Patents by Inventor Yasushi Minagawa

Yasushi Minagawa 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).

  • Crystalline silicon thin film semiconductor device, crystalline silicon thin film photovoltaic device, and process for producing crystalline silicon thin film semiconductor device
    Patent number: 6815788
    Abstract: A transparent electrode is provided on a glass substrate, and an amorphous silicon layer is provided on the transparent electrode. A nickel layer as a metal catalyst element is provided in or so as to contact with the surface of the amorphous silicon layer, followed by heat treatment to crystallize the amorphous silicon layer, thereby forming a p-type polycrystalline silicon layer. This polycrystalline silicon layer is crystallographically oriented and has high crystallinity. The polycrystalline silicon layer is used as a seed crystal to form a p-type polycrystalline silicon layer which is crystallographically oriented and, at the same time, has high crystallinity. Further, an i-type polycrystalline silicon layer and an n-type polycrystalline silicon layer are successively formed on the polycrystalline silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihito Oka, Shinichi Muramatsu, Yasushi Minagawa
  • Crystalline silicon semiconductor device and method for fabricating same
    Patent number: 6777714
    Abstract: Concave and convex are formed on the substrate 1, the amorphous silicon layer 4 is formed on the metallic catalyst 3 dispersed and arranged in a dotted shape in the concave portion of the concave and convex, the crystal phases 5 having respective orientations from the metallic catalyst 3 are grown, further the crystal phases 5 are integrated with each other by continuing heat treatment and the polycrystalline silicon layer 6 is formed. A crystalline silicon semiconductor device and its method for fabrication which are costly advantageous and capable of efficiently forming the polycrystalline silicon layer of a predetermined thickness needed as a semiconductor device are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Muramatsu, Yasushi Minagawa, Fumihito Oka, Susumu Takahashi, Yoshiaki Yazawa
  • Crystalline silicon thin film semiconductor device, crystalline silicon thin film photovoltaic device, and process for producing crystalline silicon thin film semiconductor device
    Publication number: 20030030052
    Abstract: A transparent electrode is provided on a glass substrate, and an amorphous silicon layer is provided on the transparent electrode. A nickel layer as a metal catalyst element is provided in or so as to contact with the surface of the amorphous silicon layer, followed by heat treatment to crystallize the amorphous silicon layer, thereby forming a p-type polycrystalline silicon layer. This polycrystalline silicon layer is crystallographically oriented and has high crystallinity. The polycrystalline silicon layer is used as a seed crystal to form a p-type polycrystalline silicon layer which is crystallographically oriented and, at the same time, has high crystallinity. Further, an i-type polycrystalline silicon layer and an n-type polycrystalline silicon layer are successively formed on the polycrystalline silicon layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Fumihito Oka, Shinichi Muramatsu, Yasushi Minagawa
  • Crystalline silicon semiconductor device and method for fabricating same
    Publication number: 20020005519
    Abstract: Concave and convex are formed on the substrate 1, the amorphous silicon layer 4 is formed on the metallic catalyst 3 dispersed and arranged in a dotted shape in the concave portion of the concave and convex, the crystal phases 5 having respective orientations from the metallic catalyst 3 are grown, further the crystal phases 5 are integrated with each other by continuing heat treatment and the polycrystalline silicon layer 6 is formed. A crystalline silicon semiconductor device and its method for fabrication which are costly advantageous and capable of efficiently forming the polycrystalline silicon layer of a predetermined thickness needed as a semiconductor device are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Shinichi Muramatsu, Yasushi Minagawa, Fumihito Oka, Susumu Takahashi, Yoshiaki Yazawa