Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Ecd-anr Energy Conversion Company

Jaime M Reyes

David D Allred

On Van Nguyen

Stanford R Ovshinsky

Wolodymyr Czubatyj

Joachim Doehler

Lee Walter

Michael W Putty

Diane E Moore

Tumkur S Jayadev

Krystyna Dec

Jerry A Piontkowski

Nancy Jackett

Rajendra Singh

Helen Davis

Eugen Munteanu

David D Allerd

A surface mounted circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes an insulating substrate, a chemical vapor deposited interconnect layer of conductive metal, as Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, W, Mo, Mn or mixtures thereof, and at least one circuit element. The surface mounted circuit includes an interfacial layer of W, Mo, Mn, or a mixtures thereof, chemical vapor deposition of an interconnect layer of Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Mn, W, Mo, or mixtures thereof, and bonding of a circuit element atop the interconnect layer. Also disclosed is a support, adapted for use as a circuit board for a surface mounted circuit.

Surface mounted circuits including hybrid circuits, having CVD

Disclosed are a thermoelectric device and method of making the device. The device has a plurality of thermoelectric elements electrically in series and thermally in parallel, where the individual thermoelectric elements have a thermoelectric body formed of macroscopically disordered material with electrical contact surfaces at opposite ends and a multi-layered diffusion barrier coating on the electrical contact surfaces.

Method of manufacturing a thermoelectric element

New and improved compacted or powder pressed materials for thermoelectric applications include a body formed from compacted powder material including at least bismuth and tellurium and at least one highly electrically conductive phase. The materials are made in accordance with the general method of the present invention by forming a particulate mixture containing the constituent elements of a first compound including at least bismuth and tellurium and the constituent elements of a second compound capable of forming at least one highly electrically conductive phase, and thereafter, compressing at least a portion of said particulate mixture to form a compacted body of the material. In accordance with a first preferred embodiment, the first and second compounds are first separately prepared from their respective constituent elements. The first and second compounds are then combined and heated to form a melt. Thereafter, the melt is cooled to solid material form and then crushed to form the particulate mixture. In accordance with a second preferred embodiment, a melt is first formed from the second compound and the constituent elements of the first compound. The melt is then cooled to solid material form and then crushed to form the particulate mixture. In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the first and second compounds are first separately prepared from their respective constituent elements and then separately crushed into particulate form prior to forming the particulate mixture.

Powder pressed thermoelectric materials and method of making same

There is disclosed a new and improved material and device for improved selective absorption of light energy for use in photothermal applications and a method and apparatus for manufacturing same. The device includes a layer of thermal infrared radiation reflecting material containing a transition metal or stainless steel. A solar radiation absorbing layer is deposited over the infrared reflecting layer. This layer comprises either amorphous boron or an amorphous alloy of boron and silicon, boron and germanium or boron and molybdenum. Finally, a solar radiation antireflecting material layer is deposited over the solar radiation absorbing layer. This layer comprises an amorphous alloy of nitrogen and either silicon or boron.

Selective absorber amorphous alloys and devices

An invention is disclosed which provides improved thermoelectric devices and methods of making and using the same. The device exhibits enhanced efficiency and operating life through the use of a bonding material comprising at least 75% busmuth together with an adherent metallic layer interposed between the boundary structure and correspondary thermoelectric semiconductor element.

Thermoelectric device and method of making and using same

A new and improved thermoelectric device of the type which provides electrical energy in response to a temperature gradient applied across the device exhibits both structural integrity and improved efficiency. The new thermoelectric device includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements, coupling means on opposite respective sides of the thermoelectric elements for interconnecting the elements electrically in accordance with a predetermined pattern, and encapsulant means including an encapsulant material covering the exposed surfaces of the thermoelectric elements. The encapsulant forms void spaces between the elements for providing effective thermal insulation between the elements and confining substantially all of the heat flow from the temperature gradient to through the elements. The coupling means includes electrically conductive plate segments for electrically interconnecting the thermoelectric elements. The plate segments are joined to the elements on respective opposite sides thereof and are contacted and held in fixed relative relation by the encapsulant material. The plate segments further define an outer periphery of the device and the encapsulant material bridge across the plate segments at the periphery of the device. As a result, structural device integrity is obtained while more efficient use of the temperature gradient is made.

Substrateless thermoelectric device and method of making same

A process and apparatus for depositing a film from a gas involves introducing the gas to a deposition environment containing a substrate, heating the substrate, and irradiating the gas with radiation having a preselected energy spectrum, such that a film is deposited onto the substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the energy spectrum of the radiation is below or approximately equal to that required to photochemically decompose the gas. In another embodiment, the gas is irradiated through a transparent member exposed at a first surface thereof to the deposition environment, and a flow of substantially inert gaseous material is passed along the first surface to minimize deposition thereon.

Photo-assisted CVD

There is disclosed new and improved photovoltaic devices which provide increased short circuit currents and efficiencies over that previously obtainable from prior devices. The disclosed devices include incident radiation directing means for directing at least a portion of the incident light through the active region or regions thereof at angles sufficient to substantially confine the directed radiation in the devices. This allows substantially total utilization of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Further, because the light is directed through the active region or regions at such angles, the active regions can be made thinner to also increase collection efficiencies. The incident radiation directors can be random surface or bulk reflectors to provide random scattering of the light, or periodic surface or bulk reflector to provide selective scattering of the light. While the present invention is applicable to photovoltaic devices formed from any type of semiconductor material, as for example, crystalline, polycrystalline, or amorphous semiconductor alloys or any combination thereof, disclosure herein is primarily directed to photovoltaic devices formed from amorphous silicon alloys preferably incorporating fluorine as a density of states reducing element. The disclosure is also directed to, without limitation, photovoltaic devices of the p-i-n configuration, both as single cells and multiple cells arranged in tandem.

Growing community of inventors

Birmingham, MI, United States of America

Jaime M Reyes