The Boeing Company

California Institute of Technology

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Philip L Leung

John Michael Bodeau

Jesse N Matossian

Lynn E Long

Joel A Schwartz

Chris Lee

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for protecting solar cells from cellular degradation caused by an electrostatic discharge pulse. In one embodiment, a diode may bypass current generated from an electrostatic discharge so that the pulse current does not reverse bias the solar cell. Advanced diodes, capacitors and/or multiple diodes located on multiple bypass current paths, may be used. In another embodiment, the transient impedance of the current path that reverse biases the solar cell is increased by using inductors placed along the reversing current path. In another embodiment, the pulse current rise rate is reduced by extending the harness length of cell contacts. In another embodiment, solar cells in a serpentine pattern may be protected from electrostatic discharge damage by coupling bypass current paths to the open ends of the serpentine. Inductors may also be placed in series with the serpentine series of cells.

Method and apparatus to protect solar cells from electrostatic discharge damage

A control circuit () for controlling electrostatic discharge in an electric component includes a heater () that is thermally coupled to the component. A sensor () is used for sensing a sensed condition. A controller is coupled to the heater and the sensor. The controller () heats the component in response to the sensed condition. The sensor () may include an electron flux level near the component or a surface potential of the component itself.

Control system for electrostatic discharge mitigation

A conformally coated structure includes a component of an electronic assembly, such as a microelectronic device, a part of a package, or an electrically conductive trace, and a conformal coating applied to a surface of the structure. The conformal coating is a cured polymer blend of a base polymer and an electrically conductive polymer. The polymer blend has an electrical resistivity of from about 10 to about 10 ohm-centimeter. The polymer blend contains from about 0.5 percent to about 4 percent by weight of the electrically conductive polymer, with the remainder the base polymer. The electrically conductive polymer may be a polyaniline, and the base polymer may be a urethane.

Structure with blended polymer conformal coating of controlled electrical resistivity

A device for use as an electrostatic particle or droplet injector is disclosed which is capable of injecting dielectric particles or droplets. The device operates by first charging the dielectric particles or droplets using ultraviolet light induced photoelectrons from a low work function material plate supporting the dielectric particles or droplets, and then ejecting the charged particles or droplets from the plate by utilizing an electrostatic force. The ejected particles or droplets are mostly negatively charged in the preferred embodiment; however, in an alternate embodiment, an ion source is used instead of ultraviolet light to eject positively charged dielectric particles or droplets.

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La Canada, CA, United States of America

Philip L Leung