The U.S. Patent Office has awarded a patent to Natcore Technology Inc. for its proprietary Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) process for growing films on silicon.
Natcore's LPD process makes it possible to grow a wide range of inorganic materials, such as silicon dioxide-based films, using a room-temperature, environmentally friendly chemical bath, thereby eliminating the need for harsh and expensive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods currently used, the company explains.
These silicon dioxide films are essential elements of solar cells, among other uses. Natcore's LPD process is expected to significantly lower manufacturing and environmental costs in many of these applications, according to the company. The LPD process will also allow for the development of advanced materials and devices that would otherwise be destroyed during the high-temperature CVD process currently being used.
The LPD process has already been granted patent protection in Russia, and is currently in application in other major jurisdictions throughout the world.
SOURCE: Natcore Technology Inc.
