General Electric Company

First Solar, Inc.

First Solar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

Juan Carlos Rojo

Bastiaan Arie Korevaar

Hongying Peng

Arie Shahar

George Theodore Dalakos

Robert Dwayne Gossman

Dalong Zhong

Eliezer Traub

Aharon Yakimov

Jinbo Cao

Peter Rusian

Roman Shuba

Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody

Steven Jude Duclos

Peter Joel Meschter

Hongbo Cao

Anping Zhang

Holly Ann Blaydes

David William Vernooy

Qianqian Xin

Allan Robert Northrup

Yangang Andrew Xi

A system for growing a crystal is provided that includes a crucible, a furnace, and a heat transfer device. The crucible has a first volume to receive therein a material for growing a crystal. The furnace has an ampoule configured to receive the crucible within the ampoule. The furnace is configured to produce a lateral thermal profile combined with a vertical thermal gradient. The heat transfer device is disposed under the crucible and configured to produce a leading edge of growth of the crystal at a bottom of the crucible. The heat transfer device includes at least one elongate member disposed beneath the crucible and extending along a length of the crucible.

Systems for crystal growth utilizing furnaces, ampoules, and crucibles

A photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a transparent conductive layer; a window layer disposed on the transparent conductive layer; and an absorber layer disposed on the window layer. The window layer includes a low-diffusivity layer disposed adjacent to the transparent conductive layer and a high-diffusivity layer interposed between the low-diffusivity layer and the absorber layer. Method of making a photovoltaic device is also presented.

Photovoltaic devices and method of making

A method of manufacturing a transparent oxide layer is provided. The manufacturing method includes disposing a cadmium tin oxide layer on a support, placing the support with the cadmium tin oxide layer within a chamber of a rapid thermal annealing system, and rapidly thermally annealing the cadmium tin oxide layer by exposing the cadmium tin oxide layer to electromagnetic radiation to form the transparent oxide layer, wherein the rapid thermal anneal is performed without first pumping down the chamber.

Methods for forming a transparent oxide layer for a photovoltaic device

Systems and methods for crystal growth are provided. One method includes producing a lateral thermal profile in a furnace having a crucible therein containing a material for growing a crystal. The lateral thermal profile has three zones, wherein the first and third zones have temperatures above and below a melting point of the material, respectively, and the second zone has a plurality of temperatures with at least one temperature equal to the melting point of the material. The method further includes combining the lateral thermal profile with a vertical thermal gradient produced in the furnace, wherein the vertical thermal gradient causes a point in a bottom of the crucible located in the third zone to be the coldest point in the crucible. The method also includes transferring heat from the first and second zones to the third zone to produce a leading edge of the interface.

Method for configuring a system to grow a crystal by coupling a heat transfer device comprising at least one elongate member beneath a crucible

A method of manufacturing semiconductor assemblies is provided. The manufacturing method includes thermally processing a first semiconductor assembly comprising a first semiconductor layer disposed on a first support and thermally processing a second semiconductor assembly comprising a second semiconductor layer disposed on a second support. The first and second semiconductor assemblies are thermally processed simultaneously, and the first and second semiconductor assemblies are arranged such that the first semiconductor layer faces the second semiconductor layer during the thermal processing.

Manufacturing methods for semiconductor devices

A method for forming a back contact for a photovoltaic cell that includes at least one semiconductor layer is provided. The method includes applying a continuous film of a chemically active material on a surface of the semiconductor layer and activating the chemically active material such that the activated material etches the surface of the semiconductor layer. The method further includes removing the continuous film of the activated material from the photovoltaic cell and depositing a metal contact layer on the etched surface of the semiconductor layer.

Back contact electrodes for cadmium telluride photovoltaic cells

Methods for forming back contact electrodes for cadmium telluride photovoltaic cells

In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method includes disposing a substantially amorphous cadmium tin oxide layer on a support; and thermally processing the substantially amorphous cadmium tin oxide layer in an atmosphere substantially free of cadmium from an external source to form a transparent layer, wherein the transparent layer has an electrical resistivity less than about 2&#xd7;10Ohm-cm. Method of making a photovoltaic device is also provided.

Method of making a transparent conductive oxide layer and a photovoltaic device

Growing community of inventors

Niskayuna, NY, United States of America

Juan Carlos Rojo