Jason M Stephens

US Patent:

8444766, May 21, 2013

Filed:

Dec 10, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/635509

Inventors:

Jason Michael Stephens - San Francisco CA, US
Bradley Owen Stimson - Monte Sereno CA, US
Guleid Nur Abdi Hussen - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

ThinSilicon Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

C23C 16/00
C23F 1/00
H01L 21/306

US Classification:

118715, 15634529

Abstract:

A system for recycling includes a processing chamber, a reclamation reservoir and a mixing reservoir. The processing chamber is configured to receive a deposition gas deposited onto a semiconductor layer. The processing chamber has an exhaust to discharge an unused portion of the deposition gas as an effluent gas. The reclamation reservoir is in fluid communication with the processing chamber. The reclamation reservoir is configured to receive and store the effluent gas from the processing chamber. The mixing reservoir is in fluid communication with the reclamation reservoir and the processing chamber. The mixing reservoir is configured to mix the effluent gas with a virgin gas to form a recycled deposition gas. The mixing reservoir supplies the recycled deposition gas to the processing chamber to deposit an additional portion of the semiconductor layer.

US Patent:

20080295882, Dec 4, 2008

Filed:

May 27, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/127141

Inventors:

JASON M. STEPHENS - REDWOOD CITY CA, US
KEVIN MICHAEL COAKLEY - PALO ALTO CA, US
GULEID HUSSEN - SAN FRANCISCO CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICON CORPORATION - MOUNTAIN VIEW CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/0248
H01L 31/042
H01L 21/00

US Classification:

136244, 136252, 136255, 136258, 438 72, 257E21001

Abstract:

A photovoltaic device includes a supporting layer, a semiconductor layer stack, and a conductive and light transmissive layer. The supporting layer is proximate to a bottom surface of the device. The semiconductor layer stack includes first and second semiconductor sub-layers, with the second sub-layer having a crystalline traction of at least approximately 85%. A conductive and light transmissive layer between the supporting layer and the semiconductor layer stack, where an Ohmic contact exists between the first semiconductor sub-layer and the conductive and light transmissive layer.

US Patent:

20100313935, Dec 16, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/796378

Inventors:

Kevin Michael Coakley - Palo Alto CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US
Jason Stephens - Mountain View CA, US
Kunal Girotra - Mountain View CA, US
Samuel Rosenthal - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICION CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/06
H01L 31/18

US Classification:

136249, 438 59, 257E31043, 257E31047

Abstract:

A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an insulating substrate and a lower electrode above the substrate. The method also includes a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the lower electrode, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, and an upper electrode above the upper stack. The upper and lower stacks of silicon layers have different energy band gaps. The module also includes a built-in bypass diode vertically extending in the upper and lower stacks of silicon layers from the lower electrode to the upper electrode. The built-in bypass diode includes portions of the lower and upper stacks that have a greater crystalline portion than a remainder of the lower and upper stacks.

US Patent:

20100313942, Dec 16, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/796507

Inventors:

Kevin Michael Coakley - Mountain View CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Monte Sereno CA, US
Jason Stephens - Redwood City CA, US
Kunal Girotra - Mountain View CA, US
Samuel Rosenthal - San Fracisco CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICION CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/105
H01L 31/18

US Classification:

136255, 438 87, 257E31061

Abstract:

A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module is provided. The method includes providing an electrically insulating substrate and a lower electrode, depositing a lower stack of silicon layers above the lower electrode, and depositing an upper stack of silicon layers above the lower stack. The lower and upper stacks include N-I-P junctions. The lower stack has an energy band gap of at least 1.60 eV while the upper stack has an energy band gap of at least 1.80 eV. The method also includes providing an upper electrode above the upper stack. The lower and upper stacks convert incident light into an electric potential between the upper and lower electrodes with the lower and upper stacks converting different portions of the light into the electric potential based on wavelengths of the light.

US Patent:

20100313952, Dec 16, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/796039

Inventors:

Kevin Michael Coakley - Mountain View CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US
Jason Stephens - Mountain View CA, US
Kunal Girotra - Mountain View CA, US
Samuel Rosenthal - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICION CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/0376
H01L 31/18
H01L 31/0232

US Classification:

136258, 438 72

Abstract:

A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an electrically insulating substrate, a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the substrate, a middle stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the middle stack, and a light transmissive cover layer above the upper stack. An energy band gap of each of the lower, middle and upper stacks differs from one another such that a different spectrum of incident light is absorbed by each of the lower, middle and upper stacks.

US Patent:

20110114156, May 19, 2011

Filed:

Dec 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/963424

Inventors:

Kevin Coakley - Mountain View CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US
Jason Stephens - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICON CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/06
H01L 31/18

US Classification:

136249, 438 73, 257E31001

Abstract:

A photovoltaic device includes: a substrate; lower and upper electrode layers disposed above the substrate; and a semiconductor layer disposed between the lower and upper electrode layers, the semiconductor layer absorbing incident light to excite electrons from the semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a built-in bypass diode extending between and coupled with the lower and upper electrode layers, the bypass diode permitting electric current to flow through the bypass diode when a reverse bias is applied across the lower and upper electrode layers.

US Patent:

20110189811, Aug 4, 2011

Filed:

Apr 8, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/083084

Inventors:

Jason M. Stephens - Mountain View CA, US
Kevin Michael Coakley - Mountain View CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICON CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/0232
H01L 31/0376

US Classification:

438 72, 438 96, 257E31127, 257E31047

Abstract:

A photovoltaic device includes a supporting layer, a semiconductor layer stack, and a conductive and light transmissive layer. The supporting layer is proximate to a bottom surface of the device. The semiconductor layer stack includes first and second semiconductor sub-layers, with the second sub-layer having a crystalline fraction of at least approximately 85%. A conductive and light transmissive layer between the supporting layer and the semiconductor layer stack, where an Ohmic contact exists between the first semiconductor sub-layer and the conductive and light transmissive layer.

US Patent:

20130014800, Jan 17, 2013

Filed:

Jul 13, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/182267

Inventors:

Jason Stephens - Mountain View CA, US
Kunal Girotra - Mountain View CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

ThinSilicon Corporation - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/05
H01L 31/18

US Classification:

136244, 438 80, 257E31054

Abstract:

A photovoltaic device includes first and second photovoltaic cells, with each of the first and second photovoltaic cells having a substrate, a lower electrode disposed above the substrate along a deposition axis and that includes a conductive light transmissive layer, one or more semiconductor layers disposed above the substrate along the deposition axis, and an upper electrode disposed above the one or more semiconductor layers along the deposition axis. The semiconductor layers convert incident light into an electric current. The first and second photovoltaic cells are separated by first and second separation gaps. The first separation gap extend along the deposition axis through the lower electrode from the substrate and the second separation gap extends from a deposition surface of the light transmissive layer of the lower electrode and through a remainder of the lower electrode and the one or more semiconductor layers along the deposition axis.