31 patents
Page 2 of 2
Utility
Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cell
28 Jul 22
A method of manufacturing a solar cell comprising: providing a growth substrate depositing on the growth substrate an epitaxial sequence of layers of semiconductor material forming at least a first and second solar subcells depositing a semiconductor contact layer on top of the second solar subcell depositing a reflective metal layer over said semiconductor contact layer such that the reflectivity of the reflective metal layer is greater than 80% in the wavelength range 850 to 2000 nm depositing a contact metal layer composed on said reflective metal layer mounting and bonding a supporting substrate on top of the contact metal layer and removing the growth substrate.
Clayton Cozzan, John Hart, Michael W. Riley, Christopher Kerestes
Filed: 28 Jan 21
Utility
Method for Producing Solar Cells and Solar Cell Assemblies
21 Jul 22
A method for producing a mosaic solar cell assembly, comprising the steps of singulating a III-V compound circular semiconductor solar cell wafer having a wafer surface area into four discrete solar cell mosaic elements each substantially shaped as a quadrant of a circle; selecting a first and second solar cell mosaic element each having one curved edge in the shape of an arc of the circumference of the circular wafer from which the element was singulated, and three straight edges; and rearranging and positioning the first and second mosaic elements into a substantially rectangular mosaic assembly.
Daniel Aiken, Daniel Derkacs, Claiborne McPheeters
Filed: 18 Nov 20
Utility
Automated Assembly and Mounting of Solar Cells on Panels
23 Jun 22
A method of fabricating a solar cell array module or panel comprising providing a support, providing a face sheet having a top side and an opposite bottom side, mounting the bottom side of the face sheet on the support, dispensing an adhesive on a plurality of discrete predefined regions on the top side of the face sheet where a string of solar cell assemblies is to be mounted using an automated process, positioning and mounting an interconnected string of solar cell assemblies on the adhesive regions on the top side of the face sheet using machine vision, and applying heat or pressure to bond the interconnected string of solar cell assemblies to the adhesive regions on the top side of the face sheet.
Marvin B Clevenger
Filed: 14 Mar 22
Utility
Multijunction Metamorphic Solar Cells
16 Jun 22
A multijunction solar cell including a growth substrate; a graded interlayer disposed over the growth substrate, a plurality of subcells disposed over the graded interlayer including a second solar subcell disposed over and lattice mismatched with respect to the growth substrate, and at least a third solar subcell disposed over the second subcell; the grading interlayer including a plurality of N step-graded sublayers (where N is an integer and the value of N is 1<N<10), wherein each successive sublayer has an incrementally greater lattice constant than the sublayer below it and grown in such a manner that each sublayer is fully relaxed, a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer over the grading interlayer and an upper solar subcell disposed over the third solar subcell, a band gap in the range of 1.95 to 2.20 eV, and composed of a semiconductor compound including at least indium, aluminum and phosphorus.
DANIEL DERKACS, Zachary Bitter, John Hart
Filed: 28 Feb 22
Utility
Back Contact Solar Cell Assemlies
26 May 22
A back contact solar cell assembly and methods for its manufacture and assembly onto a panel for use in space vehicles are described.
Lei Yang, Daniel McGlynn
Filed: 8 Feb 22
Utility
Multijunction Solar Cell Assembly
12 May 22
A multijunction solar cell assembly and its method of manufacture including interconnected first and second discreate semiconductor body subassemblies disposed adjacent and parallel to each other, in the sense of the incoming illumination, each semiconductor body subassembly including first top subcell, and possibly third middle subcells and a bottom solar subcell; wherein the interconnected subassemblies form at least a Three junction solar cell by a series connection being formed between the bottom solar subcell in the first semiconductor body with its at least least two junctions and the bottom solar subcell in the second semiconductor body representing the additional junction.
DANIEL DERKACS
Filed: 19 Jan 22
Utility
Automated Interconnection and Mounting of Solar Cells on Cell-interconnect-cover Glass (Cic) Assemblies
5 May 22
A method of fabricating a multijunction solar cell by providing a plurality of multijunction solar cells; dispensing an uncured silicone coating on the solar cells using an automated process with visual recognition, and curing the silicone coating on the solar cell.
MARVIN B CLEVENGER, Benjamin Richards, Cory Tourino, Lei Yang, Daniel Aiken, Daniel Derkacs, Philip Biumenfeld
Filed: 19 Jan 22
Utility
System and Method for Efficient Deployment and Retrieval of Space Vehicles
21 Apr 22
A system and method for installing, deploying, and recovering a plurality of spacecraft that provides an ease of use and structural stability, and facilitates a standardization of spacecraft design.
Walter HOLEMANS, Ryan Williams
Filed: 21 Dec 21
Utility
System and Method to Attach and Remove Space Vehicles
14 Apr 22
A system and method for installing, deploying, and recovering a plurality of spacecraft that provides an ease of use and structural stability, and facilitates a standardization of spacecraft design.
Walter Holemans, Ryan Williams
Filed: 21 Dec 21
Utility
Four Junction Metamorphic Multijunction Solar Cells for Space Applications
31 Mar 22
A method of fabricating four junction solar cell wherein the selection of the composition of the subcells and their band gaps maximizes the efficiency at high temperature (in the range of 50 to 100 degrees Centigrade) in deployment in space at a specific predetermined time after initial deployment (referred to as the beginning of life or BOL), such predetermined time being referred to as the end-of-life (EOL), and being at least five years after the BOL, such selection being designed not to maximize the efficiency at BOL but to increase the solar cell efficiency at the EOL while disregarding the soar cell efficiency achieved at the BOL, such that the solar cell efficiency designed at the BOL is less than the solar cell efficiency at the BOL that would be achieved if the selection were designed to maximize the solar cell efficiency at the BOL.
Daniel Derkacs, Daniel McGlynn
Filed: 8 Dec 21
Utility
CorrectedDistributed Bragg Reflector Structures In Multijunction Solar Cells
31 Mar 22
A multijunction solar cell and its method of fabrication, including an upper and a lower solar subcell each having an emitter layer and a base layer forming a photoelectric junction; a near infrared (NIR) wideband reflector layer disposed below the upper subcell and above the lower subcell for reflecting light in the spectral range of 900 to 1050 nm which represents unused and undesired solar energy and thereby reducing the overall solar energy absorptance in the solar cell and providing thermodynamic radiative cooling of the solar cell when deployed in space outside the atmosphere.
Daniel Derkacs, Bed Pantha, Samantha Cruz, Nathaniel Miller, Pravin Patel, Alexander Haas
Filed: 10 Jun 20