Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric inventions 04/08

20080092937 - Energy harvesting devices: Energy harvesting devices are disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the energy harvesting devices includes a fastening device, a first thermally-conductive element engaging the fastening device, a thermoelectric device disposed in thermal contact with the first thermally-conductive element and a second thermally-conductive element disposed in thermal contact with the thermoelectric device.... Agent: Tung & Associates / Randy W. Tung, Esq.

20080092938 - Methods of fabricating nanostructures and nanowires and devices fabricated therefrom: One-dimensional nanostructures having uniform diameters of less than approximately 200 nm. These inventive nanostructures, which we refer to as “nanowires”, include single-crystalline homostructures as well as heterostructures of at least two single-crystalline materials having different chemical compositions. Because single-crystalline materials are used to form the heterostructure, the resultant heterostructure will... Agent: John P. O'banion O'banion & Ritchey LLP

20080092939 - Thermal energy transfer circuit system: A first conductive member and a second conductive member having different Seebeck coefficients are joined together by a joining member to form a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements, and these thermoelectric conversion elements are disposed in at least two different temperature environments. The first conductive members of respective thermoelectric conversion... Agent: Foley And Lardner LLP Suite 500

20080092940 - Production method of thermoelectric semiconductor alloy, thermoelectric conversion module and thermoelectric power generating device: The present invention provides a method for producing a half Heuslar alloy including quench-solidifying a molten alloy at a cooling rate of 1×102 to 1×103° C./sec to produce a Heuslar alloy represented by the formula: ABC (wherein A and B each is at least one member selected from transition metals... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080092941 - Portable computer with detachable solar cell module: A portable computer includes a base with a motherboard secured thereto, a display pivotably attached to the base, and a solar cell module. A first connector is installed to the display and electrically connected with the motherboard. The solar cell module has a solar panel. A plurality of photovoltaic sheets... Agent: PCe Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang Jeffrey T. Knapp

20080092942 - Front contact design for high-intensity solar cells and optical power converters: Devices and methods are disclosed applicable to optical power converters such as solar cells comprising one or more photovoltaic layers for generating an electric potential between a top and bottom surface of the layers. A frontside metal contact is patterned on the top surface using a lithographic process such that... Agent: Canady & Lortz LLP - Boeing

20080092944 - Semiconductor structure and process for forming ohmic connections to a semiconductor structure: A semiconductor apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first doped volume of semiconductor material, the first doped volume having a front surface and first and second adjacent regions. The first region has a first concentration of dopant and a first exposed area on the front surface. The second region... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080092943 - Solar cell structure with localized doping in cap layer: A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate and a sequence of semiconductor layers disposed over the substrate. The sequence of semiconductor layers includes a semiconductor window layer. The solar cell also includes a semiconductor silicon-containing cap layer over the window layer. The cap layer is spatially separated from the window... Agent: Welsh & Katz, Ltd

20080092945 - Semiconductor grain and oxide layer for photovoltaic cells: Photovoltaic structures for the conversion of solar irradiance into electrical free energy. In a particular implementation, a photovoltaic cell includes a granular semiconductor and oxide layer with nanometer-size absorber semiconductor grains surrounded by a matrix of oxide. The semiconductor and oxide layer is disposed between electron and hole conducting layers.... Agent: Law Office Of Mark J. Spolyar

20080092946 - Semiconductor grain microstructures for photovoltaic cells: Photovoltaic structures for the conversion of solar irradiance into electrical free energy. In particular implementations, the novel photovoltaic structures can be fabricated using low cost and scalable processes, such as magnetron sputtering. In a particular implementation, a photovoltaic cell includes a photoactive conversion layer comprising one or more granular semiconductor... Agent: Law Office Of Mark J. Spolyar

20080092947 - Pulse plating of a low stress film on a solar cell substrate: Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a low cost solar cell metal contact structure that has improved electrical and mechanical properties through the use of an electrochemical plating process. The resistance of interconnects formed in a solar cell device greatly affects the efficiency of the solar cell. It... Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, LLP

20080092948 - Method and structure for hydrogenation of silicon substrates with shaped covers: Method and structure for hydrogenation of silicon substrates with shaped covers. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a photovoltaic material. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming a crystalline material characterized by a plurality of worm hole structures therein... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20080092949 - Method and structure for textured thermal cut for photovoltaic applications for thin films: A photovoltaic device and related methods of manufacture. The device has a support substrate having a support surface region. The device has a thickness of crystalline material overlying the support surface region of the support substrate. Preferably, the thickness of material has an upper surface region. The device has a... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20080092950 - Solar cell structure with rear contacts and current collection by transistor effect, and procedure for its manufacture: The solar cell structure is comprised of a base substrate, a face side on which the light falls, and a rear side, on which all the electrical contacts are arranged, and which collects the carriers photogenerated at its face side. The base substrate features thinned zones, or zones of reduced... Agent: Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

20080092951 - Method for passivating crystal silicon surfaces: In a method of making a c-Si-based cell or a μc-Si-based cell, the improvement of increasing the minority charge carrier's lifetime, comprising: a) placing a c-Si or polysilicon wafer into CVD reaction chamber under a low vacuum condition and subjecting the substrate of the wafer to heating; and b) passing... Agent: Paul J White, Senior Counsel National Renewable Energy Laboratory (nrel)

20080092952 - Integrated amorphous silicon double-junction solar cell curtain wall and methods for manufacturing and using the same: Provided is an integrated amorphous silicon double-junction solar cell curtain wall, comprising a plurality of photovoltaic curtain wall plates, each of which being encapsulated by a double-junction amorphous silicon solar cell chip with a glass substrate, a glass plate, a glue film, a junction box, a lead and a frame;... Agent: Matthias Scholl

20080092953 - Method and structure for thin film photovoltaic materials using bulk semiconductor materials: A photovoltaic device and related methods. The device has a structured material positioned between an electron collecting electrode and a hole collecting electrode. An electron transporting/hole blocking material is positioned between the electron collecting electrode and the structured material. In a specific embodiment, negatively charged carriers generated by optical absorption... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20080092954 - Optical absorber layers for solar cell and method of manufacturing the same: Disclosed herein is a light-absorbing layer for a solar cell with enhanced sunlight absorption comprising CuGaSe2, CuIn1-xGaxSe2 and CuInSe2 thin films laminated one another. Further disclosed is a method of manufacturing the light absorbing layer. The method comprises the steps of: forming an InSe thin film from a single precursor... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080092955 - Solar cell structures using porous column tio2 films deposited by cvd: A method of fabricating a photovoltaic cell for use in a solar cell structure includes preparing a first substrate; preparing a TiO2 precursor; preparing a cold wall CVD chamber; placing the first substrate in the cold wall CVD chamber; forming a transparent conducting electrode on the first substrate; depositing a... Agent: David C. Ripma Sharp Laboratories Of America, Inc.

20080087314 - Homogeneous thermoelectric nanocomposite using core-shell nanoparticles: A thermoelectric material comprises core-shell particles having a core formed from a core material and a shell formed from a shell material. In representative examples, the shell material is a material showing an appreciable thermoelectric effect in bulk. The core material preferably has a lower thermal conductivity than the shell... Agent: Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.

20080087315 - Thermoelectric fan for radiation-based heaters, and methods related thereto: Disclosed is a thermoelectric fan for use with radiant heaters, particularly catalytic heaters. The thermoelectric fan of the present invention comprises a housing sub-assembly coupled to a thermal plate sub-assembly, the housing sub-assembly comprising a shrouded circulating air moving member, such as a fan blade, powered solely by the conversion... Agent: Lucy ElandjianIPLaw Services, LLC.

20080087316 - Thermoelectric device with internal sensor: A thermoelectric system which comprises two substrates spaced apart from each other to form a gap and a plurality of electrically-connected semiconductor elements disposed between the substrates in the gap. The thermoelectric system further comprises at least one sensor and a seal which extends between the substrates and encloses the... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080087317 - Thermoelectric transducer: A thermoelectric transducer is provided, where a decrease in conversion efficiency due to uneven characteristics of semiconductors is resolved and a decrease in adhesion strength between each element unit and an electrode due to a heat expansion coefficient between the respective thermoelectric transducers. In addition, an improvement of electro thermal... Agent: Mcginn Intellectual Property Law Group, PLLC

20080087318 - Solar tracking device: An improved elastic compression type solar tracking device includes a photoelectric plate or solar energy collecting device supported by an elastic element. A compression status of the elastic element can be changed by filling water into a water tank mounted on the photoelectric plate or solar energy collecting device to... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20080087319 - Method for metallisation of a semiconductor device: A method for metallization of a semiconductor device. This method includes a) metallizing a set of collection fingers with a low-temperature serigraphy paste on at least a front surface of the semiconductor device, b) sintering, at a temperature below a temperature that would damage the semiconductor device, the serigraphy paste... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080087320 - Photovoltaic array: A photovoltaic array includes a plurality of elongated rails and rectangular photovoltaic modules. Each rail can have an extruded resin construction and can include a lower base and an upper cap that cooperate to define a pair of grooves that open in opposite directions from each other. The elongated rails... Agent: Steptoe & Johnson LLP

20080087321 - Photovoltaic array for concentrated solar energy generator: An extensive photovoltaic array for generating electric power from concentrated solar radiation, formed of an extensive planar structural grid wherein a multitude of power generating modules are installed, said structural grid being positioned by a primary servomechanism to keep incident solar radiation perpendicular to the plane of the array at... Agent: David Klein Dekel Patent Ltd.

20080087322 - Counter electrode having carbon material layer for dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell and method of preparing the same: A counter electrode and a dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell having the counter electrode are provided. The counter electrode includes a conductive substrate, an adhesive layer formed on the conductive substrate, and a porous carbon material layer formed on the adhesive layer.... Agent: LexyoumeIPGroup, LLC

20080087323 - Concentrator solar photovoltaic power generating apparatus: A concentrator solar photovoltaic power generating apparatus including a primary optics for concentrating sunlight, a solar cell, a columnar optical member which is vertically disposed above the solar cell so that a bottom end surface of the columnar optical member is opposed to the solar cell, and which is used... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080087324 - Photovoltaic cell with silole-containing polymer: Photovoltaic cells with silole-containing polymers, as well as related systems, methods and components are disclosed.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080087325 - Novel dye for photoelectronic device, photoanode comprising the dye and photoelectronic device employing the photoanode: Disclosed is a novel dye for use in a photoelectronic device, wherein the photoelectronic device is comprised of a photoanode comprising the dye. According to the novel dye, the dye is derived through the introduction of a group which narrows the dihedral angle of the dye ligand as well as... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20080087326 - Light-harvesting antennae for organic solar cells: An antenna layer is provided separate from an active layer in a solar cell device based on organic materials, enabling improved energy conversion in the solar cell devices by increasing the efficiency and spectral cross-section for the capture of incident light. The antenna layer may be anthracene or an anthracene... Agent: Miller Thompson, LLP

20080087327 - Organic dye, photoelectric conversion material, semiconductor electrode and photoelectric conversion device: Disclosed are an organic dye having a specific structure, a photoelectric conversion material containing the dye, a semiconductor electrode formed of a substrate having an electrically conductive surface, a semiconductor layer coated on the electrically conductive surface and the above dye adsorbed on the surface, and a photoelectric conversion device... Agent: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.

20080083444 - Thermally enhanced solid-state generator: A solid state energy conversion device along with its production methods and systems of use is provided. The device in its most basic form consists of two layers, in contact with each other, of dissimilar materials in terms of electron density and configuration, sandwiched between metal layers, which serve as... Agent: Thomas Beretich

20080083446 - Pipeline thermoelectric generator assembly: A thermoelectric generator assembly. The thermoelectric generator assembly comprises a thermoelectric generator. The thermoelectric generator has a hot junction flange, a cold junction flange and a thermoelectric power output. The thermoelectric generator assembly generates electrical power from heat differentials for use in powering field devices in industrial process monitoring and... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.a.

20080083445 - Thermoelectric generator assembly for field process devices: A thermoelectric generator assembly includes a thermoelectric generator with hot and cold junction flanges. The hot junction flange includes an adapter shaped for thermally coupling to a process vessel. The thermoelectric generator producing a thermoelectric power output. A heat sink thermally couples to ambient air and has a heat sink... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.a.

20080083447 - Thermoelectric heat exchanger: A thermoelectric effects materials based energy transduction device, for selectively providing conversions between electrical and thermal energies having interleaved n-type conductivity material layers having thermoelectric effects properties and a first plurality of p-type conductivity material layers each having thermoelectric effects properties. There is a first plurality of passageway structures each... Agent: Kinney & Lange, P.a.

20080083448 - Interconnect for thin film photovoltaic modules: The present invention relates to configuring and wiring together cells in TF PV modules. According to one aspect, cells within the module are adjusted in size to compensate for known process non-uniformity. According to another aspect, the module is divided into a number of smaller series-connected sub-modules that are then... Agent: Applied Materials, Inc. Patent Counsel

20080083449 - Sealed photovoltaic apparatus: An assembly for producing photovoltaic electricity has an outer assembly having at least one portion transparent to light energy. The outer assembly defines an inner volume. The outer assembly can be made of a first structural member having an opening to an external environment, where the opening is defined by... Agent: Jones Day

20080083451 - Solar energy system with spherical lens: The invention relates to a solar energy system with spherical lens. The solar energy system comprises: a spherical lens and a solar energy plate. The spherical lens has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is used for receiving incident light from a light source at any... Agent: Volentine & Whitt Pllc

20080083450 - Thermal management of concentrator photovoltaic cells: A concentrated solar energy system includes a photovoltaic cell, an optical concentrator, a heat removal system, and means for providing thermal contact between the photovoltaic cell and the heat removal system. The optical concentrator is configured to direct concentrated solar energy to the photovoltaic cell such that the photovoltaic cell... Agent: Kinney & Lange, P.a.

20080083452 - Photoelectric converter, and transparent conductive substrate for the same: A highly durable photoelectric converter with excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency is prevented from resistance loss or lowering of photoelectric conversion efficiency and free from problems of corrosion and reverse electron transfer reaction. Specifically disclosed is a photoelectric converter (1) comprising a semiconductor electrode (11), a counter electrode (12), and an... Agent: Wolf Greenfield & Sacks, P.c.

20080083453 - Formed photovoltaic module busbars: A method and apparatus directed to busbar components for photovoltaic modules.... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20080083454 - Photovoltaic cell using catalyst-supporting carbon nanotube and method for producing the same: Disclosed herein is a photovoltaic cell using catalyst-supported carbon nanotubes and a method for producing the same. More particularly, the photovoltaic cell includes a photo anode, a cathode including a layer of metal catalyst particle supporting carbon nanotubes, and an electrolyte disposed between the photo anode and the cathode. The... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20080083455 - Organic photovoltaic cell and manufacturing method therefor: s

20080078434 - Industrial thermoelectric generator: An industrial thermoelectric generation assembly and method are provided. A plurality of thermoelectric generation elements is provided. Each element has a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a lateral surface. A thermally insulative material surrounds the lateral surface of each thermoelectric element. The first side of... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.A.

20080078435 - Mechanical/thermo-voltaic solar power system: A mechanical/thermo-voltaic solar power system (MeTSoPoS) that uses a thermopile generator, instead of the photovoltaic panel commonly in use today, is disclosed. The system is comprised of three major subsystems: (1) a light collector array, (2) a thermopile thermo-voltaic generator, and (3) a storage and retrieval system. At the center... Agent: D. Alan E. Johnson

20080078436 - Integrated voltaic energy system: An integrated voltaic energy system incorporates a bio-friendly DC power generator with a photovoltaic (PV) system connected to feed a main service panel and a utility grid. A plurality of inverters are connected one each, to a respective output of one of a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays. The... Agent: Paul And Paul

20080078437 - Solar farms having ultra-low cost opv modules: Solar farms comprising solar panels and solar cells having limited efficiencies and lifetimes, but which are low cost and easily replaceable. Organic photoactive layers can be used including low molecular weight organic compounds and polymeric organic compounds including conducting polymers. Polythiophenes and regioregular polythiophenes are a preferred embodiment for the... Agent: Foley And Lardner LLP Suite 500

20080078438 - Photoelectric conversion device and method of manufacturing photoelectric conversion device: Provided is a photoelectric conversion device having a simple structure including a plurality of end-face incident type photoelectric conversion cells. A plurality of dye-sensitized unit cells are disposed on folded faces of the metal sheet that is in a folded form. In these unit cells, a light which comes from... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080078439 - Polarization-induced tunnel junction: A method for electrically connecting semiconductor layers using a layer less than 150 nm thick of a semiconductor material that exhibits strong piezoelectric and/or spontaneous electrical polarization to provide a tunnel junction that electrically connects the semiconductor layers. The semiconductor material that exhibits strong piezoelectric and/or spontaneous electrical polarization comprises... Agent: Gates & Cooper LLP Howard Hughes Center

20080078440 - Electric wire bracket for solar cells: m

20080078441 - Semiconductor devices and methods from group iv nanoparticle materials: A device for generating electricity from solar radiation is disclosed. The device includes a substrate; an insulating layer formed above the substrate; and a first electrode formed above the insulating layer. The device also includes a first doped Group IV nanoparticle thin film deposited on the first electrode; and a... Agent: Foley & Lardner LLP

20080078443 - Dye-sensitized solar cell and method of manufacturing the same: A dye-sensitized solar cell in which an insulating layer is formed on exposed surfaces of a semiconductor oxide layer in a semiconductor electrode and a conductive substrate, and a method of manufacturing the dye-sensitized solar cell are provided. The dye-sensitized solar cell includes a semiconductor electrode and an opposing electrode... Agent: Ladas & Parry LLP

20080078442 - Electric wire for solar cell having bent portion: Disclosed herein is an electric wire for solar cells having a bent portion, which is attached to a tape having an adhesive surface such that the electric wire for carrying electricity produced from the solar cells can be installed to a desired place without requiring any outwardly protruding fixing structure,... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080078444 - Thin film solar cell: Optimal structures for high efficiency thin film silicon solar energy conversion devices and systems are disclosed. Thin film silicon active layer photoelectron conversion structures using ion implantation are disclosed. Thin film semiconductor devices optimized for exploiting the high energy and ultraviolet portion of the solar spectrum at the earths surface... Agent: Fernandez & Associates LLP

20080078445 - Electronic device module comprising polyolefin copolymer: An electronic device module comprising: A. At least one electronic device, e.g., a solar cell, and B. A polymeric material in intimate contact with at least one surface of the electronic device, the polymeric material comprising (1) a polyolefin copolymer with at least one of (a) a density of less... Agent: Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.c.