US 6,207,891 B1Granted

Columnar-grained polycrystalline solar cell substrate

AssigneeAstroPower, Inc.

InventorsRobert B. Hall, Allen M. Barnett, Joseph C. Checchi, David H. Ford, Christopher L. Kendall, James A Rand

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

The invention relates to a silicon sheet having columnar grains extending axially through the sheet from one free surface of the sheet to the other free surface. The sheet has an electrical resistivity in the range of 0.1 to 10 ohm-cm.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A sheet of silicon having a pair of free surfaces, columnar grains extending axially through the sheet from one free surface to the other free surface, said sheet having an electrical resistivity in the range of 0.1 to 10 ohm-cm, and said surfaces being free of any outer integral residual net.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/495,853Filed 1 Feb 2000 · division
Priority: 4 Mar 1997
Granted: 27 Mar 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H10F 71/131
Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass: recrystallisation; Crystallization of amorphous or microcrystalline semiconductors
H10F 71/1221
The active layers comprising only Group IV materials: comprising polycrystalline silicon
Y02E 10/546
Photovoltaic [PV] energy: polycrystalline silicon PV cells
Y02P 70/50
Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products: manufacturing or production processes…

Family

Application60/039,418Us provisional application · filed 4 Mar 1997
Application09/033,155Parent of this division · filed 2 Mar 1998
US 6,111,191 ARelated patent
US 6,207,891 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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