Apparatus and methods for solar energy conversion using nanoscale cometal structures

• US 8,431,816 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trustees of Boston College (Boston College)
• Original Assignee: Trustees of Boston College (Boston College)
• Inventors: Kempa, Krzysztof J., Naughton, Michael J., Ren, Zhifeng, Rybczynski, Jakub A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hendricks, Keith
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLSON, KOURTNEY SALZMAN
• Application Number:
  US13/092,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20110308564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 136243-265, 356/434, 252/501.1
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/348 Electrochemical processes, e.g. electrochemical deposition or anodisation
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035227 the quantum structure being quantum wires, or nanorods carbon nanotubes H10K85/211
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/07 the potential barriers being only of the Schottky type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for solar conversion using nanoscale cometal structures are disclosed herein. The cometal structures may be coaxial and coplanar. A nanoscale optics apparatus for use as a solar cell comprises a plurality of nanoscale cometal structures each including a photovoltaic material located between a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor. A method of fabricating solar cells comprises preparing a plurality of nanoscale planar structures; coating a plurality of planar surfaces of the plurality of planar structures with a photovoltaic semiconductor while leaving space between the plurality of planar surfaces; and coating the photovoltaic semiconductor with an outer electrical conductor layer, wherein a portion of the outer electrical conductor layer is located between the planar structures to form coplanar structures.

Claims

1. A solar cell comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures, each comprising a photovoltaic layer located between a first electrically conducting layer and a second electrically conducting layer,

wherein incident electromagnetic radiation enters the coplanar structure between the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer and propagates in a direction substantially parallel to a long direction of the nanoscale coplanar structures,

wherein the coplanar structures are disposed on the substrate with the long dimension substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate, and

wherein transmission of electromagnetic energy inside the coplanar structures is wavelength-independent and happens in transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode.

2. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conducting layer is approximately parallel to the second electrically conducting layer.

3. The solar cell of claim 1 further comprising a protruding portion of the first electrically conducting layer extending along the long direction beyond the second electrically conducting layer.

4. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer are electrically contacted only through the photovoltaic layer.

5. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic layer contains a planar p-n junction.

6. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic layer contains a planar p-i-n junction formed of a p-type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic photovoltaic semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer.

7. The solar cell of claim 1 further comprising a transparent conductor located between the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer.

8. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the plurality of coplanar structures are connected in series, resulting in a total voltage being a sum of voltages photo-generated by each coplanar structure.

9. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the plurality of coplanar structures are connected in parallel, resulting in a total voltage between a minimum and a maximum of the voltages photo-generated by each coplanar structure.

10. The solar cell of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the photovoltaic material is approximately the same as the carrier diffusion length.

11. A solar cell comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures, each comprising a photovoltaic layer located between a first electrically conducting layer and a second electrically conducting layer,

wherein the plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures have a long dimension substantially parallel to a direction of propagation of incident electromagnetic radiation which enters the plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures between the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer,

wherein the plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures are disposed on the substrate with the long dimension substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate,

wherein the first electrically conducting layer includes a protruding portion extending in the long direction beyond the second electrically conducting layer to function as an electromagnetic radiation receiving antenna, and

wherein transmission of electromagnetic energy inside the coplanar structures is wavelength-independent and happens in transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode.

12. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the first electrically conducting layer is approximately parallel to the second electrically conducting layer.

13. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer are electrically contacted only through the photovoltaic layer.

14. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the photovoltaic layer contains a planar p-n junction.

15. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the photovoltaic layer contains a planar p-i-n junction formed of a p-type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic photovoltaic semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer.

16. The solar cell of claim 11 further comprising a transparent conductor located between the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer.

17. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures are connected in series, resulting in a total voltage being a sum of voltages photo-generated by each coplanar structure.

18. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the plurality of nanoscale coplanar structures are connected in parallel, resulting in a total voltage between a minimum and a maximum of the voltages photo-generated by each coplanar structure.

19. The solar cell of claim 11 wherein the thickness of the photovoltaic material is approximately the same as the carrier diffusion length.