Stan Ovshinsky was known as the founder of Energy Conversion Laboratory (and as I recall Ovonics - developer of Ni-Mh battery chemistry). Had spoken with him once years ago.
Fridays WSJ reported he passed away. Apparently his claim to fame was invention of new class of semiconductors which were amorphous and came to be known as glass transistors. In 1968 he predicted this would lead to desktop computers and flat panel displays.
These materials were known as ovonics. Not sure how but this was used to develop NiMh batteries.
He also used this technology to print flexible PV materials, printing them on a machine 100 m long.
Above all, Mr. Ovshinsky, a self taught high school graduate, was a " self-proclaimed socialist, his work inspired by a vision of humanity freed of resource wars and climate change ".