摘要:
Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus avoids deposition on windows that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with one or more conduits that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to energize them to a reactive state. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react or otherwise combine to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer and deliver the microwave-excited species to a deposition chamber. Supplemental material streams may be delivered to the deposition chamber without passing through the microwave applicator and may combine with deposition species exiting the conduits to form a thin film material. Precursors for the microwave-excited deposition species include fluorinated forms of silicon. Precursors for supplemental material streams include hydrogenated forms of silicon.
摘要:
Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus inhibits deposition on windows or other microwave transmission elements that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with conduits passing therethrough that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to transform them to a reactive state conducive to formation of a thin film material. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer. The deposition species are separately energized and swept away from the point of power transfer to prevent thin film deposition. The invention allows for the ultrafast formation of silicon-containing amorphous semiconductors that exhibit high mobility, low porosity, little or no Staebler-Wronski degradation, and low defect concentration.
摘要:
A method and device for accomplishing transformation of a switching material from a resistive state to a conductive state. The method utilizes a non-electrical source of energy to effect the switching transformation. The switching material may be a chalcogenide switching material, where the non-electrical source of energy initiates switching by liberating lone pair electrons from bound states of chalcogen atoms. The liberated lone pair electrons form a conductive filament having the characteristics of a solid state plasma to permit high current densities to pass through the switching material. The device includes a switching material with electrical contacts and may be interconnected with other elements in a circuit to regulate electrical communication therebetween.
摘要:
A photovoltaic device including a current collection element and a method of making same. The photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a conductive layer, an active photovoltaic material, a transparent electrode and a current collection element. The current collection element includes a transparent support and one or more conductive wires integrated therewith. The conductive wires are in electrical communication with the transparent electrode. Current generated by the active photovoltaic material passes to the transparent electrode. The current collection element facilitates delivery of current passing through the transparent electrode to leads that deliver the current to an external load. The method includes placing a pre-fabricated current collection element in direct contact with the transparent electrode of the photovoltaic device. The time and expense of assembling the conductive wires during fabrication of the photovoltaic device is thereby avoided and higher manufacturing speeds are achieved.
摘要:
Apparatus and method for plasma deposition of thin film photovoltaic materials at microwave frequencies. The apparatus avoids deposition on windows or other microwave transmission elements that couple microwave energy to deposition species. The apparatus includes a microwave applicator with conduits passing therethrough that carry deposition species. The applicator transfers microwave energy to the deposition species to transform them to a reactive state conducive to formation of a thin film material. The conduits physically isolate deposition species that would react to form a thin film material at the point of microwave power transfer. The deposition species are separately energized and swept away from the point of power transfer to prevent thin film deposition. The invention allows for the ultrafast formation of silicon-containing amorphous semiconductors that exhibit high mobility, low porosity, little or no Staebler-Wronski degradation, and low defect concentration.
摘要:
A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for preparing electrical and optical chalcogenide materials. In a preferred embodiment, the instant CVD-deposited materials exhibit one or more of the following properties: electrical switching, accumulation, setting, reversible multistate behavior, resetting, cognitive functionality, and reversible amorphous-crystalline transformations. In one embodiment, a multilayer structure, including at least one layer containing a chalcogen element, is deposited by CVD and subjected to post-deposition application of energy to produce a chalcogenide material having properties in accordance with the instant invention. In another embodiment, a single layer chalcogenide material having properties in accordance with the instant invention is formed from a CVD deposition process including three or more deposition precursors, at least one of which is a chalcogen element precursor. Preferred materials are those that include the chalcogen Te along with Ge and/or Sb.
摘要:
An onboard hydrogen storage unit for a hydrogen powered vehicle including one or more hydrogen storage vessels at least partially filled with a hydrogen storage material which stores hydrogen in metal hydride form. During operation of the hydrogen powered vehicle heat is provided to the hydrogen storage material within the one or more hydrogen storage vessels to aid in desorption of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage material. During hydrogen refueling, heat of hydride formation is removed from the hydrogen storage material within the one or more hydrogen storage vessels to aid in absorption of hydrogen into the hydrogen storage material. The heat of hydride formation is removed from the one or more hydrogen storage vessels via a heat transfer fluid circulated and/or cooled by a stream of compressed air.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for elevating the operating voltage in a fuel cell having a hydrogen electrode with hydrogen storage capacity and/or an oxygen electrode with oxygen storage capacity. The fuel cell is able to sustain the elevated voltage through application of an electrical current to the fuel cell resulting in the charging of the hydrogen electrode and/or the oxygen electrode.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for the unusually high rate deposition of thin film materials on a stationary or continuous substrate. The method includes the in situ generation of a neutral-enriched deposition medium that is conducive to the formation of thin film materials having a low intrinsic defect concentration at any speed. In one embodiment, the deposition medium is created by forming a plasma from an energy transferring gas; combining the plasma with a precursor gas to form a set of activated species that include ions, ion-radicals, and neutrals; and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects to form the deposition medium. In another embodiment, the deposition medium is created by mixing an energy transferring gas and a precursor gas, forming a plasma from the mixture to form a set of activated species, and selectively excluding the species that promote the formation of defects. The apparatus has a control for the entire manufacturing process that includes a diagnostic element and a feedback control element to permit process programming to achieve and maintain the optimal distribution of one or more preferred species throughout the deposition process.
摘要:
An optical data storage and retrieval system that includes a phase change storage medium and dual energy sources. The phase change material may store information by undergoing a transformation from one structural state to another structural state through application of energy. The system is equipped with two energy sources, neither of which alone provides sufficient energy to effect the transformation. The combination of both energy sources, however, provides sufficient energy to induce the transformation needed to record information. The energy from either source may be optical, thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical or magnetic energy.