WO2007108813A3 - Photovoltaic cell with integral light-transmitting wave guide - Google Patents

Photovoltaic cell with integral light-transmitting wave guide Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2007108813A3
WO2007108813A3 PCT/US2006/015762 US2006015762W WO2007108813A3 WO 2007108813 A3 WO2007108813 A3 WO 2007108813A3 US 2006015762 W US2006015762 W US 2006015762W WO 2007108813 A3 WO2007108813 A3 WO 2007108813A3
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
light
photovoltaic cell
electric current
layers
photovoltaic
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2006/015762
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2007108813A2 (en
Inventor
Lawrence Curtin
Original Assignee
Lawrence Curtin
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lawrence Curtin filed Critical Lawrence Curtin
Publication of WO2007108813A2 publication Critical patent/WO2007108813A2/en
Publication of WO2007108813A3 publication Critical patent/WO2007108813A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B1/00—Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01—Products
    • C25B1/02—Hydrogen or oxygen
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/054—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
    • H01L31/0547—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier
    • H01L31/068—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells
    • H01L31/0687—Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier
    • H01L31/075—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the potential barriers being only of the PIN type
    • H01L31/076—Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/52—PV systems with concentrators
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/544—Solar cells from Group III-V materials
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/548—Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

Photovoltaic cells are semiconductor devices known in the art to produce an electric current in the presence of light when placed in a closed electric circuit. The amount of electric current generated is typically a function of the area of the cell exposed to light. The invention is an improved photovoltaic cell comprised of multiple layers of semiconductor material forming N-P junctions with interdispersed light transmitting particles. The light transmitting particles (8) act as waveguides enabling light (12) to be transmitted through multiple layers of semiconductor material (10, 15) to lower N-P layers (11), where they are absorbed, generating an electric current. Photovoltaic cells of a plurality of layers and in varying dimensions may be fabricated, yielding a variety of form factors available to the photovoltaic cell designer and enabling photovoltaic cell use in numerous applications. The invention is also directed to a method for fabricating such photovoltaic cells.
PCT/US2006/015762 2006-03-17 2006-04-25 Photovoltaic cell with integral light-transmitting wave guide WO2007108813A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US78363806P 2006-03-17 2006-03-17
US60/783,638 2006-03-17

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2007108813A2 WO2007108813A2 (en) 2007-09-27
WO2007108813A3 true WO2007108813A3 (en) 2009-04-30

Family

ID=38522856

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2006/015762 WO2007108813A2 (en) 2006-03-17 2006-04-25 Photovoltaic cell with integral light-transmitting wave guide

Country Status (2)

Country Link
CN (1) CN101038941A (en)
WO (1) WO2007108813A2 (en)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2897105A (en) * 1952-04-19 1959-07-28 Ibm Formation of p-n junctions
US3389267A (en) * 1965-09-10 1968-06-18 Clairex Corp Photoelectric cell with heat sink
US4400451A (en) * 1981-05-04 1983-08-23 Diamond Shamrock Corporation Solar energy converter
US5720827A (en) * 1996-07-19 1998-02-24 University Of Florida Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells
US6559375B1 (en) * 1998-11-27 2003-05-06 Dieter Meissner Organic solar cell or light-emitting diode
US6689950B2 (en) * 2001-04-27 2004-02-10 The Boeing Company Paint solar cell and its fabrication

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2897105A (en) * 1952-04-19 1959-07-28 Ibm Formation of p-n junctions
US3389267A (en) * 1965-09-10 1968-06-18 Clairex Corp Photoelectric cell with heat sink
US4400451A (en) * 1981-05-04 1983-08-23 Diamond Shamrock Corporation Solar energy converter
US5720827A (en) * 1996-07-19 1998-02-24 University Of Florida Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells
US6559375B1 (en) * 1998-11-27 2003-05-06 Dieter Meissner Organic solar cell or light-emitting diode
US6689950B2 (en) * 2001-04-27 2004-02-10 The Boeing Company Paint solar cell and its fabrication

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2007108813A2 (en) 2007-09-27
CN101038941A (en) 2007-09-19

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
Garnett et al. Photonics for photovoltaics: Advances and opportunities
CN107210368B (en) Perovskite solar cell module
WO2007126441A3 (en) Back-contact photovoltaic cells
RU2013107130A (en) MULTI-TRANSITION PHOTOGALLANIC ELEMENTS
MY169596A (en) Photovoltaic devices including doped semiconductor films
WO2012061463A3 (en) Luminescent solar concentrator apparatus, method and applications
WO2008051216A3 (en) Micro-scale power source
WO2012018649A3 (en) Cooperative photovoltaic networks and photovoltaic cell adaptations for use therein
WO2008156521A3 (en) Textured rear electrode structure for use in photovoltaic device such as cigs/cis solar cell
WO2007035466A3 (en) Solar collection devices
WO2010048543A3 (en) Thin absorber layer of a photovoltaic device
WO2006135443A3 (en) Back-contact photovoltaic cells
WO2010027944A3 (en) Light collection device with prismatic light turning features
WO2011056648A3 (en) Reducing surface recombination and enhancing light trapping in solar cells
WO2010120233A3 (en) Multi-junction photovoltaic cell with nanowires
JP2013539225A (en) Electronic article and method of forming the same
TW200727504A (en) Solar cell element and method for fabricating same
WO2007067407A3 (en) A transparent electrode for organic electronic devices
WO2012054477A3 (en) Optoelectronic devices and applications thereof
WO2013070454A3 (en) Apparatus and methods for enhancing photovoltaic efficiency
Zhang et al. Improved optical absorption of silicon single-nanowire solar cells by off-axial core/shell design
WO2011151338A3 (en) Photovoltaic component for use under concentrated solar flux
WO2009135238A3 (en) Photovoltaic module
WO2009059303A3 (en) Lateral organic optoelectronic devices and applications thereof
WO2007108813A3 (en) Photovoltaic cell with integral light-transmitting wave guide

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 06751461

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A2

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

32PN Ep: public notification in the ep bulletin as address of the adressee cannot be established

Free format text: NOTING OF LOSS OF RIGHTS PURSUANT TO RULE 112(1) EPC, EPO FORM 1205A DATED 01.12.2008.

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 06751461

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A2