Astropower, Inc.

General Electric Company

Heritage Power LLC

Motech Americas, LLC

James A Rand

Allen M Barnett

Robert B Hall

David H Ford

Ralf Jonczyk

Joseph C Checchi

Christopher L Kendall

Sandra R Collins

Chad Byron Moore

Stephen Pisklak

Alysha Grenko

Scott L Kendall

Jacob E Brown

William P Mulligan

Todd R Ruffins

Steven M Lampo

Methods and apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor sheet are provided. In one aspect, a method for fabricating a semiconductor wafer includes applying a layer of semiconductor material across a portion of a setter material, introducing the setter material and the semiconductor material to a predetermined thermal gradient to form a melt, wherein the thermal gradient includes a predetermined nucleation and growth region, and forming at least one local cold spot in the nucleation and growth region to facilitate inducing crystal nucleation at the at least one desired location.

Methods and apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor wafers

Methods and systems for photovoltaic roofing systems are provided. The system includes a back sheet including a length, L, a width, W, and a thickness, T, the back sheet including an overlap portion extending along length L having a width, WO and an active portion extending along length L having a width, WA. The system also includes a photovoltaic cell formed on a surface of the active portion, the photovoltaic cell including a photovoltaic member electrically responsive to an absorption of photons, a negative electrode coupled to a surface of the photovoltaic member, and a positive electrode coupled to the surface of the photovoltaic member, wherein the thickness T is selected such that thickness T plus a thickness of the photoelectric cell substantially match a thickness of a proximate non-photovoltaic roofing member when the photovoltaic roofing system is installed.

Methods and systems for asphalt roof integrated photovoltaic modules

A material handling system for moving material from a storage device to a receiver comprises a counter rotating double screw feeder extending from the storage device to the receiver. The counter rotating double screw feeder comprises an outer screw feed member; an inner screw feed member; where the outer screw feed member being positioned in an outer screw feed member tube; and the inner screw feed member being positioned in an inner screw feed member tube. The material is feed from the storage device to the process tube via the outer screw feed member; the inner screw feed member removes gas and byproducts from the receiver.

Material handling system and method

There is provided a method of fabricating a wafer, comprising depositing semiconductor material into a recess in a setter, moving the setter through a heating/cooling region to subject the semiconductor material to a temperature profile, and removing a wafer from the recess. The size and shape of the wafer are substantially equal to the size of the wafer when it is used. As a result, the wafer can be fabricated in any desired shape and with any of a variety of surface structural features and/or internal structural features. The temperature profile can be closely controlled, enabling production of wafers having structural features not previously obtainable. There are also provided wafers formed by such methods and setters for use in such methods.

Method of using a setter having a recess in manufacturing a net-shape semiconductor wafer

A polycrystalline film of silicon including silicon grains having an aspect ratio, d/t, of more than 1:1, wherein &ldquo;d&rdquo; is the grain diameter and &ldquo;t&rdquo; is the grain thickness. The polycrystalline film of silicon can be used to form an electronic device, such as a monolithically integrated solar cell having ohmic contacts formed on opposed surfaces or on the same surface of the film. A plurality of solar cells can be monolithically integrated to provide a solar cell module that includes an electrically insulating substrate and at least two solar cells disposed on the substrate in physical isolation from one another. Methods for manufacturing the film, solar cell and solar cell module are also disclosed. The simplified structure and method allow for substantial cost reduction on a mass-production scale, at least in part due to the high aspect ratio silicon grains in the film.

Silicon thin-film, integrated solar cell, module, and methods of manufacturing the same

The invention relates to a silicon sheet having columnar grains extending axially through the sheet from one free surface of the sheet to the other free surface. The sheet has an electrical resistivity in the range of 0.1 to 10 ohm-cm.

Columnar-grained polycrystalline solar cell substrate

The invention relates to improved techniques for manufacturing columnar-grained polycrystalline sheets which have particular utility as substrates or wafers for solar cells. The sheet is made from silicon on a setter material which supports the silicon material. The setter material and silicon are subjected to a thermal profile all of which promote columnar growth. The thermal profile sequentially creates a melt region where a thin-film capping layer grows at the top of the silicon, a nucleation region where preferential nucleation occurs at the capping-layer/molten-silicon interface, and then a growth region where both liquid and a growing polycrystalline sheet layer coexist. An annealing region is created where the temperature of the grown polycrystalline silicon sheet layer is controllably reduced to effect stress relief.

Columnar-grained polycrystalline solar cell substrate and improved

The invention relates to techniques for manufacturing columnar-grained polycrystalline sheets which have particular utility as substrates or wafers for solar cells. The sheet is made by applying granular silicon to a setter material which supports the granular material. The setter material and granular silicon are subjected to a thermal profile all of which promote columnar growth by melting the silicon from the top downwardly. The thermal profile sequentially creates a melt region at the top of the granular silicon and then a growth region where both liquid and a growing polycrystalline sheet layer coexist. An annealing region is created where the temperature of the grown polycrystalline silicon sheet layer is controllably reduced to effect stress relief.

Columnar-grained polycrystalline solar cell and process of manufacture

A plurality of thin polycrystalline silicon solar cells formed on a ceramic substrate and which are electrically series connected to form a monolithically interconnected submodule. Adjacent solar cells are electrically separated by a vertical trench and electrically connected by interconnects located below the light receiving surface of each solar cell. The submodules are provided with external electrical contacts for electrically connecting into a photovoltaic module assembly.

Interconnected silicon film solar cell array

A thin-film photovoltaic solar cell features a thin polycrystalline silicon active semiconductor formed over a conductive ceramic substrate. Between the substrate and the adjacent active semiconductor layer is a barrier layer which provides for reflection of light, minimizes back surface recombination and prevents contamination of the active semiconductor.

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Oxford, PA, United States of America

James A Rand