PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES USING SEMICONDUCTING NANOTUBE LAYERS
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic device, comprising:
- a first electrode element;
a second electrode element;
at least one layer of semiconducting elements disposed between said first and second electrode elements, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements comprising a fabric of semiconducting carbon nanotubes having a first conductivity type, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements having a first side and a second side; and
at least one charge-separating junction formed at said at least one layer of semiconducting elements,wherein said first side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements is electrically coupled to said first electrode element, andwherein said second side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements is electrically coupled to said second electrode element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) devices employing layers of semiconducting carbon nanotubes as light absorption elements are disclosed. In one aspect a layer of p-type carbon nanotubes and a layer of n-type carbon nanotubes are used to form a p-n junction PV device. In another aspect a mixed layer of p-type and n-type carbon nanotubes are used to form a bulk hetero-junction PV device. In another aspect a metal such as a low work function metal electrode is formed adjacent to a layer of semiconducting nanotubes to form a Schottky barrier PV device. In another aspect various material deposition techniques well suited to working with nanotube layers are employed to realize a practical metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) PV device. In another aspect layers of metallic nanotubes are used to provide flexible electrode elements for PV devices. In another aspect layers of metallic nanotubes are used to provide transparent electrode elements for PV devices.
109 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic device, comprising:
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a first electrode element; a second electrode element; at least one layer of semiconducting elements disposed between said first and second electrode elements, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements comprising a fabric of semiconducting carbon nanotubes having a first conductivity type, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements having a first side and a second side; and at least one charge-separating junction formed at said at least one layer of semiconducting elements, wherein said first side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements is electrically coupled to said first electrode element, and wherein said second side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements is electrically coupled to said second electrode element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A photovoltaic power generating system comprising:
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multiple photovoltaic devices electrically coupled together; and an electrical inverter electrically coupled to an output section of said multiple photovoltaic devices, wherein said inverter receives a DC electric current from said output section and converts the DC electric current to an AC electric current, wherein each of said multiple photovoltaic devices comprises a first electrode element, a second electrode element, at least one layer of semiconducting elements disposed between said first and second electrode elements, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements comprising a fabric of semiconducting carbon nanotubes having a first conductivity type, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements having a first side and a second side, and at least one charge-separating junction formed at said at least one layer of semiconducting elements, wherein said first side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements is electrically coupled to said first electrode element, and wherein said second side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements is electrically coupled to said second electrode element. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A method of fabricating photovoltaic device, comprising:
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forming at least one layer of semiconducting elements on a first electrode element, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes of a first conductivity type, said at least one layer of semiconducting elements having a first side and a second side, said first side of the layer of semiconducting elements disposed at a surface of said first electrode element, said first side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements being electrically coupled to said first electrode element; forming a second electrode element at said second side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements, said second side of said at least one layer of semiconducting elements being electrically coupled to said second electrode element; and forming at least one charge-separating junction at said at least one layer of semiconducting elements. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification