HIGH EFFICIENCY PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS AND MANUFACTURING THEREOF

• US 20070204902A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banpil Photonics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Banpil Photonics, Inc.
• Inventors: DUTTA, ACHYUT
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2031 comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 H01G9/2036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2059 comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0236 Special surface textures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02363 of the semiconductor body itself, e.g. textured active layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02366 of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0296 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, HgCdTe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0304 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035281 Shape of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/07 the potential barriers being only of the Schottky type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/073 comprising only AIIBVI compound semiconductors, e.g. CdS/CdTe solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0735 comprising only AIIIBV compound semiconductors, e.g. GaAs/AlGaAs or InP/GaInAs solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1828 the active layers comprising only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, CdTe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/184 the active layers comprising only AIIIBV compounds, e.g. GaAs, InP
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/151 the wide bandgap semiconductor comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/87 Light-trapping means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 : Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Novel structures of photovoltaic cells (also treated as solar cells) are provided. The cells are based on nanometer or micrometer-scaled wires, tubes, and/or rods, which are made of electronic materials covering semiconductors, insulators, and may be metallic in structure. These photovoltaic cells have large power generation capability per unit physical area over the conventional cells. These cells will have enormous applications such as in space, commercial, residential and industrial applications.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell with increased surface area comprising:

a first electrode made of electrical conductive material at least one substrate;

a periodic or non-periodic lattice of nano or micro-units of some shape that increases the surface area when compared to a flat surface, made of some electrically conductive material, e1, which are formed on said substrate or which are a part of the said substrate;

at least one electrically conductive material, e2, which is diffused into or deposited onto said nano or micro scaled-units;

a pn-junction at said nano scaled-unit/electrically conductive material, e2, interface, and;

a second electrode made of electrical conductive material.

2. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is made of Si, Ge, GaAs, GaN, InP, GaN, CdTe, or ZnO.

3. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said nano or micro scaled-units are shaped as pyramids, trapezoids, or cylinders.

4. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said nano or micro scaled-units have n-type semiconductor electrical conduction.

5. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive, e2, material has p-type semiconductor electrical conduction.

6. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said substrate has p-type semiconductor electrical conduction.

7. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said substrate and said e1 are the same material.

8. A photovoltaic cell with increased surface area comprising:

a first electrode made of electrically conductive material;

at least one substrate which is etched to create grooves of some shape;

at least one electrically conductive material, e1, which is diffused into or deposit as separate layer onto said substrate and said grooves;

a pn-junction at said substrate/electrically conductive material, e1 interface, and;

a second electrode made of electrically conductive material,

wherein the side of the grooves are vertical or inclined at specific angle with respect to the surface of the substrate.

9. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 8 wherein said substrate is made of Ge, GaAs, InP, GaN, ZnO, metal, polymer, or CdTe.

10. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 8 wherein said substrate has p-type semiconductor electrical conduction.

11. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 8 wherein said electrically conductive material, e1, has n-type semiconductor electrical conduction or same type of semiconductor as that of substrate.

12. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 8 wherein said grooves are shaped as pyramids, trapezoids, or cylinders.

13. A photovoltaic cell with increased surface area comprising:

at least one substrate which is etched to create grooves of some shape or blocks of some shape formed on the substrate;

a first electrode made of electrically conductive material;

at least single dielectric layer;

a first layer of an electrically conductive material, e1 on said contact layer a second layer of an electrically conductive material, e2, formed on said electrically conductive material, e1;

a pn-junction at said e1/e2 interface, and;

a second electrode made of electrically conductive material,

wherein said grooves or said blocks are in nano or micrometers scaled.

14. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 13 wherein said substrate is made of Silicon, metal or polymer.

15. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 13 wherein said photovoltaic cell has same material type for both said substrate and said first electrode.

16. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 13 wherein said grooves or said blocks are shaped as pyramids, trapezoids, or cylinders.

17. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said nano or micro-units are formed using standard chemical vapor deposition or dry/wet etching process.

18. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said nano or micro-units have sides which are vertical or inclined at certain internal angle with respect to surface of said substrate.

19. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 wherein said nano or micro-units have sides with an angle appropriate to reflect the light incident on said sides to the gap created in between said nano or micro-units to amplify/concentrate the light incident onto said gap.

20. A photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 has more than one pn-junction created in between said first and said second electrode to capture broad solar spectrum and/or others light ranges from mid to long infrared.