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US 10,763,386 B2Granted
Heterostructure germanium tandem junction solar cell
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKeith E. Fogel, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Devendra K. Sadana, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Davood Shahrjerdi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photovoltaic device that includes an upper cell that absorbs a first range of wavelengths of light and a bottom cell that absorbs a second range of wavelengths of light. The bottom cell includes a heterojunction comprising a crystalline germanium containing (Ge) layer. At least one surface of the crystalline germanium (Ge) containing layer is in contact with a silicon (Si) containing layer having a larger band gap than the crystalline (Ge) containing layer.
Claims17
A method of forming a photovoltaic device comprising:
- forming a first cell comprising a crystalline germanium (Ge) containing layer, in which at least one surface of the crystalline germanium (Ge) containing layer is in contact with a silicon (Si) containing layer having a larger band gap than the crystalline germanium (Ge) containing layer, wherein the crystalline germanium (Ge) containing layer comprises a first portion comprising a nanowire and a second portion, wherein the nanowire has a length that extends vertically upward from, and perpendicular to, a horizontal surface of said second portion, and wherein said silicon (Si) containing layer is in direct contact with an entire outermost surface of the nanowire;
- and
- forming at least one second cell on the first cell, wherein the at least one second cell is positioned so that a light source enters the at least one second cell before reaching the first cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.