US Patent No: 4,433,202

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Thin film solar cell

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Abstract

A thin film solar cell formed on a substrate, comprising at least first and second electrodes, at least one of which is capable of passing light, a silicon film interposed between said first and second electrodes, and at least one junction formed in the silicon film for separating electrons and positive holes when the cell is exposed to light, wherein said silicon film comprises a mixed phase consisting of a polycrystalline phase and an amorphous phase, and includes at least about 50% by volume of fibrous crystalline grains, each of said grains having a maximum bottom diameter of about 1 .mu.m and a minimum height of about 50 nm and having its grain boundaries terminated with a monovalent element. The solar cell has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency comparable to that of a single-crystal solar cell, and can be produced at a low cost.

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First Claim

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
HITACHI, LTD.TOKYO32320

International Classification(s)

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  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Ishizaka, Akitoshi Chiba, JP 12 120
Katayama, Yoshifumi Yamanashi, JP 17 271
Maruyama, Eiichi Kodaira, JP 33 560
Matsubara, Hirokazu Tokyo, JP 12 270
Murayama, Yoshimasa Koganei, JP 12 106
Shimada, Toshikazu Tokyo, JP 27 628
Shintani, Akira Koube, JP 10 102
Shiraki, Yasuhiro Tokyo, JP 21 223

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
MOTOROLA, INC. (1)
4,343,830 Method for improving the efficiency of solar cells having imperfections 13 1980
 
THOMSON-CSF (1)
4,321,420 Process for producing a layer containing silicon and photoelectric conversion device utilizing this process 9 1980

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD. (6)
4,591,893 Photoelectric conversion device utilizing fibrous silicon 8 1983
4,559,552 PIN semiconductor photoelectric conversion device with two oxide layers 8 1983
4,604,231 Silicon fiber and method of making the same 0 1984
4,843,022 Method of making fibrous silicon semiconductor by plasma CVD 16 1987
5,478,777 Method of making a semiconductor photoelectric conversion device having a crystalline I-type layer 26 1994
5,580,820 Method of forming a semiconductor material having a substantially I-type crystalline layer 4 1995
 
CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA (3)
4,926,229 Pin junction photovoltaic element with P or N-type semiconductor layer comprising non-single crystal material containing Zn, Se, H in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic % and a dopant and I-type semiconductor layer comprising non-single crystal Si(H,F) material 16 1988
4,982,251 Semiconductor element 2 1990
7,087,831 Photoelectric conversion device and method of production thereof 9 2003
 
HITACHI CABLE, LTD. (2)
6,777,714 Crystalline silicon semiconductor device and method for fabricating same 1 2001
6,703,289 Method for forming crystalline silicon layer and crystalline silicon semiconductor device 7 2001
 
KANEKA CORPORATION (2)
6,297,443 Thin film photoelectric transducer 12 1999
6,265,288 Method of manufacturing silicon-based thin-film photoelectric conversion device 16 1999
 
UNITED SOLAR SYSTEMS CORP. (2)
4,600,801 Fluorinated, p-doped microcrystalline silicon semiconductor alloy material 14 1984
4,609,771 Tandem junction solar cell devices incorporating improved microcrystalline p-doped semiconductor alloy material 15 1985
 
AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH (1)
4,578,696 Thin film semiconductor device 3 1983
 
AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, AT&T BELL LABORATORIES (1)
4,675,715 Semiconductor integrated circuit vertical geometry impedance element 35 1985
 
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (1)
4,639,277 Semiconductor material on a substrate, said substrate comprising, in order, a layer of organic polymer, a layer of metal or metal alloy and a layer of dielectric material 52 1984
 
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (1)
8,163,404 Chlorine, fluorine and lithium co-doped transparent conductive films and methods for fabricating the same 0 2008
 
LG DISPLAY CO., LTD. (1)
6,521,473 Method of fabricating a liquid crystal display 30 2000
 
LG LCD, INC. (1)
6,177,301 Method of fabricating thin film transistors for a liquid crystal display 91 1999
 
MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. (1)
6,518,494 Silicon structure, method for producing the same, and solar battery using the silicon structure 8 1996
 
MINNESOTA MINING AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY (1)
5,155,565 Method for manufacturing an amorphous silicon thin film solar cell and Schottky diode on a common substrate 9 1990
 
MITSUI CHEMICALS, INC. (1)
5,677,236 Process for forming a thin microcrystalline silicon semiconductor film 61 1996
 
NISSIN ELECTRIC CO., LTD. (1)
6,468,884 Method of forming silicon-contained crystal thin film 10 2001
 
PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH CORPORATION, THE (1)
5,147,826 Low temperature crystallization and pattering of amorphous silicon films 430 1990
 
SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD. (1)
7,075,052 Photoelectric conversion device 0 2003
 
TOA NENRYO KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA (1)
4,598,304 Thin film devices of silicon 11 1985
 
TONEN KABUSHIKI KAISHA (1)
5,017,308 Silicon thin film and method of producing the same 23 1989
 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. (1)
5,720,827 Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells 40 1996