David B Ford1112 Beech Rd, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

6362021, Mar 26, 2002

Feb 2, 2001

09/776514

David H. Ford - Wilmington DE
Allen M. Barnett - Newark DE
Robert B. Hall - Newark DE
James A. Rand - Landenberg PA

AstroPower, Inc. - Newark DE

H01L 31068

438 97, 136258, 136256, 136261, 257 64, 257461, 257465, 257459, 257431, 427588, 427578, 427 74, 427 58, 438488, 438166, 438487, 423348

A polycrystalline film of silicon including silicon grains having an aspect ratio, d/t, of more than 1:1, wherein âdâ is the grain diameter and âtâ is the grain thickness. The polycrystalline film of silicon can be used to form an electronic device, such as a monolithically integrated solar cell having ohmic contacts formed on opposed surfaces or on the same surface of the film. A plurality of solar cells can be monolithically integrated to provide a solar cell module that includes an electrically insulating substrate and at least two solar cells disposed on the substrate in physical isolation from one another. Methods for manufacturing the film, solar cell and solar cell module are also disclosed. The simplified structure and method allow for substantial cost reduction on a mass-production scale, at least in part due to the high aspect ratio silicon grains in the film.

6420643, Jul 16, 2002

Feb 2, 2001

09/776583

David H. Ford - Wilmington DE
Allen M. Barnett - Newark DE
Robert B. Hall - Newark DE
James A. Rand - Landenberg PA

AstroPower, Inc. - Newark DE

H01L 31042

136244, 136249, 136251, 136255, 136256, 136261, 136252, 257433, 257461, 257443, 257454, 257457, 257459

A polycrystalline film of silicon including silicon grains having an aspect ratio, d/t, of more than 1:1, wherein âdâ is the grain diameter and âtâ is the grain thickness. The polycrystalline film of silicon can be used to form an electronic device, such as a monolithically integrated solar cell having ohmic contacts formed on opposed surfaces or on the same surface of the film. A plurality of solar cells can be monolithically integrated to provide a solar cell module that includes an electrically insulating substrate and at least two solar cells disposed on the substrate in physical isolation from one another. Methods for manufacturing the film, solar cell and solar cell module are also disclosed. The simplified structure and method allow for substantial cost reduction on a mass-production scale, at least in part due to the high aspect ratio silicon grains in the film.

2010005, Mar 11, 2010

Jul 31, 2006

12/066960

Allen M. Barnett - Landenberg PA, US
Jerome S. Culik - Nottingham PA, US
David H. Ford - Elkton MD, US

BLUE SQUARE ENERGY INCORPORATED - North East MD

H01L 31/00
H01L 21/027
H01L 31/18

136255, 438 72, 136256, 257E31002, 257E21023

A front-surface-illuminated photovoltaic device, having a first semiconductor layer () with a back surface, a second semiconductor layer () with a front surface, the second layer () having the opposite doping type to the first layer () and deposited on the first layer (); and at least one ohmic contact () to each of the first () and second () semiconductor layers; and a process for making the photovoltaic device. The device may also have a barrier layer () for reducing diffusion of impurities from the first semiconductor layer () into the second semiconductor layer (), a blocking layer (), and a reflector layer (). The device may have an array of first regions () in which the second layer () is of opposite doping type to that of the first layer () and forms p-n junctions () in these first regions (), and second regions (), each second region () containing the barrier layer () and the reflector layer (). The first () and second () regions are laterally intermixed, have a lateral shape of either bounded regions or stripes, or a combination of bounded regions and stripes.

6211455, Apr 3, 2001

Jul 1, 1999

9/345862

David H. Ford - Wilmington DE
Allen M. Barnett - Newark DE
Robert B. Hall - Newark DE
James A. Rand - Landenberg PA

Astropower - Newark DE

H01L 31068
H01L 310368
H01L 27142
H01L 310392

136258

A polycrystalline film of silicon including silicon grains having an aspect ratio, d/t, of more than 1:1, wherein "d" is the grain diameter and "t" is the grain thickness. The polycrystalline film of silicon can be used to form an electronic device, such as a monolithically integrated solar cell having ohmic contacts formed on opposed surfaces or on the same surface of the film. A plurality of solar cells can be monolithically integrated to provide a solar cell module that includes an electrically insulating substrate and at least two solar cells disposed on the substrate in physical isolation from one another. Methods for manufacturing the film, solar cell and solar cell module are also disclosed. The simplified structure and method allow for substantial cost reduction on a mass-production scale, at least in part due to the high aspect ratio silicon grains in the film.