Cells Patents (Class 136/252)
  • Patent number: 9988707
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing indium tin oxide includes sputtering indium and tin from a target onto a substrate, the sputtering including moving the target along a path over the substrate. The indium tin oxide may have a sheet resistance less than 0.5 ?/?. An indium film includes: a first moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer; a second moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer on the first moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer; and a third moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer on the second moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer. A transparency includes the indium tin oxide, and a flying vehicle includes the transparency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: PPG INDUSTRIES OHIO, INC.
    Inventors: Krishna K. Uprety, Khushroo H. Lakdawala, Russell Shellenberger, Mahmood Ahmad Ali
  • Patent number: 9991400
    Abstract: Provided is a collector sheet for a solar cell, wherein the collector sheet for solar cell can prevent short circuiting between a non-photoreception surface side element and a wiring section, as well as cushioning shocks. This collector sheet (2) for a solar cell has a circuit (22) on the surface of a resin substrate (21). A sealing material layer (23) is stacked on the circuit (22), and in the sealing material layer (23) on the wiring section (221) is formed a conductive recessed part (24) through which the wiring section (221) is exposed, in order to provide conductivity between an electrode (4) on the non-photoreception surface side of the solar cell element (1), and the wiring section (221) corresponding thereto, with the sealing material layer (23) therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Komai, Satoshi Emoto
  • Patent number: 9982850
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a semiconductor light emitting device for emitting a first light at a first wavelength and a wavelength conversion medium arranged to convert at least part of the first light into a second light at a second wavelength. The wavelength conversion medium is disposed between a periodic antenna array and the semiconductor light emitting device. The periodic antenna array includes a plurality of antennas. The periodic antenna array supports surface lattice resonances arising from diffractive coupling of localized surface plasmon resonances in at least one of the antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Said Rahimzadeh Kalaleh Rodriguez, Jaime Gomez Rivas, Abraham Rudolf Balkenende, Marcus Antonius Verschuuren, Gabriel Sebastian Lozano Barbero, Shunsuke Murai
  • Patent number: 9972755
    Abstract: Illumination structure (100) and illumination devices comprising such illumination structure are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Kornelis Gerhardus De Boer, Marcus Antonius Verschuuren, Jamie Gómez Rivas, Rahimzadeh Kalaleh Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9972513
    Abstract: According to the embodiment, a substrate treating device 10 for treating a semiconductor wafer W using an etchant L containing hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid includes a storage tank 210 that stores the etchant L; a concentration sensor 256 that measures a concentration of nitrous acid in the etchant L; an alcohol feeding line 280 that feeds IPA to the etchant L and maintains the concentration of nitrous acid to a predetermined value or more; and a substrate treating unit 100 that feeds the etchant L in the storage tank 210 to the semiconductor wafer W. The substrate treating device can improve the etching efficiency by efficiently generating nitrous acid, and thereby producing an etchant having a nitrous acid concentration suitable for etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Saito, Konosuke Hayashi, Takashi Ootagaki, Yuji Nagashima
  • Patent number: 9960288
    Abstract: Some implementations provide a device (e.g., solar panel) that includes an active layer and a solar absorbance layer. The active layer includes a first N-type layer and a first P-type layer. The solar absorbance layer is coupled to a first surface of the active layer. The solar absorbance layer includes a polymer composite. In some implementations, the polymer composite includes one of at least metal salts and/or carbon nanotubes. In some implementations, the active layer is configured to provide the photovoltaic effect. In some implementations, the active layer further includes a second N-type layer and a second P-type layer. In some implementations, the active layer is configured to provide the thermoelectric effect. In some implementations, the device further includes a cooling layer coupled to a second surface of the active layer. In some implementations, the cooling layer includes one of at least zinc oxides, indium oxides, and/or carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: The United State of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Jin Ho Kang, Chase Taylor, Cheol Park, Godfrey Sauti, Luke Gibbons, Iseley Marshall, Sharon E. Lowther, Peter T. Lillehei, Joycelyn S. Harrison, Robert G. Bryant
  • Patent number: 9959982
    Abstract: To provide a photoelectric conversion element being excellent in photoelectric conversion efficiency and stability of photoelectric conversion function, a method for producing the photoelectric conversion element, and a solar cell using the photoelectric conversion element. A photoelectric conversion element having a substrate, a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer containing a semiconductor and a sensitizing pigment, a hole transport layer having a conductive polymer, and a second electrode, wherein the hole transport layer is formed by bringing the photoelectric conversion layer into contact with a solution containing a conductive polymer precursor and an oxidizer at a ratio of 0.1<[Ox]/[M] (wherein [Ox] is the molar concentration of the oxidizer; and [M] is the molar concentration of the conductive polymer precursor), and irradiating the photoelectric conversion layer with light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takayuki Ishikawa, Kazuya Isobe
  • Patent number: 9947482
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element has a conductive support, a photoreceptor layer containing an electrolyte, a charge carrier layer containing an electrolyte and a counter electrode, and the photoreceptor layer has semiconductor particles on which a metal complex dye represented by Formula (I) is carried. M1(LA)(LD)(Z1).CI??Formula (I) M1 represents a metal atom; Z1 represents a monodentate ligand; LA represents a tridentate ligand represented by Formula (AL-1); LD represents a bidentate ligand represented by Formula (DL-1); and CI represents a counterion necessary for neutralizing the charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kohsuke Watanabe, Hirotaka Sato, Yukio Tani, Ryo Fujiwara, Kazuhiro Tsuna, Katsumi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9934964
    Abstract: Dislocation pile-ups in compositionally graded semiconductor layers are reduced or eliminated, thereby leading to increased semiconductor device yield and manufacturability. This is accomplished by introducing a semiconductor layer having a plurality of threading dislocations distributed substantially uniformly across its surface as a starting layer and/or at least one intermediate layer during growth and relaxation of the compositionally graded layer. The semiconductor layer may include a seed layer disposed proximal to the surface of the semiconductor layer and having the threading dislocations uniformly distributed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher Leitz, Christopher J. Vineis, Richard Westhoff, Vicky Yang, Matthew T. Currie
  • Patent number: 9929295
    Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SIVA POWER, INC.
    Inventor: Markus Eberhard Beck
  • Patent number: 9899116
    Abstract: Provided are a silver nanowire conductive film coated with an oxidation protection layer and a method for fabricating the same. A silver nanowire conductive film coated with an oxidation protection layer includes: a substrate; silver nanowires disposed on the substrate; and an oxidation protection layer coated on the silver nanowires, wherein the oxidation protection layer comprises an oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan University
    Inventors: Hyun Suk Jung, Dong Jun Lee, Yun Jin An, Gi Ra Yi
  • Patent number: 9882388
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device is provided. The photovoltaic device includes a photovoltaic cell array absorbing solar voltaic energy to convert the solar voltaic energy to electrical energy, and a sensing unit sensing at least any one of power generation information for representing a state of the photovoltaic device and environmental information for representing environmental information around the photovoltaic device, and measuring a time when the at least one of the power generation information and the environmental information is sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Choong Kun Cho
  • Patent number: 9882070
    Abstract: A photodetector structure comprises a semiconductor substrate extending substantially along a horizontal plane and having a bulk refractive index and a front surface defining a front side of the photodetector structure. The front surface comprises high aspect ratio nanostructures forming an optical conversion layer having an effective refractive index gradually changing towards the bulk refractive index to reduce reflection of light incident on the photodetector structure from the front side thereof. Further, the semiconductor substrate comprises an induced junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: AALTO UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Mikko Juntunen, Hele Savin, Päivikki Repo, Ville Vähänissi, Antti Haarahiltunen
  • Patent number: 9871146
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a substrate formed of n-type single crystal silicon, an emitter region of a p-type which is positioned at a first surface of the substrate and includes a first emitter region having a first sheet resistance and a second emitter region having a second sheet resistance less than the first sheet resistance, a plurality of surface field regions of the n-type locally positioned at a second surface opposite the first surface of the substrate, a plurality of first electrodes which are positioned only on the second emitter region to be separated from one another and are connected to the second emitter region, and a plurality of second electrodes which are positioned on the plurality of surface field regions to be separated from one another and are connected to the plurality of surface field regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seunghwan Shim, Kisu Kim, Eunae Yoon, Yuju Hwang, Younghyun Lee, Sangwook Park
  • Patent number: 9871154
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a layer stack; and an absorber layer is disposed on the layer stack. The absorber layer includes cadmium, tellurium, and selenium. A semiconductor layer is further disposed on the absorber layer, wherein a valence band offset between the semiconductor layer and the absorber layer is less than about 1.3 electron Volts, and a band gap of the semiconductor layer is in a range from about 1.2 electron Volts to about 3.5 electron Volts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: First Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Anil Raj Duggal, Joseph John Shiang, William Hullinger Huber, Adam Fraser Halverson
  • Patent number: 9865823
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode layer comprising a porous film made of oxide semiconductor fine particles sensitized with a quinolinium dye having a fluorinated counteranion. Moreover the present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device comprising said electrode layer, a dye sensitized solar cell comprising said photoelectric conversion device and to novel quinolinium dyes having a fluorinated counteranion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Robert Send, Ingmar Bruder, Peter Erk, Ruediger Sens, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Hitoshi Yamato, Shinji Nakamichi, Ryuichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9859497
    Abstract: he present invention relates to a method for manufacturing thin films consisting of SiO2 spheres of 250 nm in diameter, packed in a simple cubic structure and infiltrated with the organic luminescent polymer Poly[2-methoxy-5-(3?,7?-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene] (MDMO-PPV). The thin film can be deposited onto a substrate of soda lime or indium oxide doped with tin (ITO). The manufacturing method includes the synthesis of a colloidal solution with the correct proportions of SiO2 spheres and a high-viscosity organic solvent and the subsequent treatment thereof by spin coating. The provided method makes it possible to obtain films having a controllable thickness and a good structural quality that can easily be attached as an active region in an organic light-emitting diode where, due to the film described herein, the emission of light produced by the active region is considerably improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA
    Inventors: Juan Carlos Salcedo Reyes, Henry Alberto Méndez Pinzón, Luis Camilo Jiménez Borrego
  • Patent number: 9847150
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a transparent conductor is provided. In the method, a silver nanowire layer including a plurality of silver nanowires and having openings is formed on a graphene film supported by a copper support. Then, a transparent resin layer insoluble in a copper-etching solution is formed on the silver nanowire layer such that the transparent resin layer contacts the graphene film through the openings. The copper support is then brought into contact with the non-acidic copper-etching solution to remove the copper support, thereby exposing the graphene film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Naito, Yoshihiro Akasaka, Tianyi Yang, Norihiro Yoshinaga
  • Patent number: 9837567
    Abstract: Provided is a stainless steel substrate for a solar cell, the stainless steel substrate including, by mass %, Cr: 9% to 25%, C: 0.03% or less, Mn: 2% or less, P: 0.05% or less, S: 0.01% or less, N: 0.03% or less, Al: 0.005% to 5.0%, Si: 0.05% to 4.0%, and a remainder including Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which an oxide film containing (i) Al2O3 in an amount of 50% or more or containing (i) Al2O3 and (ii) SiO2 in a total amount of 50% or more is formed on a surface of stainless steel having a composition which contains Al: 0.5% or more and/or Si: 0.4% or more and satisfies the following expression (1). Cr+10Si+Mn+Al>24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN STAINLESS STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaharu Hatano, Eiichiro Ishimaru, Kenji Hattori
  • Patent number: 9834470
    Abstract: Frontside metallization pastes for solar cell electrodes prepared from glass frit containing rare earth metals such as lanthanum and yttrium are disclosed. Electrodes prepared from the metallization pastes exhibit improved adhesion, reliability, and excellent electrical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Zhejiang Kaiying New Materials Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mohamed M. Hilali, Jifeng Wei
  • Patent number: 9837179
    Abstract: An electrically conductive thin film including: a material including a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 and having a layered crystal structure, MemAa??Chemical Formula 1 wherein Me is Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, A is S, Se, Te, or a combination thereof, and m and a each are independently a number selected so that the compound of Chemical Formula 1 is neutral; and a dopant disposed in the compound of Chemical Formula 1, wherein the dopant is a metal dopant that is different from Me and has an oxidation state which is greater than an oxidation state of Me, a non-metal dopant having a greater number of valence electrons than a number of valence electrons of A in Chemical Formula 1, or a combination thereof, and wherein the compound of Chemical Formula 1 includes a chemical bond which includes a valence electron of an s orbital of Me.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kimoon Lee, Sang Il Kim, Se Yun Kim, Sung Woo Hwang, Woojin Lee, Hee Jung Park, Yoon Chul Son, Hyosug Lee, Doh Won Jung, Youngjin Cho, Jae-Young Choi
  • Patent number: 9823392
    Abstract: An optical substrate according to one embodiment includes a support substrate, and a projection-depression structure layer on a surface of which shapes of projections and depressions are formed, the projection-depression structure layer being laminated on the support substrate. The extending directions of projection portions contained in the projection-depression structure layer are irregularly distributed seen in planar view. An outline seen in planar view of a projection portion contained in a region per unit area of the projection-depression structure layer includes more straight line sections than curved line sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Masuyama, Takashi Seki, Maki Fukuda, Suzushi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9824886
    Abstract: A method of forming a REO dielectric layer and a layer of a-Si between a III-N layer and a silicon substrate. The method includes depositing single crystal REO on the substrate. The single crystal REO has a lattice constant adjacent the substrate matching the lattice constant of the substrate and a lattice constant matching a selected III-N material adjacent an upper surface. A uniform layer of a-Si is formed on the REO. A second layer of REO is deposited on the layer of a-Si with the temperature required for epitaxial growth crystallizing the layer of a-Si and the crystallized silicon being transformed to amorphous silicon after transferring the lattice constant of the selected III-N material of the first layer of REO to the second layer of REO, and a single crystal layer of the selected III-N material deposited on the second layer of REO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TRANSLUCENT, INC.
    Inventors: Rytis Dargis, Andrew Clark, Erdem Arkun
  • Patent number: 9804303
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems for tuning nanocube plasmonic resonators and methods for forming tunable plasmonic resonators. A tunable plasmonic resonator system can include a substrate and a nanostructure positioned on a surface of the substrate. The substrate can include a semiconductor material having a carrier density distribution. A junction can be formed between the nanostructure and the substrate forming a Schottky junction. Changing the carrier density distribution of the semiconductor material can change a plasmonic response of the plasmonic resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Tom Driscoll, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Robert C. Petroski, David R. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Nicholas W. Touran, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9799790
    Abstract: A method for preparing a mesoscopic solar cell based on perovskite light absorption materials, the method including 1) preparing a hole blocking layer on a conductive substrate; 2) preparing and sintering a mesoporous nanocrystalline layer, an insulation separating layer, and a hole collecting layer on the hole blocking layer in order; and 3) drop-coating a precursor solution on the hole collecting layer, and allowing the precursor solution to penetrate pores of the mesoporous nanocrystalline layer via the hole collecting layer from top to bottom, and drying a resulting product to obtain a mesoscopic solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: WONDER SOLAR LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
    Inventors: Hongwei Han, Zhiliang Ku
  • Patent number: 9784888
    Abstract: A titanium nitride-based metamaterial, and method for producing the same, is disclosed, consisting of ultrathin, smooth, and alternating layers of a plasmonic titanium nitride (TiN) material and a dielectric material, grown on a substrate to form a superlattice. The dielectric material is made of A1-xScxN, where ‘x’ ranges in value from 0.2 to 0.4. The layers of alternating material have sharp interfaces, and each layer can range from 1-20 nanometers in thickness. Metamaterials based on titanium TiN, a novel plasmonic building block, have many applications including, but not ‘limited to emission enhancers, computer security, etc. The use of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond, and light emitting diode (LED) efficiency enhancement is of particular interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Gururaj Naik, Bivas Saha, Timothy Sands, Vladimir Shalaev, Alexandra Boltasseva
  • Patent number: 9786848
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for an organic nanofiber-based heterojunction material, comprising nano fibers of an acceptor molecule, the nano fibers coated with a donor molecule, where the acceptor molecule contains a group and the donor molecule contains a companion group, wherein the group and companion group enables strong binding between the acceptor molecule and donor molecule, the strong binding providing for efficient forward electron transfer between the acceptor molecule and donor molecule, and wherein the group and companion group minimize charge carrier recombination between the acceptor molecule and the donor molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventors: Ling Zang, Yanke Che
  • Patent number: 9748414
    Abstract: A self-activated front surface bias for photovoltaic solar cell assembly is provided. The solar cell assembly comprises a front surface electrical bias activated by electrical energy generated by the solar cell assembly. The front surface bias improves generation efficiency for said solar cell assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Inventor: Arthur R. Zingher
  • Patent number: 9748434
    Abstract: One embodiment can provide a system for curing conductive paste applied on photovoltaic structures. The system can include a wafer carrier for carrying a plurality of photovoltaic structures and a heater. The wafer carrier can include a surface element that is in direct contact with the photovoltaic structures and is substantially thermally insulating. The heater can be positioned above the wafer carrier. The heater can include a heated radiation surface that does not directly contact the photovoltaic structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Sung, James Zu-Yi Liu
  • Patent number: 9741880
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device and method include forming a plurality of pillar structures in a substrate, forming a first electrode layer on the pillar structures and forming a continuous photovoltaic stack including an N-type layer, a P-type layer and an intrinsic layer on the first electrode. A second electrode layer is deposited over the photovoltaic stack such that gaps or fissures occur in the second electrode layer between the pillar structures. The second electrode layer is wet etched to open up the gaps or fissures and reduce the second electrode layer to form a three-dimensional electrode of substantially uniform thickness over the photovoltaic stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Keith E. Fogel, Augustin J. Hong, Jeehwan Kim, Devendra K. Sadana
  • Patent number: 9741876
    Abstract: A composition for solar cell electrodes includes a silver powder; a glass frit; and an organic vehicle, wherein the glass frit includes bismuth (Bi), tellurium (Te), and chromium (Cr).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok Hyun Jung, Young Ki Park, Dong Suk Kim, Ju Hee Kim, Min Su Park, Koon Ho Kim, Min Jae Kim, Seak Cheol Kim, Sang Hyun Yang
  • Patent number: 9735301
    Abstract: A layer of an n-type chalcogenide compositions provided on a substrate in the presence of an oxidizing gas in an amount sufficient to provide a resistivity to the layer that is less than the resistivity a layer deposited under identical conditions but in the substantial absence of oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Todd R. Bryden, Buford I. Lemon, Joseph George, Rebekah Kristine Ligman Feist
  • Patent number: 9722108
    Abstract: A photodetector with a plasmon structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of light-receiving elements that are formed in a predetermined pattern, protruding from the semiconductor substrate, and a nanostructure that is placed in contact with a surface of the semiconductor substrate among the light-receiving elements and which induces a plasmon phenomenon thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: AGENCY FOR DEFENSE DEVELOPMENT
    Inventors: Chulkyun Seok, Euijoon Yoon, Yongjo Park, Chiyeon Kim
  • Patent number: 9716243
    Abstract: Transparent conducting electrodes incorporate an interface layer located on the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer of the electrode. The interface layer offers a suitable surface for deposition of further layers in order to fabricate electronic devices such as electrochromic devices or organic light emitting diodes. Problems such as pinholes and short circuiting, associated with the inherent roughness of the TCO layer, are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
    Inventors: Neil Mcsporran, Gary Robert Nichol, David Alan Strickler, Kevin David Sanderson
  • Patent number: 9695354
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a formulation with which electronic devices can be produced with improved performance with respect to operating voltage, efficiency and service life. The present invention likewise relates to a method for producing a formulation according to the invention and to a method for producing electronic devices using the formulation according to the invention. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to an electronic device that has been produced using the method according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Herwig Buchholz, Thomas Eberle, Junyou Pan
  • Patent number: 9698381
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for an organic electroluminescent device disposes a scattering layer between a substrate and an anode. The scattering layer is made of a titanium dioxide film, and the titanium dioxide film is formed by an electrospinning process. The density and thickness of an electrospun membrane can be adjusted through a voltage and a distance between electrodes during the electrospinning process. The process parameters are easy to be adjusted and operability is increased to effectively improve a light efficiency. When a light exit from the anode and enter into the substrate inside the device, the scattering layer will scatter the light to change a light path within a critical angle of a total reflection in order to reduce an incident angle. Accordingly, a light which is supposed to be total reflected will be refracted so as to improve the light efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hui Huang
  • Patent number: 9691929
    Abstract: A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell having a first band gap; a second solar subcell adjacent to the first solar subcell and having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap; a first graded interlayer adjacent to the second solar subcell; the first graded interlayer having a third band gap greater than the second band gap; and a third solar subcell adjacent to the first graded interlayer, the third subcell having a fourth band gap smaller than the second band gap such that the third subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the second subcell. A second graded interlayer is provided adjacent to the third solar subcell; the second graded interlayer having a fifth band gap greater than the fourth band gap; and a lower fourth solar subcell is provided adjacent to the second graded interlayer, the lower fourth subcell having a sixth band gap smaller than the fourth band gap such that the fourth subcell is lattice mismatched with respect to the third subcell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: SolAero Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Arthur Cornfeld, Benjamin Cho
  • Patent number: 9691935
    Abstract: An impurity-diffusing composition including (A) a polysiloxane represented by Formula (1) and (B) an impurity diffusion component. In the formula, R1 represents an aryl group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms, and a plurality of R1 may be the same or different. R2 represents any of a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an acyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and an aryl group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms, and a plurality of R2 may be the same or different. R3 and R4 each represent any of a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and an acyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and a plurality of R3 and a plurality of R4 each may be the same or different. The ratio of n:m is 95:5 to 25:75.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Sachio Inaba, Seiichiro Murase, Hiroji Shimizu, Kouichi Dan, Mitsuhito Suwa
  • Patent number: 9670062
    Abstract: A process of growth in the thickness of at least one facet of a colloidal inorganic sheet. By sheet is meant a structure having at least one dimension, the thickness, of nanometric size and lateral dimensions great compared to the thickness, typically more than 5 times the thickness. By homostructured is meant a material of homogeneous composition in the thickness and by heterostructured is meant a material of heterogeneous composition in the thickness. The process allows the deposition of at least one monolayer of atoms on at least one inorganic colloidal sheet, this monolayer being constituted of atoms of the type of those contained or not in the sheet. Homostructured and heterostructured materials resulting from such process as well as the applications of the materials are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: NEXDOT
    Inventor: Benoit Mahler
  • Patent number: 9663382
    Abstract: A method of synthesizing anatase TiO2 nanosheets, the method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a titanium complex with an ethanolamine derivative; (b) adding water to form a mixture; and (c) heating the mixture at a temperature ranging from about 150° C. to about 200° C. to obtain anatase TiO2 nanosheets having O-terminated {100} facets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jiehua Liu, Xue-Wei Liu, Xiangfeng Wei
  • Patent number: 9660207
    Abstract: An organic solar cell includes a first sub-cell including a first active layer and a second sub-cell including a second active layer, wherein at least one of the first active layer and the second active layer includes at least two types of electron acceptors having different light absorbance from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soo Ghang Ihn, Jong Hwan Park, Yeon Ji Chung, Young Min Nam
  • Patent number: 9650374
    Abstract: Photochromic tetrahydroindolizines (THIs) bearing dihydroisoquinoline derivatives as heterocyclic bases and central fluorene groups have been synthesized via different chemical and photochemical pathways. Three alternative pathways for the synthesis of the target photochromic THI-based pyridazinopyrrolo[1,2-b]isoquinolines via in situ trapping with hydrazine hydrate are also provided. High product yields are obtained using different Sonogashira-mediated coupling reactions provided herein. Low temperature multichannel UV-vis and flash photolysis techniques were used to detect the photochromic and kinetic properties of the synthesized system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Umm Al-Qura University
    Inventors: Saleh Abdel-Mgeed Ahmed Saleh, Mohamed Mokhtar Mohamed Abdalla, Khalid Soliman Khalil Khairou
  • Patent number: 9647182
    Abstract: There is provided an illumination device (100) comprising an energy source (102) for exciting a photon emitter; a first wavelength conversion layer (104) and a second wavelength conversion layer (106). At least one of the first and second wavelength conversion layer comprises a periodic plasmonic antenna array comprising a plurality of individual antenna elements (108). The wavelength converting medium in the wavelength conversion layer in which the antenna array is arranged comprises photon emitters arranged in close proximity of the plasmonic antenna array such that at least a portion of photons emitted from the wavelength conversion layer are emitted by a coupled system comprising the photon emitter and the plasmonic antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Marcus Antonius Verschuuren, Gabriel Sebastian Lozano Barbero, Jaime Gómez Rivas, Dirk Kornelis Gerhardus De Boer, Rifat Ata Mustafa Hikmet, Ties Van Bommel
  • Patent number: 9645454
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the transparent conductive film contains a laminated structure including a conductive layer and a transparent polymer layer. The conductive layer contains a metal nanowire and a carbon material including grapheme. The transparent polymer layer contains a transparent polymer having a glass transition temperature of 100° C. or less. The carbon material constitutes one surface of the transparent conductive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Naito, Norihiro Yoshinaga, Yoshihiro Akasaka, Tomio Ono
  • Patent number: 9640298
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a silver paste composition for forming an electrode, and a silicon solar cell using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a silver paste composition for forming an electrode, which includes carbon black having specific parameter characteristics to improve rheological properties of the paste and printability, thereby achieving a high aspect ratio and improving electrical characteristics, and a silicon solar cell using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Su-Hee Lee, Soo-Yeon Heo
  • Patent number: 9640687
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Giovanni Altamura, Louis Grenet, Simon Perraud, Frédéric Roux
  • Patent number: 9634160
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing asolar cell includes texturing a front surface of a semiconductor substrate having a first conductive type dopant by using a dry etching method, forming an emitter layer by ion-implanting a second conductive type dopant into the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, forming a back passivation film on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate; and forming a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter layer and a second electrode being in partial contact with the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Kyoungsoo Lee, Myungjun Shin, Jiweon Jeong
  • Patent number: 9620267
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a resistor, a sheet-shaped resistive element having formed thereon a plurality of belt-shaped electrodes is cut in a direction crossing these belt-shaped electrodes to produce strip-shaped resistive elements. On the other hand, a metal paste containing a glass frit is printed in a pattern of belts arranged at regular intervals on a surface of a plate-shaped insulating substrate to form a plurality of adhesive layers. Then, the strip-shaped resistive elements are respectively applied to the adhesive layers on the plate-shaped insulating substrate, and these are fired in a nitrogen atmosphere. After firing, while a resistance value of a part between each adjacent two electrodes of each strip-shaped resistive element is measured, the strip-shaped resistive element is trimmed so that the resistance value becomes a predetermined value. Then, the plate-shaped insulating substrate having adhered thereto the strip-shaped resistive elements is divided into pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Tsuda, Shoji Hoshitoku, Takeshi Iseki, Kazutosi Matumura
  • Patent number: 9614178
    Abstract: In an electronic component including two substrates at least one of which is transparent, an organic member arranged between these substrates, and a bonding portion located onto respective outer circumferential portions of the two substrates, this bonding portion includes a low-melting glass and filler particles. The low-melting glass includes vanadium oxide. The filler particles include a low thermally-expandable material, and an oxide containing a bivalent transition metal as a constituent element. The oxide is dispersed in the low thermally-expandable material, and the low thermally-expandable material has a thermal expansion coefficient of 5×10?7/° C. or less in a temperature range from 30 to 250° C. This invention makes it possible to heat the filler particles by irradiation with a laser to give the electronic component which is a component having a highly reliable bonding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Naito, Shinichi Tachizono, Kei Yoshimura, Yuji Hashiba, Takuya Aoyagi, Masanori Miyagi, Motomune Kodama, Yuichi Sawai, Tadashi Fujieda, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Hajime Murakami
  • Patent number: 9608140
    Abstract: To improve the yield of a solar cell in its production process, a solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate including a first main surface and a second main surface corresponding to the backside of the first main surface, a busbar electrode on a line extending in a first direction on the second main surface, and end-portion electrodes each being an extension of the busbar electrode on the second main surface and separated from the busbar electrode, and each of the end-portion electrodes having a larger thickness than that of the busbar electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Teramura, Takemichi Honma, Norikazu Ito