1. A method for laser surface cleaning, the method comprising:
directing a laser towards a substrate with a contaminant on its surface;
producing a first thermal increase in said substrate material with said laser;
inducing a second thermal increase in said contaminant due to said first thermal increase in said substrate material; and
producing a thermal decomposition or a physical state change of said contaminant.
2. The method in claim 1 in which said substrate’s temperature remains below a temperature in which damage or detrimental effects will occur to said substrate.
3. The method in claim 1 in which said substrate’s temperature remains below a temperature in which damage or detrimental effect will occur to materials disposed relative to the substrate.
4. The method of claim 1 in which said substrate’s temperature remains below a temperature in which damage or detrimental effect will occurto a device or a product that incorporates said substrate.
5. The method in claim 1 wherein said substrate consists of one or more materials.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate includes at least one thin film layer.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate consists of one or more materials, including a thin film layer that is patterned such that portions of the base substrate have no thin film coating.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is a dry laser surface cleaning method.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a photomask.
10. The method in claim 1 in which the laser’s output is pulsed.
11. The method in claim 1 in which the laser’s output is pulse width varied.
12. The method in claim 1 in which the substrate is partially or completely enclosed or protected by a pellicle.
13. The method in claim 1 in which the laser is directed through a material disposed relative to the substrate.
14. The method in claim 1 in which the laser’s wavelength is selected to permit absorption of the laser’s energy by the substrate.
15. The method of claim 1 in which one or more lasers of different wavelengths or a tunable laser is utilized thereby permitting heating of the substrate when the substrate is composed of at least two materials.
16. The method in claim 1 in which a heat sink is positioned adjacent to the substrate to permit cooling.
17. The method in claim 1 in which the substrate is physically manipulated or oriented to mitigate the effects of residual or resultant materials.
18. The method of claim 1 in which the substrate is cooled via convection.
19. The method of claim 1 in which one or more metrologies are used in conjunction with the cleaning process.
20. The method in claim 1 in which the laser contributes directly to the thermal increase in the contaminant.
21. A method for mitigating the effects of surface contamination on a substrate, the method comprising:
employing an energy source to produce a first thermal increase in said substrate which induces a second thermal increase in said contaminant resulting in thermal decomposition or physical state change of said contaminant.
22. The method in claim 21, wherein the energy source is external to the substrate.
23. The method in claim 21, wherein the energy source is an electromagnetic energy source.
24. The method in claim 21 wherein the energy source is a laser.
25. The method in claim 21 in which the substrate’s temperature remains below a temperature in which damage or detrimental effect will occur to the substrate.
26. The method in claim 21 in which the substrate’s temperature remains below a temperature in which damage or detrimental effect will occur to materials disposed relative to the substrate.
27. The method of claim 21 in which the substrate’s temperature remains below a temperature in which damage or detrimental effect will occur to a device or product that utilizes the substrate.
28. The method in claim 21 wherein the substrate consists of one or more materials.
29. The method of claim 21 wherein the substrate includes a thin film layer.
30. The method of claim 21 wherein the substrate consists of one or more materials, including a thin film layer that is patterned such that portions of the base substrate have no thin film coating.
31. The method of claim 21 wherein the substrate surface is dry.
32. The method of claim 21 wherein the substrate is a photomask.
33. The method in claim 21 in which a heat sink is positioned adjacent to the substrate to permit cooling.
34. The method in claim 21 in which the external energy source contributes directly to the thermal increase in the contaminant.
35. The method of claim 21 in which one or more metrologies are used.
36. The method in claim 21 in which the substrate is physically manipulated or oriented to mitigate the effects of residual or resultant materials.
37. A method for mitigating the effects of surface contamination on a substrate, the method comprising:
directing an energy source through a material disposed relative to the contaminated surface to produce a first thermal increase in said substrate which induces a second thermal increase in said contaminant resulting in thermal decomposition or physical state change of said contaminant.
38. The method in claim 37 wherein the energy source is focused toward the substrate surface.
39. The method in claim 37, wherein the energy is provided by an electromagnetic energy source.
40. The method in claim 37 wherein the energy source is a laser.
41. The method of claim 40 in which the laser’s output is pulsed.
42. The method of claim 40 in which the laser’s pulsed output is width varied.
43. The method of claim 40 in which the laser’s wavelength is selected to permit absorption of the laser’s energy by the substrate’s surface.
44. The method of claim 37 wherein the substrate is a photomask.
45. The method of claim 37 wherein the material disposed relative to the contaminated surface is a pellicle frame and film.
46. The method of claim 37 wherein the material disposed relative to the contaminated surface absorbs energy from the external energy source.
47. The method of claim 37 wherein a means for reducing thermal increase in the material disposed relative to the contaminated surface is provided.
48. The method of claim 47 wherein the means is a form of forced convection.
49. The method in claim 37 in which the substrate is physically manipulated or oriented to mitigate the effects of residual or resultant materials.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic modules located within a solar panel, each photovoltaic module having a first output contact, the plurality of first output contacts extending at least partially on a first common axis, the apparatus comprising:
a first electrically conductive line extending at least partially along the first common axis, wherein said first electrically conductive line is engageable with and capable of electrically connecting the plurality of first output contacts of the photovoltaic modules along the first common axis.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each photovoltaic module is elongated.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each first output contact is the anode output contact of the respective corresponding photovoltaic module, whereby said first electrically conductive line connects the plurality of photovoltaic modules in parallel.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each first output contact is the cathode output contact of the respective corresponding photovoltaic module, whereby said first electrically conductive line connects the plurality of photovoltaic modules in parallel.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the solar panel includes a first at least substantially straight member, wherein the first common axis and said first electrically conductive line extend at least partially along the length of and within the first at least substantially straight member, and wherein said first electrically conductive line is engageable with and capable of electrically connecting the plurality of first output contacts within the first at least substantially straight member.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of photovoltaic modules is in generally spaced parallel relationship with one another.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the solar panel includes a frame having first and second opposing side rails and first and second opposing end rails, wherein said first electrically conductive line extends at least partially along the length of the first end rail and electrically connects the plurality of first output contacts of the plurality of photovoltaic modules within the first end rail.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 further including a plurality of connectors, each said connector being capable of electrically engaging at least one of the first output contacts of the plurality of photovoltaic modules.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each said connector includes at least one leaf member.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each said connector includes at least one receptacle.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of the first output contacts includes at least one prong, and each said connector includes a socket engageable with at least one prong of at least one first output contact.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first electrically conductive line and said plurality of connectors are interconnected by snapping engagement.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said plurality of connectors is integrally formed in a unitary body.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first at least substantially straight member includes at least one concave portion, wherein said plurality of connectors is disposed within at least one concave portion of the first at least substantially straight member.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 further including at least one insert disposed within at least one concave portion of the first at least substantially straight member, said at least one insert including at least one cavity, wherein said plurality of connectors is disposed within at least one said cavity.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one insert is constructed at least partially of rubber.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one insert is constructed at least partially of foam and is glued to the first at least substantially straight member.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said first electrically conductive line is disposed within at least one said cavity of said at least one insert.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each photovoltaic module includes a second output contact, the plurality of second output contacts extending at least partially on a second common axis, further including a second electrically conductive line extending at least partially along the second common axis, wherein the second electrically conductive line is engageable with and capable of electrically connecting the plurality of second output contacts along the second common axis.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein each first output contact is the anode output contact of the respective corresponding photovoltaic module and each second output contact is the cathode output contact of the respective corresponding photovoltaic module, whereby said first and second electrically conductive line connects the plurality of photovoltaic modules in parallel.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the solar panel includes first and second at least substantially straight members, wherein the first common axis and said first electrically conductive line extend at least partially along the length of and within the first at least substantially straight member, and wherein the second common axis and said second electrically conductive line extend at least partially along the length of and within the second at least substantially straight member.
22. An apparatus capable of electrically connecting a plurality of elongated photovoltaic modules disposed in generally spaced parallel relationship with one another within a solar energy absorption device, each of the plurality of elongated photovoltaic modules having an anode output contact that extends at least partially on a first common axis and a cathode output contact that extends at least partially on a second common axis, the apparatus comprising:
a first electrically conductive line extending at least partially along the first common axis, wherein said first electrically conductive line is engageable with and capable of electrically connecting together the plurality of cathode output contacts along the first common axis; and
a second electrically conductive line extending at least partially along the second common axis, wherein said second electrically conductive line is engageable with and capable of electrically connecting together the plurality of anode output contacts along the second common axis.
23. An apparatus for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic modules disposed within a solar panel, the solar panel including a frame that includes first and second opposing side rails and first and second opposing end rails, the apparatus comprising:
at least one of the photovoltaic modules including a plurality of solar cells that share a common substrate; and
a first electrically conductive line extending at least partially through, and electrically connecting together the plurality of photovoltaic modules within, at least one among the first and second opposing side rails and the first and second opposing end rails of the frame.
24. An apparatus for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic modules disposed within a solar panel, the solar panel including a frame that includes first and second opposing side rails and first and second opposing end rails, the apparatus comprising:
the plurality of photovoltaic modules being disposed within the solar panel in a manner that prohibits rotational movement of the plurality of photovoltaic modules relative to the solar panel;
at least one of the photovoltaic modules including a plurality of solar cells that share a common substrate; and
a first electrically conductive line extending at least partially through, and electrically connecting together the plurality of photovoltaic modules within, at least one among the first and second opposing side rails and the first and second opposing end rails of the frame.
25. An apparatus for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic modules disposed within a solar panel, the solar panel including a frame that includes first and second opposing side rails and first and second opposing end rails, the apparatus comprising:
at least one of the photovoltaic modules including a plurality of solar cells that share a common substrate;
the plurality of photovoltaic modules being configured to accept light from more than one planar direction and produce electric power from light received from more than one planar direction; and
a first electrically conductive line extending at least partially through, and electrically connecting together the plurality of photovoltaic modules within, at least one among the first and second opposing side rails and the first and second opposing end rails of the frame.