Patent US4046594A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4046594A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solar battery
Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
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Filing: 1976-03-26
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Granted: 1977-09-06
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Expires: 1996-03-26
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a solar battery comprising a multi-layered "p-n" junction structure, which has a plurality of inwardly converging recesses to partially expose the inner "p-n" junctions to the sun light.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuo Tarui
- 👤 Tsunenori Sakamoto
- 👤 Yoshio Komiya
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:31
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/14; H10F10/142; H10F19/00; H10F19/20; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/14; H10F77/147; H10F77/70; H10F77/703; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/544; Y02E10/547; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/02; Y10S148/051; Y10S148/072; Y10S148/12; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/965
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A solar battery of homoepitaxial or heteroepitaxial structure comprising a series connected stack of alternately arranged planar layers of p and n semiconductor material, each pair of adjacent layers of opposite conducting type forming a photovoltaic junction therebetween, each said junction being parallel to the plane of the layers, with ohmic electrodes lying between each said pair, said stack having top and bottom major surfaces and a plurality of grooves in the top major surface of said stack, said grooves extending through said planes of the said junctions, the exposed surfaces of said grooves being inclined to said junction planes for receiving impinging radiation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
A solar battery of homoepitaxial or heteroepitaxial structure comprising a series connected stack of alternately arranged planar layers of p and n semiconductor material, each pair of adjacent layers of opposite conducting type forming a photovoltaic junction therebetween, each said junction being parallel to the plane of the layers, with ohmic electrodes lying between each said pair, said stack having top and bottom major surfaces and a plurality of grooves in the top major surface of said stack, said grooves extending through said planes of the said junctions, the exposed surfaces of said grooves being inclined to said junction planes for receiving impinging radiation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
A solar battery according to claim 1 wherein said stack has a plurality of grooves in the bottom major surface of said stack and extending through said planes of said junctions, the exposed surfaces of said grooves in the bottom surface of said stack being inclined to said junction planes, the grooves in the top surface of said stack and the grooves in the bottom surface of said stack thereby providing a zig-zag appearance in longitudinal section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
93 words
A solar battery of homoepitaxial or heteroepitaxial structure comprising a series connected stack of alternately arranged planar layers of p and n semiconductor material, each pair of adjacent layers of opposite conductivity type forming a photovoltaic junction therebetween, each said junction being parallel to the plane of the layers, with inner ohmic electrodes lying between each said pair, said stack having top and bottom major surfaces and a plurality of converging recesses in said top major surface of the stack and extending through the planes of said junctions to partially expose the junctions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
A solar battery of homoepitaxial or heteroepitaxial structure comprising a series connected stack of alternately arranged planar layers of p and n semiconductor material, each pair of adjacent layers of opposite conductivity type forming a photovoltaic junction therebetween, each said junction being parallel to the plane of the layers, with inner ohmic electrodes lying between each said pair, said stack having top and bottom major surfaces and a plurality of converging recesses in said top major surface of the stack and extending through the planes of said junctions to partially expose the junctions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A solar battery according to claim 3 wherein said converging recesses are of the form of V-shaped notches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A solar battery according to claim 4 wherein said inner ohmic electrodes are composed of P ++ N ++ tunnel junctions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A solar battery according to claim 3 wherein said inner ohmic electrodes are composed of metal layers formed by a heteroepitaxial method.
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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) | 1980-09-05 | 1981-03-07 | 1981-09-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-09-05 | 1985-03-07 | 1985-09-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-09-05 | 1989-03-07 | 1989-09-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |