Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system comprising a tub, a cover, a wick, and a diffuser cap. The tub defines a cavity. The tub is constructed to hold a liquid in the cavity. The tub comprises a top ring. The cover is constructed to be coupled to the top ring of the tub. The cover defines an aperture. The wick is constructed to convey a liquid via diffusion. The diffuser cap comprises a central stem. The central stem is constructed to engage with the wick. The diffuser cap is constructed to vent vapor conveyed to the diffuser cap via the wick.

Abstract: A complete water management system employing a plurality of tanks to control the use of potable, gray, and black water. The system is centrally controlled and continuously monitors the condition of all reservoirs, (i.e. the potable, the gray, and the black). The same controller also manages the treatment and interaction between the three reservoirs.

Abstract: A photovoltaic solar cell comprises a piece of semiconductor material incorporating a p-type region, an n-type region, a p-n junction between the two, electrodes contacting the two regions, and within its body a lattice defect denuded zone and a lattice defect gettering zone.The defect gettering zone may be a precipitate-rich zone or a region of lattice damage. The denuded zone may include the p-n junction.The semiconductor material may be Si, GaAs or InP.Methods for making the solar cell are described, involving heat treatment steps to produce a denuded zone, nucleating precipitates and generating precipitates. Alternatively precipitation may be nucleated, or a lattice damage zone may be generated, by proton bombardment.

Abstract: In a method of fabricating semiconductor devices, eg infra-red charge coupled devices (IRCCDs), the invention relates to the provision of a region containing a first species of ionized dopant with a body of semiconductor material in which the device is being fabricated, in which diffusion of this ionized dopant creates an internal electric field which provides a barrier against the penetration of a second relatively faster-diffusing species of ionized dopant into a selected region of the semiconductor body. In the method described in its application to the fabrication of a monolithic IRCCD, the second species of ionized dopant is introduced into detector regions of the body of semiconductor material to render them sensitive to infra-red radiation, and the barrier provided by diffusion of the first species of the ionized dopant serves to prevent the penetration of the second dopant species into the active charge storage and transfer channels of the CCD.