Nicole E Anderson

US Patent:

8207442, Jun 26, 2012

Filed:

Apr 18, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/737119

Inventors:

Lawrence M. Woods - Littleton CO, US
Joseph H. Armstrong - Littleton CO, US
Rosine M. Ribelin - Lakewood CO, US
Thomas Duncan Barnard - Murrieta CA, US
Yukinari Harimoto - Kanagawa, JP
Hidekatsu Hatanaka - Chiba, JP
Maki Itoh - Tokyo, JP
Dimitris Elias Katsoulis - Midland MI, US
Michitaka Suto - Kanagawa, JP
Bizhong Zhu - Midland MI, US
Nicole R. Anderson - Midland MI, US
Herschel Henry Reese - Midland MI, US

Assignee:

ITN Energy Systems, Inc. - Littleton CO

International Classification:

H01L 31/00

US Classification:

136255

Abstract:

In an embodiment, one reinforced substrate for use in a photovoltaic device includes a polymer base material and a reinforcing structure bonded with the base material. The reinforced substrate presents a surface in a condition that is made-ready for deposition of thin film layers of the photovoltaic device. A thin film photovoltaic device includes the reinforced substrate, a back contact layer formed on the surface of the reinforced substrate, and a solar absorber layer formed on the back contact layer. A plurality of thin film photovoltaic devices may be formed on a common reinforced substrate. A process of producing a reinforced substrate includes combining a fluid base material and a fiber reinforcing structure to form an impregnated fiber reinforcement. The impregnated fiber reinforcement is cured to form the reinforced substrate, and the reinforced substrate is annealed.