US3973994A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solar cell with grooved surface
Assignee: RCA Corp
•
Filing: 1974-03-11
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Granted: 1976-08-10
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Expires: 1994-03-11
Abstract
Abstract A thin layer of active semiconductor material is on the flat surface of a transparent substrate. The opposite surface of the substrate is grooved, and is coated with a layer of reflective material. Light that passes through the active semiconductor material and is incident on the reflective layer is reflected back to the active layer at such an angle as to cause the light to be totally internally reflected at the surface of the active layer. The angle at which the light is reflected back to the active layer is determined by the angle of the surface of the grooves.
Inventors
- 👤 David Redfield
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 06:50
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/40; H10F77/42; H10F77/48; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/52
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
A solar cell comprising a substrate transparent to solar light having a pair of opposed surfaces, an active layer of silicon semiconductor material on one surface of said substrate, said active layer having a surface of incidence, grooves in the other surface of said substrate, means for reflecting solar light at the surface of the grooves, said active layer being no greater than about 2.5 microns in thickness.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
68 words
A solar cell comprising a substrate transparent to solar light having a pair of opposed surfaces, an active layer of silicon semiconductor material on one surface of said substrate, said active layer having a surface of incidence, grooves in the other surface of said substrate, means for reflecting solar light at the surface of the grooves, said active layer being no greater than about 2.5 microns in thickness.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 1 in which said grooves are in the form of a sawtooth pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 2 in which said surface of the grooves are at an angle such that light reflected from said reflective means will strike said incident surface at such an angle as to be totally internally reflected.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 1 in which said active layer has an N-type and a P-type conductivity region and a P-N junction therebetween.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 1 in which said substrate is of a transparent material selected from the group consisting of high-temperature glass, quartz, sapphire and spinel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 1 in which said substrate has a deposition region contiguous to said active layer, which is of a material that will nucleate the growth of said active layer, and a reflector region in contact with said deposition region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 6 in which said deposition region is of a transparent material selected from the group consisting of high-temperature glass, quartz, sapphire and spinel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 6 in which said reflector region is of a transparent material selected from the group consisting of plastics and glass.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The solar cell in accordance with claim 3 in which said reflective means is a reflective layer on the surface of said grooves.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US3460240A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-08-10 | 1980-02-09 | 1980-08-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-08-10 | 1984-02-09 | 1984-08-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-08-10 | 1988-02-09 | 1988-08-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |