The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 07, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 04, 1996
Balakrishnan R Bathey, Upper St. Clair, PA (US);
Ebara Solar, Inc., Large, PA (US);
Abstract
A dendritic web formation process and apparatus for diffusing dopant impurities into a growing dendritic crystal web to produce photovoltaic cells. A solid dopant diffusion source is arranged in a holder mounted in a vertical thermal element either within the melt furnace or outside the furnace adjacent the furnace exit port. The solid diffusion source is heated by thermal conduction from the vertical thermal element and source holder using the furnace heat as a source. Auxiliary heater coils are optionally provided around the vertical thermal element to control the temperature of the solid diffusion source. The source and holder can also be mounted outside the furnace adjacent the exit port and heated using a secondary rapid temperature external heater. The growing dendritic crystal web is exposed to the dopant impurities as part of the web growing process, eliminating the need for a separate diffusion gaseous station and processing.