Title: Fabrication processes for effectively transparent contacts

Abstract

In conventional solar cells with metal contacts, a non-negligible fraction of the incoming solar power is immediately lost either through absorption or reflection upon interaction with the contacts. Effectively transparent contacts (“ETCs”) for solar cells can be referred to as three-dimensional contacts designed to redirect incoming light onto a photoabsorbing surface of a solar cell. In many embodiments, the ETCs have triangular cross-sections. Such ETCs can be placed on a photoabsorbing surface such that at least one of their sides forms an angle with the photoabsorbing surface. In this configuration, the ETCs can redirect incident light onto the photoabsorbing surface, mitigating or eliminating reflection loss compared to conventional solar cells. When constructed in accordance with a number of embodiments of the invention, ETCs can be effectively transparent and highly conductive.

Inventors:

Saive, Rebecca; Atwater, Harry A.; Yalamanchili, Sisir; Bukowsky, Colton; Russell, Thomas

Issue Date:

2020-06-30

Research Org.:

California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1651090

Patent Number(s):

10700234

Application Number:

15/999,264

Assignee:

California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)

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

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

H01L31/022425 - {for solar cells}
H01L31/022466 - {made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers}
H01L31/1884 - {Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO}

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:  

EE0004946

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 08/17/2018

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE