G.t. Equipment Technologies, Inc.

Semlux Technologies, Inc.

Other

Gt Solar Incorporated

Alleppey V Hariharan

Mohan Chandra

Jagannathan Ravi

Yuepeng Wan

Michael A Costantini

Kedar Prasad Gupta

Jonathan A Talbott

Steven T Slavsky

Bernard D Jones

Thomas S McGee

David W Lackey

Thomas N Kirchner

Eric De Rivera

Keith Matthei

This application describes a bulk and thin film chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process using lasers to heat a silicon substrate to the required deposition temperature. It is primarily applicable to production of polysilicon by the decomposition of halosilanes in a chemical reactor. It is also suitable for other materials that use a CVD process to deposit material on a heated silicon substrate.

Laser assisted chemical vapor deposition of silicon

The present invention relates to a direct method to convert fine and ultra fine silicon powder from polysilicon manufacturing sources such as fluid bed and free space reactors into densified granular forms. This conversion process is effected by the use of lasers of selective wavelengths from solid state diode or optically-pumped YAG sources to locally heat, melt and densify a controlled quantity of silicon powder, and comprises the steps of distributing dry silicon powder on an inert substrate, subjecting the silicon charge to a focused laser beam to realize melted and densified granular forms, and discharging the product. When adapted to high purity silicon powder, the end use for the densified silicon granular forms is primarily as feedstock for silicon-based semiconductor and photovoltaic manufacturing industries. The process, suitably modified, is adaptable to form other silicon body shapes and components.

Laser conversion of high purity silicon powder to densified granular forms

A process for the recovery of silicon includes providing silicon-containing solids recovered from a silicon manufacturing process, said recovered silicon-containing solids being substantially free of semiconductor dopants; converting the recovered silicon-containing solids into gaseous silicon forms; subjecting to purification by minimal distillation; collecting the gaseous silicon forms as a condensed liquid of silicon-containing compounds; and utilizing the silicon-containing compounds for silicon deposition.

Method to convert waste silicon to high purity silicon

Recovery of silicon from kerf silicon waste

A bulk silicon material for making silicon ingots, consisting of silicon pellets, and a method for making the pellets from an agglomerate-free source of high purity silicon powder by feeding a controlled amount of silicon powder that is free of intentional additives and binders into a pellet die, and dry compacting the powder at ambient temperature with pressure to produce a pellet that has a density of about 50&#x2013;75% of the theoretical density of elemental silicon, a weight within a range of about 1.0 gram to about 3.0 grams and preferably of about 2.3 grams, a diameter in the range of 10 mm to 20 mm and preferably of about 14 mm, and a height in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm and preferably of about 10 mm.

Dry conversion of high purity ultrafine silicon powder to densified pellet form for silicon melting applications

A machine for the automated assembly of wafers such as solar cells into strings, comprising a control system, a cell loader with wafer inspection station, a cell tab loader, a string assembly station, and a platen with adjacent pairs of individual cell, opposing edge grippers having multiple sets of vertically operable pincer action fingers for holding cells in string alignment during soldering. The string assembly station has a cooperating cell support and tab tail support mechanism providing for a tab tail hand off from one to the other with a platen indexing movements of cell pitch distance. The platen moves from the string assembly station through a soldering station consisting of a preheat, soldering, and cooling zones spaced a cell pitch distance apart. A string unloader moves completed strings through a string inspection station placing strings in a good or bad string holding area.

Solar cell stringing machine

A method for fabricating multi-cell solar devices using thermal spray deposition techniques to spray metal powder directly on solar cells and on the backing upon which solar cells are assembled, to form collection grid lines, bus bars, electrodes and interconnections between solar cells.

Making and connecting bus bars on solar cells

A method for preparing a release coating and applying it to crucibles used to contain molten material while it solidifies, by mixing a release coating power with a dry organic binder into a powder and binder dry mixture, mixing a defoamer with a liquid into a liquid and defoamer mixture, mixing the dry mixture with the liquid and defoamer mixture into a wet release coating, sieving to remove lumps and particles, checking the viscosity, wet-spraying onto a crucible, evaporating the liquid from the wet release coating so as to leave a dry release coating on the crucible, and separating the binder from the dry release coating by thermal decomposition.

Release coating system for crucibles

A thermodynamically stable, protective coating layer is applied by thermal spray technique to the inner and outer surfaces of a quartz crucible used for mono or polycrystalline silicon crystallization processing, inhibiting fusion between the silicon melt and the vitreous silica of the crucible, contamination of the silicon melt by contaminants released from the crucible by devitrification, and any chemical reaction occurring between the crucible and any supporting graphite structure. A powdered form of a suitable protective coating material compatible with high temperature plasma spray techniques, such as magnesium zirconate, barium zirconate, or stabilized zirconium oxide, is fed into a high temperature and high speed plasma jet directed at the crucible. The powder particles are softened or melted in the jet and deposited on the surfaces of the quartz crucible, and allowed to cool and harden into a protective coating.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Alleppey V Hariharan