Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device
Abstract
A hetero-junction device and fabrication method in which phase-separated n-type and p-type semiconductor pillars define vertically-oriented p-n junctions extending above a substrate. Semiconductor materials are selected for the p-type and n-type pillars that are thermodynamically stable and substantially insoluble in one another. An epitaxial deposition process is employed to form the pillars on a nucleation layer and the mutual insolubility drives phase separation of the materials. During the epitaxial deposition process, the orientation is such that the nucleation layer initiates propagation of vertical columns resulting in a substantially ordered, three-dimensional structure throughout the deposited material. An oxidation state of at least a portion of one of the p-type or the n-type semiconductor materials is altered relative to the other, such that the band-gap energy of the semiconductor materials differ with respect to stoichiometric compositions and the device preferentially absorbs particular selected bands of radiation.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1119688
- Patent Number(s):
- 8647915
- Application Number:
- 12/974,425
- Assignee:
- UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN); University of Tennessee Research Foundation (Knoxville, TN)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
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
- DOE Contract Number:
- ACO5-000R22725
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING
Citation Formats
Aytug, Tolga, Christen, David K, Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans, and Polat, Ozgur. Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device. United States: N. p., 2014.
Web.
Aytug, Tolga, Christen, David K, Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans, & Polat, Ozgur. Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device. United States.
Aytug, Tolga, Christen, David K, Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans, and Polat, Ozgur. Mon .
"Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1119688.
@article{osti_1119688,
title = {Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device},
author = {Aytug, Tolga and Christen, David K and Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans and Polat, Ozgur},
abstractNote = {A hetero-junction device and fabrication method in which phase-separated n-type and p-type semiconductor pillars define vertically-oriented p-n junctions extending above a substrate. Semiconductor materials are selected for the p-type and n-type pillars that are thermodynamically stable and substantially insoluble in one another. An epitaxial deposition process is employed to form the pillars on a nucleation layer and the mutual insolubility drives phase separation of the materials. During the epitaxial deposition process, the orientation is such that the nucleation layer initiates propagation of vertical columns resulting in a substantially ordered, three-dimensional structure throughout the deposited material. An oxidation state of at least a portion of one of the p-type or the n-type semiconductor materials is altered relative to the other, such that the band-gap energy of the semiconductor materials differ with respect to stoichiometric compositions and the device preferentially absorbs particular selected bands of radiation.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2014},
month = {2}
}
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