THIN FILM PHOTODETECTOR, METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20070290287A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Freedman
• Original Assignee: Philip Freedman
• Inventors: Freedman, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,800,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/443
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/373 Cooling facilitated by selection of materials for the device or materials for thermal expansion adaptation, e.g. carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0352 characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0693 the devices including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only AIIIBV compounds, e.g. GaAs or InP solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0725 Multiple junction or tandem 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: H02S 10/10 including a supplementary source of electric power, e.g. hybrid diesel-PV energy systems combinations with gas-turbine plants F02C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A photodetector, comprises a first section comprising at least one p-n junction that converts photon energy into a separate charge carrier and hole carrier; and another section of semiconductors of opposing conductivity type connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel in a heat dissipating and electric generating relationship to the cell to augment generation of electric energy of the first section.

Claims

1. A photodetector, comprising:

a first section comprising at least one p-n junction that converts photon energy into a separate charge carrier and hole carrier; and

another section of semiconductors of opposing conductivity type connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel in a heat dissipating and electric generating relationship to the first section.

3. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series by at least one associated thin film.

6. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least two surface discontinuous patterned thin films, each surface comprising an arrangement of defined, systematic electrically conductive shapes on a regular flat surface.

8. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by two surface discontinuous patterned thin films, each surface comprising an arrangement of defined, systematic electrically conductive shapes on a regular flat surface with associated at least one pair of p-type semiconductor and n-type semiconductor sandwiched between the two films wherein the systematic electrically conductive shapes of respective thin films are complementarily postured to form an uninterrupted conductive circuit with the associated at least one p-type semiconductor and the at least one n-type semi conduct.

9. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface with a discontinuous patterned monolayer thin film.

11. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface with a discontinuous patterned monolayer thin film less than 1 nm to about 3 nm thick.

13. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface discontinuous fullerene patterned thin film.

16. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface with a discontinuous patterned carbon nanotube thin film.

18. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface with a discontinuous patterned upgraded SWNT thin film.

21. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface with a discontinuous patterned thin film comprising at least 95% SWNT.

23. The photodetector of claim 1, wherein the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type comprising at least one p-type semiconductor and at least one n-type semiconductor are coupled electrically in series and thermally in parallel by at least one associated surface with a discontinuous patterned thin film comprising substantially aligned SWNT.

30. The photodetector of claim 1, comprising an electric insulating and thermal transmissive substrate comprising a semiconductive material in thermal transmissive contact with the first section.

33. The photodetector of claim 1, comprising a first electric insulating and thermal transmissive substrate in thermal conducting contact with the first section and another electric insulating and thermal transmissive film opposing and parallel to the first electric insulating and thermal transmissive substrate or film.

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48. A method of making a photodetector comprising:

forming at least one thin film electric interconnect on an electric insulating and thermal transmissive substrate; and

disposing the substrate in a heat dissipating and electric generating relationship to at least one p-n junction that converts photon energy into a separate charge carrier and hole carrier.

51. The method of claim 48, comprising forming at least one thin film electric interconnect on each of a pair of electric insulating and thermal transmissive substrates;

and connecting the substrates each with the at least one interconnect to semiconductors of opposing conductivity type electrically in series and thermally in parallel.

53. The method of claim 48, comprising applying a patterned fullerene thin film electric interconnect to an electric insulating and thermal transmissive substrate surface to form at least one of the semiconductors of opposing conductivity type.

58. The method of claim 48, comprising providing the substrate;

and applying at least one thin film electric conductor wherein substrate exposure time and sublimation conditions of applying the patterned fullerene thin film are controlled to provide a target fullerene thin film thickness.

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122. A thin film photodetector comprising a photovoltaic cell with a thermmoelectric element, the thermoelectric element comprising p-type and n-type semiconductors formed between opposing electric insulators and opposing electron conductors.

124. The thin film photodetector of claim 122 comprising a plurality of thermoelectric elements connected in series with each element of the series comprising p-type semiconductor connecting with an n-type semiconductor of an immediately previous element of the series and comprising an n-type semiconductor connecting with a p-type semiconductor of an immediately successive element of the series.

123. (canceled)

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126. A thin film photodetector comprising an at least one thermoelectric material layer disposed between an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor, wherein the at least one thermoelectric material layer comprised a fullerene thin film deposited on a surface of a substrate.

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