Free-standing two-sided device fabrication

• US 8,579,434 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Amirparviz, Babak, Lingley, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US13/278,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 351/159.03, 351/159.39
• US Class Current: 351/159.03
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02162 for filtering or shielding light, e.g. multicolour filters for photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02165 using interference filters, e.g. multilayer dielectric filters interference filters G02B5/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02167 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022416 comprising ring electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022441 Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/068 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/103 the potential barrier being of the PN homojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

Solar cells attached to a contact lens are provided, as well as methods for making the solar cells and contact lenses. The solar cells have electrodes on only one side of the device, which facilitates attachment of the solar cell to a contact lens. In one embodiment, the solar cells are made using a “two sided” process. By using the two-sided process, solar cells of only a few microns in thickness can be fabricated. Such relatively thin solar cells can be incorporated into a contact lens without discomfort to the wearer. By providing an infinitely renewable power source on a contact lens, the solar cells enable the use of electronic components on the contact lens while eliminating the recharging or replacing issues that arise with batteries.

Claims

1. A powered contact lens, comprising a transparent substrate having a plurality of recesses shaped to be worn directly over a user'"'"'s eye, a photovoltaic component disposed in one of the plurality of recesses, and an electronic component disposed in another of the plurality of recesses, wherein the photovoltaic component is in electronic communication with the electronic component, and wherein the photovoltaic component has a p contact and an n contact on only a first side of the photovoltaic component.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the p contact and the n contact are coplanar.

3. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic component has a thickness of 50 microns or less.

4. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic component has a thickness of 10 microns or less.

5. The contact lens of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of photovoltaic components, wherein each of the plurality of photovoltaic components are disposed in a corresponding one of the plurality of recesses.

6. The contact lens of claim 5, further comprising an interconnect network disposed on the transparent substrate and electronically connecting the plurality of photovoltaic components and the electronic component.

7. The contact lens of claim 5, wherein at least two of the plurality of photovoltaic components are electronically connected in series.

8. The contact lens of claim 5, wherein at least two of the plurality of photovoltaic components are electronically connected in parallel.

9. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is a polymer substrate.

10. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic component comprises a silicon p/n junction.

11. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic component is embedded in the transparent substrate.

12. The contact lens of claim 11, wherein the photovoltaic component is enclosed within the substrate.

13. The contact lens of claim 11, further comprising an encapsulation layer overlying the substrate and abutting a second side of the photovoltaic component, which is opposite the first side of the photovoltaic component.

14. The contact lens of claim 13, wherein the encapsulation layer is a conformal layer that covers the entire contact lens.