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US5080725A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Optical properties of solar cells using tilted geometrical features
Assignee: Unisearch Ltd
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Filing: 1988-12-16
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Granted: 1992-01-14
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Expires: 2008-12-16
Abstract
Abstract Solar cells are produced in which surface texturing of the substrate surface, in the form of geometric ridges and pyramids, are formed at an angle to the perpendicular such that the ridges and pyramids are not symmetrical about a perpendicular axis or plane. Such "tilted" texturing causes an increased number of passes of trapped light within the cell and also within the encapsulation covering the cell thereby increasing the chances of light being absorbed. A process for manufacture of cells with tilted texturing involves sawing a wafer from an ingot at an angle α to the 100 plane and then processing the wafer in a conventional fashion, including texturing the surface with ridges or pyramids.
Inventors
- 👤 Martin A. Green
- 👤 Stuart R. Wenham
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 04:32
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/40; H10F77/42; H10F77/48; H10F77/70; H10F77/703; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/52; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/973
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
53 words
A solar cell comprising: a substrate of semiconductor material having a light receiving surface which is textured with a geometric structure of grooves or pyramids, the geometric structure being tilted at an angle α from the (100) plane of the substrate wherein a component of the angle α is towards the (110) plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
53 words
A solar cell comprising: a substrate of semiconductor material having a light receiving surface which is textured with a geometric structure of grooves or pyramids, the geometric structure being tilted at an angle α from the (100) plane of the substrate wherein a component of the angle α is towards the (110) plane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the angle of tilt α is in the range of 2°-33°.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The solar cell of claim 2 wherein the substrate is not encapsulated and the angle of tilt α is in the range of 7°-8°.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The solar cell of claim 2 wherein the substrate is encapsulated and the angle of tilt α is in the range of 15°-24°.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein the light receiving surface is textured with a pattern of randomly distributed pyramids.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein the light receiving surface is textured with a pattern of pyramids.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is formed from a wafer of silicon cut at an angle α to the (100) plane in which a component of the angle α is toward the (110) plane.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of manufacturing a solar cell comprising the steps of: (a) sawing a crystalline wafer of semiconductor substrate material at an angle α to its (100) plane wherein a component of the angle α is towards its (110) plane; and (b) using selective etching to etch a top surface of the substrate thereby producing a geometric structure of ridges or pyramids in the top surface, the geometric structure being tilted relative to the bottom surface of the substrate by said angle α as a result of the selective etching.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of manufacturing a solar cell comprising the steps of: (a) sawing a crystalline wafer of semiconductor substrate material at an angle α to its (100) plane wherein a component of the angle α is towards its (110) plane; and (b) using selective etching to etch a top surface of the substrate thereby producing a geometric structure of ridges or pyramids in the top surface, the geometric structure being tilted relative to the bottom surface of the substrate by said angle α as a result of the selective etching.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein the angle α is in the range of 2°-33°.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein the substrate is not encapsulated and the angle α is in the range 7°-8°.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The solar cell of claim 9 wherein the substrate is encapsulated and the angle α is in the range of 15°-24°.
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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) | 1995-01-13 | 1995-07-15 | 1996-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-01-13 | 1999-07-15 | 2000-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-01-13 | 2003-07-15 | 2004-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |