid structures made from a second material.