General Electric Company

First Solar, Inc.

First Solar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

Roman Shuba

Donald Franklin Foust

Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody

Bastiaan Arie Korevaar

Anthony Mark Thompson

Hongbo Cao

Juan Carlos Rojo

Wyatt Keith Metzger

Laura Anne Clark

Yinghui Shan

Robert Andrew Garber

Mark Philip D'Evelyn

Krishan Lal Luthra

Wei A Chen

Peter Joel Meschter

Thomas Francis McNulty

Bruce Gordon Norman

Vikas Behrani

Methods for treating a semiconductor layer including a semiconductor material are presented. A method includes contacting at least a portion of the semiconductor material with a passivating agent. The method further includes forming a first region in the semiconductor layer by introducing a dopant into the semiconductor material; and forming a chalcogen-rich region. The method further includes forming a second region in the semiconductor layer, the second region including a dopant, wherein an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the second region is greater than an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the first region. Photovoltaic devices are also presented.

Methods of treating a semiconductor layer

Photovoltaic devices are presented. A photovoltaic device includes a window layer and a semiconductor layer including a semiconductor material disposed on window layer. The semiconductor layer includes a first region and a second region, the first region disposed proximate to the window layer, and the second region including a chalcogen-rich region, wherein the first region and the second region include a dopant, and an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the second region is greater than an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the first region.

Photovoltaic 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

A treated refractory material includes a porous refractory material having one or more protective materials disposed within pores of the refractory material. Methods of preparing the treated refractory material are also provided. The treated refractory material provides protection from the penetration of slag and extends the service life of the refractory material.

Refractory material with improved resistance to molten slag

A treated refractory material includes a sintered porous refractory material having one or more protective materials disposed within pores of the refractory material, wherein the protective material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, silica, rare earth oxides, rare earth zirconates, titanium oxide, mullite, zirconium oxide, zirconium silicate, yttrium oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide, and blends thereof. Methods of preparing the treated refractory material are also provided. The treated refractory material provides protection from the penetration of slag and extends the service life of the refractory.

Treated refractory material and methods of making

A starting material including silica and carbon is heated to form an intermediate material. The intermediate material includes silica and silicon carbide. The intermediate material is reacted to form silicon. At least some of the emissions that are generated by heating the starting material and reacting the intermediate material are collected and used to generate electric power.

System and method for producing solar grade silicon

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Niskayuna, NY, United States of America

Roman Shuba