High efficiency photovoltaic cells
AssigneeBanpil Photonics, Inc.
InventorACHYUT DUTTA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Novel structures of photovoltaic cells (also called as solar cells) are provided. The cells are based on nanoparticles or nanometer-scaled wires, tubes, and/or rods, which are made of electronic materials covering semiconductors, insulators, and may be metallic in structure. These photovoltaic cells have large power generation capability per unit physical area over the conventional cells. These cells will have enormous applications such as in space, commercial, residential and industrial applications.
Claims19
A photovoltaic cell comprising:
- at least one electrically conductive substrate;
- at least one layer of nanoparticles of at least one semiconductor material formed on said substrate, and;
- pn-junctions formed at said substrate/nanoparticle interface.
A photovoltaic cell comprising:
- at least one substrate;
- at least one electrically conductive material formed on said substrate;
- and
- at least one layer of nanoparticles embedded into said electrically conductive material.
A photovoltaic cell according to claim _ wherein at least one electrode is connected to said photovoltaic cell.
A photovoltaic cell according to claim _ wherein said layer(s) of nanoparticles comprises nanoparticles of more than one different size.
A photovoltaic cell according to claim _ wherein said substrate is made of ceramic, glass, polymer, or some kind of semiconductor.
A photovoltaic cell according to claim _ wherein said nanoparticles are made of Si, Ge, InP, GaAs, CdSe, CdS, ZnO, ZnTe, ZnCdTe, CuInSe, CuSe, or InGaAs.
A photovoltaic cell according to claim _ wherein said nanoparticles are shaped generally as rods, tubes, wires, or spheres.
A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell comprising:
- forming at least one layer nanoparticles on a first substrate;
- said layer(s) of said nanoparticles is transferred to a second different substrate;
- a first electronically conductive material is deposited on top of said nanoparticles;
- and
- at least one layer of a second electrically conductive material is deposited on top of said first electrically conductive material.
A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell comprising:
- forming a first electrically conductive material on a substrate;
- forming at least one layer of nanoparticles on said first electrically conductive material;
- and
- forming a second electrically conductive material on said layer(s) of nanoparticles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.