1-53. (canceled)
54. A transmitting and receiving device for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communication system, comprising:
a receiver for receiving a notification message comprising an identifier that identifies information stored in a system remote from the transmitting and receiving device, wherein the information is not included in the notification message;
a user interface for receiving from a user of the transmitting and receiving device an input indicating that the user desires to have the information identifier sent to a specified recipient;
a processor for generating a request message in response to the user interface means receiving the input; and
a transmitter for transmitting the request message to the system, wherein the system is configured to transmit the information identifier to the specified recipient in response to receiving the request message.
55. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 54, wherein the processor delays the transmitter from sending the request message until a call is in progress.
56. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 55, wherein the processor initiates a call after the user interface receives from the user an input indicating that a call should be initiated.
57. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 54, wherein the notification message also includes an address signal, wherein the address signal is associated with only the transmitting and receiving device.
58. A transmitting and receiving device for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communication system, comprising:
a receiver (a) for receiving a notification message comprising a message identifier that identifies a message stored in a system remote from the transmitting and receiving device, wherein the message is not included in the notification message, and (b) for receiving the message identified by the message identifier;
a user interface for receiving from a user of the transmitting and receiving device a command indicating that the user desires to forward the message to a recipient;
a transmitter for transmitting information to the system; and
a processor programmed (a) to generate a forward message request command in response to the user interface receiving the command and (b) to determine whether the message is currently stored in the system, wherein
the processor is further programmed to direct the transmitter to transmit the message and the forward message request command to the system if the processor determines that the message is not currently stored in the system, and
the processor is further programmed to direct the transmitter to transmit to the system (a) an identifier for locating the message stored in the system and (b) the forward message request command if the processor determines that the message is currently stored in the system.
59. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 58, wherein the processor determines whether the message is stored within the system by generating a message status request message, directing the transmitter to transmit the message status request message to the system, and receiving a message status signal transmitted from the system, wherein the message status signal indicates whether the message is stored within the system.
60. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 58, wherein the processor delays the transmitter from sending the request message until a call is in progress.
61. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 60, wherein the processor initiates a call after the user interface receives from the user an input indicating that a call should be initiated.
62. The transmitting and receiving device of claim 58, wherein the notification message also includes an address signal, wherein the address signal is associated with only the transmitting and receiving device.
63. In a communications network comprising a transmitting and receiving device for transmitting data to and receiving data from a system remote from the transmitting and receiving device, a method performed by the transmitting and receiving device, comprising the steps of:
receiving a notification message comprising a message identifier that identifies a message stored in the system, wherein the message is not included in the notification message;
receiving from a user of the transmitting and receiving device a command indicating that the message identifier should be sent to a specified recipient;
generating a request message in response to receiving the command, the request message comprising a command identifier corresponding to the command; and
transmitting the request message to the system, whereupon receiving the request message, the system performs the command identified by the command identifier.
64. In a communications network comprising a transmitting and receiving device for transmitting data to and receiving data from a system remote from the transmitting and receiving device, a method performed by the transmitting and receiving device, comprising the steps of:
receiving a notification message comprising a message identifier that identifies a message stored in the system, wherein the message is not included in the notification message;
receiving from the system the message identified by the message identifier;
receiving from a user of the transmitting and receiving device a command indicating that the user desires to forward the message to a recipient;
generating a forward message request message in response to the user interface receiving the command;
determining whether the message is stored in the system;
including the received message in the forward message request message only if it is determined that the message is not stored in the system;
including an identifier for locating the message stored in the system in the forward message request message if it is determined that the message is stored in the system; and
a transmitter for transmitting the forward message request message to the system.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-38. (canceled)
39. A method for manufacturing a solar cell from a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, the semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface, the method comprising:
texturing the front surface to create a textured front surface and texturing the back surface to create a textured back surface; with texture features, such as pyramidal shapes, on the respective surface with valleys in between the texture features;
performing etching for partly smoothening the textured back surface and optionally partly smoothening the textured front surface; said partly smoothening comprising either a broadening or a rounding of the valleys;
creating by diffusion of a dopant of the first conductivity type a back surface field layer of the first conductivity type in the back surface; and
creating a layer of a second conductivity type on the textured front surface by diffusion of a dopant of the second conductivity type into the textured front surface.
40. The method according to claim 39, wherein texturing the front surface to create a textured front surface comprises texturing the back surface to create a textured back surface.
41. The method according to claim 39, wherein texturing the front surface and texturing the back surface includes creating a pyramidal shapes containing front surface and a pyramidal shapes containing back surface.
42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the partial smoothening includes broadening intermediate valleys between pyramidal shapes to provide valleys with widths selected from the range of 50-2000 nm.
43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the partial smoothening includes rounding intermediate valleys between pyramidal shapes to provide valleys with curvatures having radii selected from the range of 25-1000 nm.
44. The method according to claim 39, further including creating a passivation layer, such as selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, and aluminum oxide, and optionally other materials, on one or both doped layers.
45. The method according to claim 45, wherein the passivation layer is created by one or more of the following techniques: plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, low pressure chemical vapor deposition, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, atomic layer deposition, wet chemical oxidation.
46. The method according claim 39, the method comprising:
texturing the front surface to create a textured front surface and texturing the back surface to create a textured back surface;
partly smoothening the textured back surface and optionally partly smoothening the textured front surface;
creating by diffusion of a dopant of the first conductivity type a back surface field layer of the first conductivity type in the back surface, and a first conductivity-type doped layer in the textured front surface;
removing the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface by an etching process adapted for retaining texture of the textured front surface; and
creating a layer of a second conductivity type on the textured front surface by diffusion of a dopant of the second conductivity type into the textured front surface.
47. The method according to claim 46, comprising during the diffusion of the dopant of the first conductivity type, a formation of a dopant containing glassy layer on the front surface and the back surface from a precursor of the first conductivity type, the dopant containing glassy layer acting as dopant source for the semiconductor substrate.
48. The method according to claim 47, comprising removing the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface and the back surface preceding the removal of the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface.
49. The method according to claim 47, comprising removing the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface while removing the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface, in a single sided etching process.
50. The method according to claim 49, comprising removing the dopant containing glassy layer from the back surface after the removal of the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface and the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface in the single sided etching process.
51. The method according to claim 47, comprising preceding the removal of the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface:
removing the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface and the back surface, and
creating a protective layer on the back surface field layer.
52. The method according to claim 49, comprising:
after creating the first conductivity-type doped layer in the textured front surface and the back surface field layer of the first conductivity type in the back surface:
creating a protective layer on the back surface field layer,
before the removal of the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface while removing the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface in a single sided etching process.
53. The method according to claim 52, comprising: after the removal of the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface while removing the first conductivity-type doped layer from the textured front surface in a single sided etching process and preceding the creation of the layer of the second conductivity type on the textured front surface:
removing the protective layer and the dopant containing glassy layer from the back surface
54. The method according to claim 51, wherein the protective layer comprises a coating layer containing at least one material selected from a group of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiNx), a dielectric, and a resist.
55. The method according to claim 46, wherein creating the back surface field layer by diffusion of the dopant of the first conductivity type comprises exposing the back surface to a precursor of the first conductivity type at elevated temperature.
56. The method according to claim 55 herein the precursor of the first conductivity type contains the dopant of the first conductivity type; the precursor being selected from one of a gaseous precursor, a liquid precursor, a paste precursor and a plasma precursor.
57. The method according to claim 39, wherein the diffusion of the dopant of the first conductivity type is optimized to create a thickness of the first conductivity-type doped layer in the textured front surface which is 0.7 micron or less.
58. The method according to claim 39, wherein the diffusion of the dopant of the first conductivity type is optimized to create a thickness of the first conductivity-type doped layer in the textured front surface which is 0.3 micron or less.
59. The method according to claim 39, wherein creating the layer of the second conductivity type on the textured front surface by diffusion of the dopant of the second conductivity type comprises exposing the textured front surface to a precursor of the second conductivity type at elevated temperature.
60. The method according to claim 59, wherein the precursor of the second conductivity type is a gaseous precursor, the gaseous precursor containing the dopant of the second conductivity type.
61. The method according to claim 39, wherein the first conductivity type is n-type and the second conductivity type is p-type, or
the first conductivity type is p-type and the second conductivity type is n-type.
62. The method according to claim 59, wherein a thickness of the first conductivity-type doped layer is less than an average height of a texture feature on the textured front surface.
63. The method according to claim 62, wherein the average height of the texture feature on the textured front surface is at least about 2 micron and the thickness of the first conductivity type doped layer is about 0.7 micron or less.
64. The method according to claim 62, wherein the average height of the texture feature on the textured front surface is at least about 2 micron and the thickness of the first conductivity type doped layer is about 0.3 micron or less.
65. The method according to claim 46, wherein the etching process adapted for retaining texture of the textured front surface is performed by a single-sided wet-chemical process using an etching agent.
66. The method according to claim 39, wherein the partial smoothening comprises etching the textured back surface and optionally the textured front surface with an etching agent.
67. The method according to claim 63, wherein the etching agent further comprises a component for polishing the semiconductor surface.
68. The method according to claim 39, wherein the partial smoothening is performed by dry etching the textured back surface and optionally the textured front surface.
69. The method according to claim 46, wherein the etching process adapted for retaining texture of the textured front surface is performed by a dry etching method.
70. The method according to claim 46, wherein the removing of the first conductivity type doped layer from the textured front side and the dopant containing glassy layer from the front surface is performed during the etching process adapted for retaining texture of the textured front surface.
71. A semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type having a textured front surface and a textured back surface the texture having texture features, such as pyramidal shapes, on the respective surface with valleys in between the texture features, wherein the textured front surface comprises a second conductivity-type doped layer, wherein the textured back surface comprises a surface field layer of the first conductivity type, and wherein the textured back surface comprises a pyramidal shapes containing back surface with intermediate valleys in between the pyramidal shapes, the valleys having widths selected from the range of 50-2000 nm,
and wherein the valleys at the bottom being rounded with curvatures having radii selected from the range of 25-1000 nm.
72. The semiconductor substrate according to claim 71, wherein the textured front surface comprises a pyramidal shapes containing front surface with intermediate valleys having widths selected from the range of 50-500 nm.
73. The semiconductor substrate according to claim 71, the textured front surface having valleys with curvatures having radii selected from the range of 25-250 nm.
74. The semiconductor substrate according to claim 71, further comprising a passivation layer on the surface field layer of the first conductivity type and on the second conductivity-type doped layer.
75. The semiconductor substrate according to claim 74, wherein the passivation layer include one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon carbide and aluminum oxide.