Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Xerox Corporation

Solarworld Innovations Gmbh

Palo Alto Research Corporation Incorporated

Thomas Hantschel

David Kirtland Fork

Eugene Michael Chow

Michel A Rosa

Dirk De Bruyker

Koenraad F Van Schuylenbergh

Sven Kosgalwies

Eric Peeters

Gordon Todd Jagerson, Jr

Christopher L Chua

Peter Kiesel

Noble Marshall Johnson

William S Wong

Armin R Volkel

Michael L Chabinyc

Christian G Van De Walle

Dirk DeBruyker

John Dunec

Jeng Ping Lu

Brent Shawhan Krusor

Raj B Apte

Scott Alan Elrod

Karl Anthony Littau

Chinnwen Shih

Yan Yan Yang

Michael A Rosa

Dirk Debruyer

Dirk Debruyker

John L Dunec

A solar cell structure formed by extruding/dispensing materials on a substrate such that centrally disposed conductive high aspect ratio line structures (gridlines) are formed on the substrate surface with localized support structures coincidentally disposed on opposing side surfaces of the gridlines such that the gridlines are surrounded or otherwise supported by the localized support structures. In one embodiment the localized support structures are transparent, remain on the substrate after the co-extrusion process, and are covered by a layer of material. In another embodiment, the localized support structures are sacrificial support structures that are removed as part of the solar cell structure manufacturing process. In both cases the co-extrusion process is performed such that both the central gridline and the localized support structures are in direct contact with the surface of the substrate.

Solar cell with high aspect ratio gridlines supported between co-extruded support structures

Systems and methods may provide electrical contacts to an array of substantially vertically aligned nanorods. The nanorod array may be fabricated on top of a conducting layer that serves as a bottom contact to the nanorods. A top metal contact may be applied to a plurality of nanorods of the nanorod array. The contacts may allow I/V (current/voltage) characteristics of the nanorods to be measured.

Systems and methods for electrical contacts to arrays of vertically aligned nanorods

Micro-machined (e.g., stress-engineered spring) structures are produced by forming a release layer, forming a partially or fully encapsulated beam/spring structure, and then releasing the beam/spring structure by etching the release layer. The encapsulation structure protects the beam/spring during release, so both the release layer and the beam/spring can be formed using plating and/or using the same material. The encapsulation structure can be metal, resist, polymer, oxide, or nitride, and may be removed after the release process, or retained as part of the completed micro-machined structure.

Micro-machined structure production using encapsulation

Fluidic conduits, which can be used in microarraying systems, dip pen nanolithography systems, fluidic circuits, and microfluidic systems, are disclosed that use channel spring probes that include at least one capillary channel. Formed from spring beams (e.g., stressy metal beams) that curve away from the substrate when released, channels can either be integrated into the spring beams or formed on the spring beams. Capillary forces produced by the narrow channels allow liquid to be gathered, held, and dispensed by the channel spring probes. Because the channel spring beams can be produced using conventional semiconductor processes, significant design flexibility and cost efficiencies can be achieved.

Capillary-channel probes for liquid pickup, transportation and dispense using stressy metal

A method of forming spring structures using a single lithographic operation is described. In particular, a single lithographic operation both defines the spring area and also defines what areas of the spring will be uplifted. By eliminating a second lithographic operation to define a spring release area, processing costs for spring fabrication can be reduced.

'All in one' spring process for cost-effective spring manufacturing and spring self-alignment

A method for mounting the micro spring structures onto cables or contact structures includes forming a spring island having an 'upside-down' stress bias on a first release material layer or directly on a substrate, forming a second release material over at least a portion of the spring island, and then forming a base structure over the second release material layer. The micro spring structure is then transferred in an unreleased state, inverted such that the base structure contacts a surface of a selected apparatus, and then secured (e.g., using solder reflow techniques) such that the micro spring structure becomes attached to the apparatus. The spring structure is then released by etching or otherwise removing the release material layer(s).

Transferable micro spring structure

According to various exemplary embodiments, a spring device that includes a substrate, a self-releasing layer provided over the substrate and a stressed-metal layer provided over the self-releasing layer is disclosed, wherein an amount of stress inside the stressed-metal layer results in a peeling force that is higher than an adhesion force between the self-releasing layer and the stressed-metal layer. Moreover, a method of manufacturing a spring device, according to various exemplary embodiments, includes providing a substrate, providing a self-releasing layer over the substrate and providing a stressed-metal layer over the self-releasing layer wherein an amount of stress inside the stressed-metal layer results in a peeling force that is higher than an adhesion force between the self-releasing layer and the stressed-metal layer is also disclosed in this invention.

Self-releasing spring structures and methods

A curved spring structure includes a base section extending parallel to the substrate surface, a curved cantilever section bent away from the substrate surface, and an elongated section extending from the base section along the substrate surface under the cantilevered section. The spring structure includes a spring finger formed from a self-bending material film (e.g., stress-engineered metal, bimorph/bimetallic) that is patterned and released. A cladding layer is then electroplated and/or electroless plated onto the spring finger for strength. The elongated section is formed from plating material deposited simultaneously with cladding layers. To promote the formation of the elongated section, a cementation layer is provided under the spring finger to facilitate electroplating, or the substrate surface is pre-treated to facilitate electroless plating.

Curved spring structure with elongated section located under cantilevered section

A method for extruding composite materials on a substrate includes feeding a first material into a first channel and a second material, used to maintain a shape of the first material, into one or more second channels residing on at least one side of the first channel, merging the flows of the first and second materials into a single flow in which the second material surrounds the first material, applying the single flow to a substrate to produce at least one composite material, and post-processing the composite material to form a solid.

Extruding/dispensing multiple materials to form high-aspect ratio extruded structures

A device for extruding/dispensing materials on a substrate includes a housing with at least two channels formed to facilitate flow. The housing includes entrance ports for each of the channels for receiving different materials. The housing further includes an exit port for co-extruding the materials on the substrate to generate a relatively fine feature with a relatively high aspect ratio.

Extrusion/dispensing systems and methods

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a solar photovoltaic device is disclosed. The semiconductor material of the solar photovoltaic device is a heterostructure of two different binary compounds of the same metal. One or both of the two different binary compounds of the same metal are doped so that they have a conduction band edge offset of greater than about 0.4 eV. The binary compound acting as the optical absorbing material of the solar photovoltaic device has a bandgap of about 1.0 eV to about 1.8 eV.

Heterojunction photovoltaic cell

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Thomas Hantschel