NRELlTP-210-4469 UC Category: 270 DE91015013 December 1991 u.s. Photovoltaic Patents: 1988-1990 Produced by the Photovoltaics Division National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden. CO 80401-3393 A Division of Midwest Research Institute Operated for the U.S. Department of Energy Under Contract No. DE-AC02-83CH10093 Contents Introduction....................... ...........................iii Photovoltaic Patents 1988-1990.................................. 1 Indexes Assignee Index .......................................76 Inventor Index.......... ..............................84 Subject Index...................... .. ................106 I I U.S. Patent Oec. 6, 19�J Sheel I or J 4.419.532 FIG. I n� U.S. pa.te ,,,12/!. \ F'IG.2 It! ii Contents Introduction This document contains U.S. patents on terrestrial • Cell Components (metalization, substrates, conduc­ photovoltaic (PV) power applications, including systems, tive coatings, anti reflective coatings) components, and materials, as well as manufacturing • Cell Enhancement Techniques (surface and grain­ and support functions. boundary paSSivation, annealing) • Materials Production and Processes (purification, The patent entries in this document were Issued from deposttion, doping) 1988 through 1990. The entries were located by search­ • Characterization and Analysis ing USPA, the data base of the U.S. Patent Office. The final search retrieved all patents under the class "Batter­ Collectors ies, Thermoelectric and Photoelectric" and the sub­ classes "Photoelectric," "Testing," and IIApplications." • Flat-Plate Collectors (design, components, produc­ The search also located patents that contained the words tion) "photovoltaic(s)" or "solar cell(s)" and their derivatives. • Concentrator Collectors (design, components, A manual search of the patents In the Solar Energy production) Research Institute (SERI) patent file augmented the data • Optics and Trackers (lenses, reflectors, tracking base search. After the initial list was compiled, most of devices, and related components) the patents on the following subjects were excluded: space photovoltaic technology, use of the photovoltaic Systems effect for detectors, and SUbjects only peripherally concerned with photovoltaics. Some patents on these • Utility-Interactive Systems and Interface Technologies three subjects were included when it appeared that those (power conditioning) inventions might be of use in terrestrial PV power • Utility-Independent Systems and Storage Technolo­ technologies. gies • PV-Hybrid Systems (PV-thermal, photoelectro­ chemical) How to Use This Document • Systems Support (testing, maintenance, operation, and control) The PV patent entries are arranged according to the patent number in ascending order, from the earliest to the most recent, and divided according to the year in which How to Order a Copy of a U.S. Patent they were Issued. The entries for each patent include the inventor(s), the assignee, the title, the date of issue, and Copies of patents can be obtained from the Patent and the abstract. Abstracts are reproduced in this document Trademark Office. A check or money order of $1.50 per generally as they are found in the patents, except that patent, payable to the Commissioner of Patents and statements referring to specific diagrams were modified Trademarks, must accompany each order. The request or omitted because the document does not include must include the patent number(s); be sure to write illustrations. clearly. Requests should be addressed to: The patents are indexed in this document by assignee, U.S. Department of Commerce by inventor(s), and by subject. The three indexes follow Patent and Trademark Office the list of patent entries. Washington, D.C. 20231 The subject index is divided according to 17 categories Reference collections of U.S. patents are available to the under three major divisions. Most patents are listed public in Patent Depository Libraries (PDLs). Your local under two categories. The divisions and categories are library should be able to refer you to the nearest PDL. as follows: The size and scope of these collections vary, and the hours that PDLs are open to the public vary as well. You may therefore want to contact the library for specific Cells and Materials information about its collection and its hours to avoid inconvenience. • Single-Crystal Silicon Cells • Polycrystalline and Ribbon Silicon Cells • Amorphous Silicon Cells • Cells from III-V Materials (e.g., GaAs) • Cells from 1-III-VI2 or II-VI Materials (e.g., CulnSe2 or CdTe) • Other PV Devices and Concepts Introduction iii Photovoltaic Patents 1988-1990 1988 An optical position locating apparatus is provided which includes a first light reader with several photodetectors for reading the tracks of a disk, a first 4,717,790 light emitter excited by the first light reader and a Gochermann, Hans, inventor; Licentia PatentNerwaltungs self-contained power supply source. A module is provided GmbH, assignee. Contoured Solar Generator. January which comprises a second light emitter, a second light 5, 1988. reader and a processor for processing electric signals from the first light reader. An optical fiber system is A contoured solar generator whose solar cells and provided for transmitting the electric signals to the their associated electrical terminals and connecting second light reader. Optical systems are advantageously lines are embedded in a laminate including at least the provided. solar cells, an elastic thermosetting adhesive foil and a glass pane. To adapt the solar generator to a given 4,721,535 external contour or to fit it into a given contour, the Itoh, Haruo; Shimada, Toshikazu; Muramatsu, Shin-!chi; solar generator is configured as a curved laminate Matsubara, Sunao; Nakamura, Nobuo, inventors; including at least one-dimensionally bent solar cells. Director-General of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, assignee. Safar Celf. January 26, 1988. 4,718,185 Conlin, Kevin L.; Cantrell, Michael P., inventors; Solar A solar cell including at least a thin film formed of Signage, Inc., assignee. Modular Solar Generating an amorphous silicon material and having p-type System. January 12, 19S8. conductivity. The thin film comprises a multi-layer structure including at least one non-doped layer formed A modular solar generating system is disclosed. The of a material of an amorphous silicon matenal and having system includes a plurality of self-contained solar a thickness of 10 to 300 A and at least one p-Iype doped modules which are interconnectedly disposed in an array amorphous silicon layer of a given thickness. The p-type about the perimeter of a rigid framework housing a sign, doped amorphous silicon layer is stacked such that at light, or other load means necessitating electrical power least one face thereof is in contact with said at least during the night time hours. The modules themselves one non-doped layer of amorphous silicon material 50 that consist of a photovoltaic plate sandwiched between two the thin film of multi-layer structure exhibits in effect suitable cover plates, including in this arrangement one p-type conductivity. or more continuous conductors. The modules are linked together by way of male and female plug connect�rs 4,721,629 whereby the array may then be electrically connected to a Sakai, Souich!; Nakano, Shoichi; Kuwano, Yukinori, battery. When the modular system is arranged in this inventors; Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., assignee. Method fashion and exposed to incident sunlight for an of Manufacturing Phatovo/taic Device. January 26, 1988. appropriate period of time, power may be provided to a sign, light, or other electrical apparatus for nighttime A transparent conductive film is formed on a glass use. substrate covering substantially its entire surface area and this transparent conductive film is divided into a 4,718,947 plurality of transparent conductive parts per each Arya, Rajeewa R., inventor, Solarex Corporation, photoelectric converting region. The photoelectric assignee. Super/attice Doped Layers for Amorphous converting region is of a nearly rectangular shape, and Silicon Phatavoltaic Cells. January 12, 1988. accordingly, in order to divide the transparent conductive film into respective transparent conductive Superlattice doped layers for amorphous silicon film parts, a laser beam is irradiated along all photovoltaic cells comprise a plurality of first and longitudinal and lateral sides of the rectangle. Thereby, second lattices of amorphous silicon alternatingly formed the transparent conductive film parts corresponding to on one another. Each of the first lattices has a first the photoelectric converting regions are formed as island optical bandgap and each of the second lattices has a regions. Semiconductor film parts are formed on the second optical band gap different from the first optical transparent conductive film parts divided into island band gap. A method of fabricating the superlattice doped regions corresponding to respective photoelectric layers also is disclosed. converting regions and subsequently aluminum film parts are formed on these semiconductor film parts. Transparent 4,719,346 conductive film parts are electrically connected to Taillebois, Jacques; Renaud, Jean-Marie; Perrot, aluminum film parts of adjacent photoelectric converting Jean-Claude; Gambs, Paul, inventors; M.C.B., assignee. regions. Thus, a photovoltaic device is manufactured Optical Position Locating Apparatus with Bidirectional wherein a plurality of photoelectric