Title: Intermediate-band photosensitive device with quantum dots embedded in energy fence barrier

Abstract

A plurality of layers of a first semiconductor material and a plurality of dots-in-a-fence barriers disposed in a stack between a first electrode and a second electrode. Each dots-in-a-fence barrier consists essentially of a plurality of quantum dots of a second semiconductor material embedded between and in direct contact with two layers of a third semiconductor material. Wave functions of the quantum dots overlap as at least one intermediate band. The layers of the third semiconductor material are arranged as tunneling barriers to require a first electron and/or a first hole in a layer of the first material to perform quantum mechanical tunneling to reach the second material within a respective quantum dot, and to require a second electron and/or a second hole in a layer of the first semiconductor material to perform quantum mechanical tunneling to reach another layer of the first semiconductor material.

Inventors:

Forrest, Stephen R ^[1]; Wei, Guodan ^[1]

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+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Ann Arbor, MI

Issue Date:

2010-07-06

Research Org.:

Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1013037

Patent Number(s):

7750425

Application Number:

11/598,006

Assignee:

The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

B82Y10/00 - Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
B82Y15/00 - Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
B82Y20/00 - Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L31/035236 - {Superlattices
H01L31/09 - Devices sensitive to infra-red, visible or ultraviolet radiation
H01L31/18 - Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

Y02E10/50 - Photovoltaic [PV] energy

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DOE Contract Number:  

XAT-5-33636-03

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English