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Title: High volume method of making low-cost, lightweight solar materials

Abstract

A thin film solar cell and a method fabricating thin film solar cells on flexible substrates. The method includes including providing a flexible polymeric substrate, depositing a photovoltaic precursor on a surface of the substrate, such as CdTe, ZrTe, CdZnTe, CdSe or Cu(In,Ga)Se.sub.2, and exposing the photovoltaic precursor to at least one 0.5 microsecond to 10 second pulse of predominately infrared light emitted from a light source having a power output of about 20,000 W/cm.sup.2 or less to thermally convert the precursor into a crystalline photovoltaic material having a photovoltaic efficiency of greater than one percent, the conversion being carried out without substantial damage to the substrate.

Inventors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1143687
Patent Number(s):
8778724
Application Number:
12/889,486
Assignee:
UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, 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:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY

Citation Formats

Blue, Craig A., Clemens, Art, Duty, Chad E., Harper, David C., Ott, Ronald D., Rivard, John D., Murray, Christopher S., Murray, Susan L., and Klein, Andre R. High volume method of making low-cost, lightweight solar materials. United States: N. p., 2014. Web.
Blue, Craig A., Clemens, Art, Duty, Chad E., Harper, David C., Ott, Ronald D., Rivard, John D., Murray, Christopher S., Murray, Susan L., & Klein, Andre R. High volume method of making low-cost, lightweight solar materials. United States.
Blue, Craig A., Clemens, Art, Duty, Chad E., Harper, David C., Ott, Ronald D., Rivard, John D., Murray, Christopher S., Murray, Susan L., and Klein, Andre R. Tue . "High volume method of making low-cost, lightweight solar materials". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1143687.
@article{osti_1143687,
title = {High volume method of making low-cost, lightweight solar materials},
author = {Blue, Craig A. and Clemens, Art and Duty, Chad E. and Harper, David C. and Ott, Ronald D. and Rivard, John D. and Murray, Christopher S. and Murray, Susan L. and Klein, Andre R.},
abstractNote = {A thin film solar cell and a method fabricating thin film solar cells on flexible substrates. The method includes including providing a flexible polymeric substrate, depositing a photovoltaic precursor on a surface of the substrate, such as CdTe, ZrTe, CdZnTe, CdSe or Cu(In,Ga)Se.sub.2, and exposing the photovoltaic precursor to at least one 0.5 microsecond to 10 second pulse of predominately infrared light emitted from a light source having a power output of about 20,000 W/cm.sup.2 or less to thermally convert the precursor into a crystalline photovoltaic material having a photovoltaic efficiency of greater than one percent, the conversion being carried out without substantial damage to the substrate.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2014},
month = {7}
}

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