Calvin Souther Fuller

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Calvin Souther Fuller

Born	May 25, 1902(1902-05-25)
Died	October 28, 1994 (aged 92) Vero Beach, Florida
Citizenship	US
Nationality	American
Fields	Physical Chemistry
Institutions	AT&T Bell Laboratories
Alma mater	University of Chicago, PhD
Known for	Invention of the Solar cell
Notable awards	Elected to US National Inventors Hall of Fame, May 2, 2008, for invention of the "Silicon Solar Cell" along with Daryl Chapin and Gerald Pearson. Elected to New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame, June 22, 2006, for Development of the Semiconductor Photovoltaic Solar Cell. Winner of Alfred Krupp Award, Heidelberg University, Germany.

Calvin Souther Fuller (May 25, 1902 – October 28, 1994) was a physical chemist at AT&T Bell Laboratories where he worked for 37 years from 1930-1967 when he went into mandatory retirement at the age of 65. He was credited as the co-inventor of the solar cell also known as the solar battery. Calvin S. Fuller worked with silicon and realized its conductive qualities. In particular, he discovered how to purify silicon, devising a special furnace and a melting process to get rid of the impurities in Silicon.

Calvin Souther Fuller at work (left) at a printing press as a teenager at the end of World War I.

Working with Bell Telephone scientists Daryl Chapin and Gerald Pearson, Fuller diffused boron into silicon to capture the sun's power. In doing so, they created the first practical means of collecting energy from the sun and turning it into a current of electricity. The invention of the solar battery resulted in a 600% improvement in the ability to harness the sun's power into electricity. First, Fuller ensured that silicon was uncorrupted and pure. And then Fuller accomplished the diffusion of boron into silicon. The inventors used several small strips of silicon to capture free electrons and render them into sunlight. Bell Laboratories, who had funded the research, announced the prototype manufacture of a new solar battery.

In spite of the patents, Fuller never got rich from this invention. Most intellectual property in those days belonged to the research lab and the silicon solar cell was no different. Fuller invented for purist reasons and never sought large monetary gains from his invention, instead preferring the love of conducting science for science's sake.

Here is a story told by Calvin S. Fuller's oldest son Robert W. Fuller as part of the speech preparation for Calvin S. Fuller's May 2008 induction to the National Inventor's Hall of Fame: "In 1954 I was home from vacation from college to visit my parents. That night my father, Calvin Souther Fuller, came home with something that looked like a quarter with wires sticking out of it. This was a device that connected to a small electric windmill that stood on the table. He shined a bright flashlight on the quarter-like object, which was actually silicon solar cell, and the blades of the windmill started turning. It was so exciting to see the flashlight power the tiny windmill. While this looked device looked like a quarter to anyone else, it was actually the world’s first silicon solar battery - a device that later becoming known as the silicon solar cell."

The first public service trial of the Bell Solar Battery began with a telephone carrier system in 1955. By 1958, the US Department of Defense realized an extremely valuable application of this device as it deployed self-sufficient, power to vehicles and satellites in space.

Calvin Souther Fuller as a young man in the 1930s.

Calvin S. Fuller attended the University of Chicago where he earned his PhD in 1929. His mentor was Professor Hawkins, a chemistry professor. During World War II, Calvin S. Fuller traveled all over the U.S. by train as the Head of synethic rubber for the United States Government, because the sources of real rubber, from trees, were threatened.

Fuller's legacy remains today. Fuller was granted 33 patents. Some, including renowned solar historian John Perlin, have called his inventions a pivotal step in the founding of semiconductors and the evolution of the personal computer. Before Fuller figured out how to purify Silicon, a rare element called germanium was seen as the key material for creating semiconductors. Fuller's purification and use of one of the world's most ubiquitous substances sand (silicon), provided the key material for the creation of silicon-based technologies.

Calvin S. Fuller was married to Willmine Fuller. They had three children, Robert W. Fuller, Stephen Fuller, and John Fuller and eight grandchildren including Ben Fuller, Vice President of Link TV. Fuller moved to Vero Beach, Florida after he retired from Bell Labs. When he wasn't in Vero Beach, Florida, he spent his time traveling around the United States in a Silver Stream Camper with his wife. Fuller died in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 92.

Calvin Fuller passed away in 1994, having lived to see his invention significantly improve the quality of life on our planet. Today, solar cells and panels can be found all over the world.

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John Perlin, solar historian, at a celebration of the inventors of the Solar Cell including Calvin Souther Fuller pictured right.