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US 2014/0209160 A1Published application
Three-Dimensional Metamaterial Device with Photovoltaic Bristles
AssigneeQ1 Nanosystems Corporation
InventorsMark R. SCHROEDER, Robert M. SMITH
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Abstract
The systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments provide a photovoltaic cell made up of an array of photovoltaic bristles. The photovoltaic bristles may be configured individually and in an array to have a high probability of photon absorption. The high probability of photon absorption may result in high light energy conversion efficiency.
Claims21
A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
- an array of photovoltaic bristles, wherein each photovoltaic bristle comprises:
- a core having a core radius (rc) in the range of about 0.5 microns to 50 microns:
- an absorption comprising photovoltaic semiconductor material positioned over the core and having a first radial thickness (dabs) in the range of 0.2 microns to 1.0 microns;
- and
- an outer conductive layer positioned over the absorption layer, having a second radial thickness (docl), in the range of in the range of 0.2 microns to 1.0 microns and an index of refraction (nocl),
- wherein each bristle is configured such that:
- n
- ocl
- *
- r
- c
- n
- amb
- *
- (
- r
- c
- +
- d
- abs
- +
- d
- ocl
- )
- ≤
- 1
- wherein namb is the index of refraction of an ambient material surrounding the bristles,
- wherein each photovoltaic bristle in the array of photovoltaic bristles extends from a major surface of a substrate and has a longitudinal axis oriented transverse to the major surface of the substrate;
- and
- wherein the height of each photovoltaic bristle along the bristles longitudinal axis is in the range of 0.1 microns to 100 microns.
27 more elements
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.