Solar cell with three layers and forward biasing voltage

• US 11,302,840 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Issued: 04/12/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vandette B. Carter
• Original Assignee: Vandette B. Carter
• Inventors: Carter, Vandette B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mershon, Jayne L
• Application Number:
  US16/669,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20200135954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02008 for solar cells or solar cell modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02021 for solar cells electrical connection means, e.g. junction boxes, specially adapted for structural association with photovoltaic modules H02S40/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/028 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/053 Energy storage means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. a capacitor integrated with a PV cell energy storage means associated with the PV module H02S40/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/077 the devices comprising monocrystalline or polycrystalline materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

Solar cells efficiency is improved, in a first approach, wherein the anode'"'"'s “top contact” is relocated to the middle of a three-layer solar cell wafer, permitting maximum sunlight photons to excite free electrons in the anode and p-n junction, without causing obstruction or reflection of sunlight therein. In another embodiment, a rechargeable battery of at least 0.1 v is used, to create forward biasing of electrons in a solar cell, having an impurity level that is less than 99.999999%. The anode and cathode of a silicon base solar cell is doped with more than one element, other than phosphorous and boron, to increase its performance and decrease its manufacturing cost.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell and a rechargeable battery in combination, in a circuit, wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises:

a p layer;

an n layer;

a non-doped layer having no electrical charge disposed between the p layer and the n layer, the non-doped layer having a surface area which is less than the surface area of the p layer or the n layer, wherein either the p layer or the n layer extends adjacent the non-doped layer to form a p-n junction of the p layer and the n layer; and

the battery having a voltage selected so as to promote forward biasing of excited electrons in the p-n junction of the photovoltaic cell.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the battery has a voltage of at least 0.1 volt, but is below a voltage of the p-n junction of the photovoltaic cell.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein one of the p layer and the n layer of the photovoltaic cell is doped with two elements.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein one of the two elements is selected from the group consisting of gold and iodine.

5. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a top contact situated below an anode of the photovoltaic cell and above the non-doped layer.