Photodetector cell and solar panel with dual metal contacts and related methods
OwnerManjeri P. Anantram, Md Golam Rabbani +3inventors
InventorsManjeri P. Anantram, Md Golam Rabbani, Mahmoud M. Khader, Reza Nekovei, Amit Verma
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Abstract
A photodetector cell may include a substrate, and a first contact carried by the substrate and having a first work function value. The photodetector cell may include a second contact carried by the substrate and having a second work function value different from the first work function value, and a semiconductor wire carried by the substrate and having a third work function value between the first and second work function values. The semiconductor wire may be coupled between the first and second contacts and comprising a photodiode junction.
Claims18
A method of making a photodetector cell comprising:
- forming a plurality of first contacts carried by a substrate and having a first work function value, each first contact comprising an ohmic contact of nickel;
- forming a plurality of second contacts carried by the substrate and having a second work function value different from the first work function value, each second contact comprising a Schottky contact of aluminum;
- forming a plurality of semiconductor wires carried by the substrate and having a third work function value between the first and second work function values;
- forming at least one semiconductor wire from the plurality thereof being coupled between a respective single first and second contact pair and comprising a photodiode junction;
- and
- forming other semiconductor wires from the plurality thereof each having a plurality of first and second contacts pairs coupled in alternating fashion to a single respective semiconductor wire.
A method of making a photodetector cell comprising:
- forming a plurality of first contacts carried by a substrate and having a first work function value, each first contact comprising an ohmic contact of nickel;
- forming a plurality of second contacts carried by the substrate and having a second work function value different from the first work function value, each second contact comprising a Schottky contact of aluminum;
- forming a plurality of semiconductor wires carried by the substrate and having a third work function value between the first and second work function values;
- forming at least one semiconductor wire from the plurality thereof being coupled between a respective single first and second contact pair and comprising a photodiode junction;
- forming a dielectric layer over the plurality of semiconductor wires;
- and
- forming other semiconductor wires from the plurality thereof each having a plurality of first and second contacts pairs coupled in alternating fashion to a single respective semiconductor wire;
- each semiconductor wire comprising a silicon nanowire and having a length about five times a minority carrier diffusion length in the photodiode junction.
A method of forming a solar panel comprising:
- forming a plurality of photodetector cells, each photodetector cell comprising
- a substrate,
- a plurality of first contacts carried by the substrate and having a first work function value, each first contact comprising an ohmic contact of nickel,
- a plurality of second contacts carried by the substrate and having a second work function value different from the first work function value, each second contact comprising a Schottky contact of aluminum, and
- a plurality of semiconductor wires carried by the substrate and having a third work function value between the first and second work function values,
- at least one semiconductor wire from the plurality thereof being coupled between a respective single first and second contact pair and comprising a photodiode junction,
- other semiconductor wires from the plurality thereof each having a plurality of first and second contacts pairs coupled in alternating fashion to a single respective semiconductor wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.