Patents by Inventor Thomas Mowles

Thomas Mowles 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).

  • High efficiency solar photovoltaic cells produced with inexpensive materials by processes suitable for large volume production
    Patent number: 6541695
    Abstract: A thin film, photovoltaic, solar energy conversion device comprising: a thin-film, photovoltaic layer; a transparent electrical conducting layer in contact with said photovoltaic layer; a back electrical conducting layer in contact with said photovoltaic layer; fabricated on a suitable substrate; said photovoltaic layer being of a material selected from the class consisting of: monoclinic zinc diphosphide (also referred to as beta zinc diphosphide and indicated by &bgr;-ZnP2); copper diphosphide (CuP2); magnesium tetraphosphide (MgP4); gamma-iron tetraphosphide (&ggr;-FeP4) and mixed crystals formed from these four materials. A thin film fabrication process is presented that produces high efficiency, low-cost photovoltaic layers of the above-indicated class.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Inventor: Thomas Mowles
  • High efficiency solar photovoltaic cells produced with inexpensive materials by processes suitable for large volume production
    Publication number: 20020062858
    Abstract: A solar energy device comprising: a substrate; a photovoltaic layer on said substrate; a back conductor in contact with said substrate; a grid conductor in contact with said substrate; said photovoltaic layer being of a material selected from the class consisting of: monoclinic zinc diphosphide (also referred to as beta zinc diphosphide and indicated by &bgr;-ZnP2); copper diphosphide (CuP2); magnesium tetraphosphide (MgP4); &ggr;-iron tetraphosphide (&ggr;-FeP4) and mixed crystals formed from these four materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventor: Thomas Mowles