Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells

Title: Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for a photo-active region for generation of free carriers when a first surface is exposed to optical radiation. The photo-active region includes a conducting transparent matrix and clusters of semiconductor materials embedded within the conducting transparent matrix. The clusters are arranged in the matrix material so as to define at least a first distribution of cluster sizes ranging from those with the highest bandgap energy near a light incident surface of the photo-active region to those with the smallest bandgap energy near an opposite second surface of the photo-active region. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for a solar cell. The solar cell includes a photo-active region containing a plurality of semiconductor clusters of varying sizes as described.

Inventors:

Simmons, Joseph H ^[1]

Gainesville, FL

Issue Date:: 1998-01-01

Research Org.:: Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 871380

Patent Number(s):: 5720827

Assignee:: University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: 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

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

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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

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/022466 - {made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers}
H01L31/0352 - characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
H01L31/0384 - including other non-monocrystalline materials, e.g. semiconductor particles embedded in an insulating material
H01L31/04 - adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
H01L31/18 - Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof

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DOE Contract Number:: FG05-91ER45462

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: design; fabrication; efficiency; solar; cells; method; apparatus; photo-active; region; generation; free; carriers; surface; exposed; optical; radiation; conducting; transparent; matrix; clusters; semiconductor; materials; embedded; arranged; material; define; distribution; cluster; sizes; ranging; bandgap; energy; near; light; incident; opposite; disclosed; cell; containing; plurality; varying; described; region containing; efficiency solar; gap energy; photo-active region; light incident; matrix material; active region; semiconductor materials; solar cell; semiconductor material; solar cells; optical radiation; sizes ranging; bandgap energy; varying size; incident surface; /136/257/438/

Citation Formats


                    Simmons, Joseph H. Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells.  United States: N. p., 1998. 
        Web.

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                    Simmons, Joseph H. Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells.  United States.

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                    Simmons, Joseph H. Thu .  
        "Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871380.

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@article{osti_871380,

  title        = {Design for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells},

  author       = {Simmons, Joseph H},

  abstractNote = {A method and apparatus for a photo-active region for generation of free carriers when a first surface is exposed to optical radiation. The photo-active region includes a conducting transparent matrix and clusters of semiconductor materials embedded within the conducting transparent matrix. The clusters are arranged in the matrix material so as to define at least a first distribution of cluster sizes ranging from those with the highest bandgap energy near a light incident surface of the photo-active region to those with the smallest bandgap energy near an opposite second surface of the photo-active region. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for a solar cell. The solar cell includes a photo-active region containing a plurality of semiconductor clusters of varying sizes as described.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1998},

  month        = {1}

}

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