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:
Apr. 02, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 28, 2000
Nobuo Hanehira, Tunagun, JP;
Yoshinori Wakamiya, Sumoto, JP;
Hidekazu Shuto, Miharagun, JP;
Hiroyuki Mori, Tunagun, JP;
Masayoshi Ono, Sumoto, JP;
Wataru Shinohara, Katano, JP;
Yasuaki Yamamoto, Nara, JP;
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
This invention manufactures a photovoltaic device by the following process steps: a step to form a first electrode layer and a light-active semiconductor layer on an insulating surface of the substrate; a step to form a transparent conducting film over most of the insulating surface including the light-active semiconductor layer; a step to establish a patterned transparent protective layer on the transparent conducting film over power generating regions; and a step to irradiate ultraviolet laser light over most of the substrate to remove exposed portions of the transparent conducting film not masked by the pattered transparent protective layer and form a transparent conducting layer corresponding to the pattered transparent protective layer. The patterned transparent protective layer serves a dual purpose as masking material for removing the specified areas of the transparent conducting film by ultraviolet laser and as a transparent protective layer. Accordingly, material that is passed by visible light but not passed by ultraviolet light is used as the patterned transparent protective layer.