Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Other

United Solar Systems Corporation

United Solar Ovonic Corp.

Timothy J Barnard

Prem Nath

Dominic Crea

Masatsugu Izu

Craig N Vogeli

David A Gattuso

Kevin Beernink

Ginger Pietka

A method for making a semiconductor device having front-surface electrical terminals in which the device is manufactured so as to include a bottom electrode, a top electrode and a semiconductor body therebetween. A first bus bar is disposed in a groove in the semiconductor body. It is in electrical communication with the bottom electrode, and includes a tab portion which projects from the device. A second bus bar is in electrical communication with the top electrode, and is disposed atop the first electrode, and electrically insulated therefrom. The tab of the first bus bar provides one terminal of the device and is folded onto the second bus bar and is electrically insulated therefrom. The second bus bar provides the second terminal of the device.

Method for fabrication of semiconductor devices on lightweight substrates

A current collection system for photovoltaic cells. The collection system includes at least one conductive wire; and a plurality of conductive fibers or filaments in contact with the conductive wire and in contact with the photovoltaic cell. The fibers or filaments collect current generated by the photovoltaic cell and conduct the current to the conductive wire, which wire in turn collects current form all of the plurality of fibers or filaments and conducts the current to the major bus bars and terminals.the major bus bars and terminals.

Current collection system for photovoltaic cells

Photovoltaic devices comprised of one or more encapsulated slabs of photovoltaic material are prepared by a process wherein a large area body of photovoltaic material is divided into a plurality of slabs. A photoactive area is defined within each slab, and defects therein passivated. Current collecting structures are affixed to each slab, and if the device includes a plurality of slabs, they are electrically interconnected. The front surfaces of the slabs are laminated with a transparent protective material, and the rear surfaces are bonded to a support plate. Also disclosed herein is a particular configuration of bus bar tape for interconnecting the slabs and an apparatus for preparing the current collecting wires.

Photovoltaic module fabrication process

A removably mountable multiple effects device for an electronic signal processor for an electric guitar having an output socket is disclosed which includes a selection panel for accessing and selecting multiple effects from the signal processor contained therein, a jack for plugging into the output socket of the guitar, a power source for supplying power to the signal processor and an output signal device for communicating the signals. The selection panel may be a keyboard which is mounted on the guitar face having easy accessibility to the fingers of the guitar player. The keyboard provides the guitar player with access to any multiple effect accessible by the signal processor, such as tremelo, echoing, and many others, on the face of the guitar rather than having an access to such multiple effects in a remote location. The keyboard or selection panel may also be designed to not only provide the ability to select and access various effects from the signal processor, but may also be designed to enable the musician to program in desired effects.

Removably mountable effects device for an electric guitar

An optoelectronic pickup for providing an electrical output signal that is a linear representation of the relative displaced position of a mounted string. A collimated light source enables high contrast shadows of the string to be sensed by a photodetector. It also excludes information about the displaced position of the string in all directions except those along a single axis. The photodetector has a large flat surfaced area providing an output signal throughout the entire normal operating displacement range of the string. The design of the detector system results in a linear relationship between the relative position of the string and the total integrated illumination of the active area of the photodetector and hence the electrical output signal. A dual detector scheme allows the pickup to be immune to stray light and also to noise pickup on the lead wires.

Optoelectronic pickup for stringed instruments

A method of continuously electrically interconnecting in series a plurality of smaller area photovoltaic cells from a continuous, elongated web of photovoltaic cell material which is maintained in continual motion.

Method of continuously forming an array of photovoltaic cells

An improved photovoltaic device exhibiting increased tolerance of shorting and shunting defects includes: a substrate having a semiconductor body disposed thereupon, a current collecting structure such as a bus-grid structure disposed upon the semiconductor body and a transparent conductive electrode overlying the semiconductor body and the current collecting structure. The photovoltaic device may also include a layer of low electrical conductivity material disposed beneath at least portions of the current collecting structure to prevent electrical contact between said structure and defective regions of the device occuring therebelow. Also disclosed are methods for the fabrication of the improved device.

Photovoltaic device and method

An improved photovoltaic device exhibiting increased tolerance of shorting and shunting defects includes a pattern of current flow restricting material operatively disposed so as to limit the flow of electrical current between the substrate and the current collector of the device. Also disclosed are methods for the fabrication of the improved device.

Disclosed is an improved photovoltaic device design and method. The design is especially useful for large area photovoltaic devices and includes a first electrode, a semiconductor body over the first electrode, a transparent electrically conductive layer over the semiconductor body and a bus grid structure in electrical contact with the conductor layer for collecting and carrying current generated by the photovoltaic device. Structure is provided for reducing the degrading effect of a low resistance current path or short in the semiconductor body. The structure for reducing the degrading effect of a low resistance current path can be a specifically designed transparent electrically conductive layer, electrical isolation of the current carrying portions of the bus grid structure from the conductive layer, resistive connections of the current collecting fingers to the remainder of the bus grid structure, a buffered bus grid structure or a fuse-type connection or the grid or current collecting fingers which terminates when the current reaches a predetermined amount. Methods of fabricating photovoltaic devices as disclosed herein are provided.

A non-destructive method of electro-coating a preselected pattern of electrically insulating or conducting material onto a semiconductor device which includes a photoresponsive junction. The method includes the step of illuminating the semiconductor device prior to initiating the flowing of electro-coating current therethrough. The method has particular utility in providing electroplated grid patterns and connections on large area photovoltaic cells. Also disclosed is the use of current generated by a photovoltaic cell to effect the electro-coating thereof.

Method of electro-coating a semiconductor device

A cathode for use in a glow discharge chamber. A top surface electrode is adapted to provide a substantially uniform distribution of reaction gases at the active surface of an overlying substrate as it advances through the chamber. A plurality of baffles within the cathode creates equal path lengths for reaction gases from their source to the surface electrode and from the surface electrode to a vacuum. The electrode is electrically insulated from a plurality of gas exits so that the generation of plasma is confined solely to a region between the electrode and the active surface of the substrate.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Timothy J Barnard