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:
Jun. 26, 2012
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2007
Lawrence M. Woods, Littleton, CO (US);
Joseph H. Armstrong, Littleton, CO (US);
Rosine M. Ribelin, Lakewood, CO (US);
Thomas Duncan Barnard, Murrieta, CA (US);
Yukinari Harimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Hidekatsu Hatanaka, Chiba, JP;
Maki Itoh, Tokyo, JP;
Dimitris Elias Katsoulis, Midland, MI (US);
Michitaka Suto, Kanagawa, JP;
Bizhong Zhu, Midland, MI (US);
Nicole R. Anderson, Midland, MI (US);
Herschel Henry Reese, Midland, MI (US);
Lawrence M. Woods, Littleton, CO (US);
Joseph H. Armstrong, Littleton, CO (US);
Rosine M. Ribelin, Lakewood, CO (US);
Thomas Duncan Barnard, Murrieta, CA (US);
Yukinari Harimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Hidekatsu Hatanaka, Chiba, JP;
Maki Itoh, Tokyo, JP;
Dimitris Elias Katsoulis, Midland, MI (US);
Michitaka Suto, Kanagawa, JP;
Bizhong Zhu, Midland, MI (US);
Nicole R. Anderson, Midland, MI (US);
Herschel Henry Reese, Midland, MI (US);
ITN Energy Systems, Inc., Littleton, CO (US);
Abstract
In an embodiment, one reinforced substrate for use in a photovoltaic device includes a polymer base material and a reinforcing structure bonded with the base material. The reinforced substrate presents a surface in a condition that is made-ready for deposition of thin film layers of the photovoltaic device. A thin film photovoltaic device includes the reinforced substrate, a back contact layer formed on the surface of the reinforced substrate, and a solar absorber layer formed on the back contact layer. A plurality of thin film photovoltaic devices may be formed on a common reinforced substrate. A process of producing a reinforced substrate includes combining a fluid base material and a fiber reinforcing structure to form an impregnated fiber reinforcement. The impregnated fiber reinforcement is cured to form the reinforced substrate, and the reinforced substrate is annealed.