US4036645A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Photodetectors and thin film photovoltaic arrays
Assignee: Rolls Royce Power Engineering PLC
•
Filing: 1975-03-18
•
Granted: 1977-07-19
•
Expires: 1995-03-18
Abstract
Abstract A photo-voltaic hetero-junction is formed by chemical conversion of surface regions of a sheet of one conductivity type into material of a second conductivity type, the areas which are not to be converted being covered by a developed photo-resist layer which has previously been exposed to light through a mask. Electrical contacts are deposited on the regions of the second type and contacts to the material of the first type are formed by a layer deposited on a substrate under the sheet of material of the first type. This deposited layer of electrically-conductive material can also form the mask for initial exposure of the photo-resist layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Russell Stuart Pinder
- 👤 Leslie Clark
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 09:56
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/16; H10F10/169; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
In a method of forming a photo-voltaic hetero-junction in which at least one region of a semi-conducting material of a first conductivity type is treated through an opening in a resist layer to convert said at least one region into semiconducting material of a second conductivity type, the improvement which comprises the steps of: i. coating a layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type with a layer of photo-resist material applied directly to the semi-conducting material; ii. exposing at least one area of the photo-resist layer to light by way of masking means; iii. developing the photo-resist layer and removing the unexposed part of the layer to uncover at least one region of the said layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type; iv. introducing a chemical capable of converting the surface of the said at least one uncovered region into semi-conducting material of the second conductivity type to form a hetero-junction thereat; and v. applying electrically-conducting material to the semi-conducting material of the second conductivity type to provide a contact to the hetero-junction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
In a method of forming a photo-voltaic hetero-junction in which at least one region of a semi-conducting material of a first conductivity type is treated through an opening in a resist layer to convert said at least one region into semiconducting material of a second conductivity type, the improvement which comprises the steps of: i. coating a layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type with a layer of photo-resist material applied directly to the semi-conducting material; ii. exposing at least one area of the photo-resist layer to light by way of masking means; iii. developing the photo-resist layer and removing the unexposed part of the layer to uncover at least one region of the said layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type; iv. introducing a chemical capable of converting the surface of the said at least one uncovered region into semi-conducting material of the second conductivity type to form a hetero-junction thereat; and v. applying electrically-conducting material to the semi-conducting material of the second conductivity type to provide a contact to the hetero-junction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
A photo-voltaic hetero-junction produced by the method claimed in claim 1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein step (v) includes applying the electrically-conductive material also to the exposed area of the photo-resist layer whereby said photo-resist layer electrically insulates the said contact from the said layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
A photo-voltaic hetero-junction produced by the method claimed in claim 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 including the further steps of: applying at least one region of electrically-conductive material to a substrate, and forming the said layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type on the substrate and overlying the said region of electrically-conductive material whereby the said region forms an electrical contact to the layer of semi-conductivity material of the first conductivity type.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein step (ii) includes using said at least one region of electrically-conductive material applied to the substrate as the masking means for light incident on the photo-resist layer through the substrate and through the layer of semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
A photo-voltaic hetero-junction produced by the method claimed in claim 5.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which said semi-conducting material of the first conductivity type is n-type material and said semi-conducting material of the second conductivity type is p-type material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 8 in which the n-type material is a chalcogenide of a metal in Group II of the Periodic Table and the p-type material is the same chalcogenide of copper or silver.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the n-type material is selected from cadmium sulphide, cadmium telluride, and cadmium sulphide telluride, and the p-type material is the corresponding copper compound.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
A photo-voltaic hetero-junction produced by the method claimed in claim 10.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 in which a plurality of regions are uncovered in step (iii), chemically converted in step (iv), and provided with electrical contacts by step (v) to produce an array of hetero-junctions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
A photo-voltaic hetero-junction produced by the method claimed in claim 12.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3290175A
Cited
US3568306A
Cited
US3416956A
Cited
US3571915A
Cited
US3836399A
Cited
US3888697A
Cited
US3858304A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-07-18 | 1981-01-17 | 1981-07-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-07-18 | 1985-01-17 | 1985-07-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-07-18 | 1989-01-17 | 1989-07-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |