International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Gerd Pfeiffer

Rainer Klaus Krause

Lawrence Alfred Clevenger

Kevin M Prettyman

Brian Christopher Sapp

Carl John Radens

Kevin Shawn Petrarca

Harold John Hovel

Dale Warner Martin

Mark David Jaffe

Alvin Jose Joseph

Subramanian Srikanteswara Iyer

Zhengwen O Li

James Albert Slinkman

Alan Bernard Botula

Thorsten Muehge

Ravi Mahendra Todi

Hans-Juergen Eickelmann

Mukta G Farooq

Geng Wang

Chengwen Pei

Babar Ali Khan

Paul Christian Parries

Abhishek Dube

Oh-Jung Kwon

Troy Lawrence Graves-Abe

Joyce C Liu

Junedong Lee

Christopher N Collins

Thuy L Tran-Quinn

Jeffrey E Hanrahan

Jeffrey P Gambino

Timothy Joseph Dalton

Robert Hannon

Richard A Phelps

Markus Schmidt

Max Gerald Levy

Anthony Gene Domenicucci

Kenneth John Giewont

Kevin R Winstel

Derrick Liu

Maxime Darnon

Michael Haag

Richard J Murphy

Neena Garg

Frank J Schmidt, Jr

Ranier Krauser

Kenneth F McAvey

Terrance M Tornatore

Gregory D Pomarico

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a photovoltaic module, the photovoltaic module comprising a plurality of photovoltaic cells, a controllable infrared protection layer, and a protection switching means. The controllable infrared protection layer is for reducing the infrared radiation absorbed by the photovoltaic module, where the controllable infrared protection layer has a first state and a second state. When the infrared protection layer is in the first state the transmission of infrared radiation to the photovoltaic cells is higher than when the infrared protection layer is in the second state. The protection switching means is for switching the controllable infrared protection layer between the first state and the second state.

Photovoltaic module with a controllable infrared protection layer

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for restoring efficiency of a photovoltaic cell. An illumination module illuminates photovoltaic cells so the cells receive a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 5 hours of solar illumination. After illumination, an annealing module anneals the photovoltaic cells at a temperature above 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes. In one embodiment, the illumination module illuminates the photovoltaic cells for a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 20 hours of solar illumination. In another embodiment, the illumination module illuminates the photovoltaic cells for a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 16 hours of solar illumination while being heated to at least 50 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, a solar concentrator irradiates the photovoltaic cells in sunlight for at least 10 hours and increases the irradiance of solar illumination on the cells by a factor of 2 to 5.

Regeneration method for restoring photovoltaic cell efficiency

The formation of TSVs (through substrate vias) for 3D applications has proven to be defect dependent upon the type of starting semiconductor substrate employed. In addition to the initial formation of TSVs via Bosch processing, backside 3D wafer processing has also shown a defect dependency on substrate type. High yield of TSV formation can be achieved by utilizing a substrate that embodies bulk micro defects (BMD) at a density between 1e4/cc (particles per cubic centimeter) and 1e7/cc and having equivalent diameter less than 55 nm (nanometers).

Electrical leakage reduction in stacked integrated circuits having through-silicon-via (TSV) structures

A silicon solar cell is manufactured by providing a carrier plate, and by applying a first contact pattern to the carrier plate. The first contact pattern includes a set of first laminar contacts. The silicon solar cell is further manufactured by applying a multitude of silicon slices to the first contact pattern, and by applying a second contact pattern to the multitude of silicon slices. Each first laminar contact of the set of first laminar contacts is in spatial laminar contact with maximally two silicon slices. The second contact pattern includes a set of second laminar contacts. Each second laminar contact of the set of second laminar contacts is in spatial laminar contact with maximally two silicon slices.

Silicon solar cell manufacture

According to a method herein, a first side of a substrate is implanted with a first material to change a crystalline structure of the first side of the substrate from a first crystalline state to a second crystalline state, after the first material is implanted. A second material is deposited on the first side of the substrate, after the first material is implanted. A first side of an insulator layer is bonded to the second material on the first side of the substrate. Integrated circuit devices are formed on a second side of the insulator layer, opposite the first side of the insulator layer, after the insulator layer is bonded to the second material. The integrated circuit devices are thermally annealed. The first material maintains the second crystalline state of the first side of the substrate during the annealing.

High linearity SOI wafer for low-distortion circuit applications

A method of backside contacting of thin layer photovoltaic cells having Si elements as well as thin film cells, like CIGS, is provided, including the following steps:

Backside contacting on thin layer photovoltaic cells

Methods are provided for fine tuning substrate resistivity. The method includes measuring a resistivity of a substrate after an annealing process, and fine tuning a subsequent annealing process to achieve a target resistivity of the substrate. The fine tuning is based on the measured resistivity.

Fine tuning highly resistive substrate resistivity and structures thereof

A photovoltaic module () with a plurality of solar cells () interconnected in serial and/or parallel arrangement within the module () is equipped with an overheat protection system () for suppressing damages of the photovoltaic module () due to defects of the solar cells (). The overheat protection system () comprises a heat sensor () which is thermally coupled to a solar cell (). The heat sensor () is physically integrated into an electrical switch () which is electrically connected to said solar cell ().

Solar module with overheat protection

A structure and method for forming isolation and a buried plate for a trench capacitor is disclosed. Embodiments of the structure comprise an epitaxial layer serving as the buried plate, and a bounded deep trench isolation area serving to isolate one or more deep trench structures. Embodiments of the method comprise angular implanting of the deep trench isolation area to form a P region at the base of the deep trench isolation area that serves as an anti-punch through implant.

Structure and method for forming isolation and buried plate for trench capacitor

A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic solar cell device includes the following. A p-n junction having a first doping density is formed. Formation of the p-n junction is enhanced by introducing a second doping density to form high doped areas for a dual emitter application. The high doped areas are defined by a masking process integrated with the formation of the p-n junction, resulting in a mask pattern of the high doped areas. A metallization of the high doped areas occurs in accordance with the mask pattern of the high doped areas.

Photovoltaic solar cell device manufacture

The invention relates to a manufacturing process of a photovoltaic solar cell () comprising:

Manufacturing process for making photovoltaic solar cells

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structures and related methods of forming such structures. In one case, a method includes providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) handle substrate having: a substantially uniform resistivity profile along a depth of the handle substrate; and an interstitial oxygen (O) concentration of less than approximately 10 parts per million atoms (ppma). The method further includes counter-doping a surface region of the handle, causing the surface region to have a resistivity greater than approximately 3 kOhm-cm, and joining the surface region of the handle substrate with a donor wafer.

Silicon-on-insulator substrate and method of forming

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Poughquag, NY, United States of America

Gerd Pfeiffer