Method and device for low cost, high efficiency step photovoltaic cells
AssigneesKhalifa University of Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsSabina ABDUL HADI, Ammar Munir NAYFEH, Eugene A. FITZGERALD
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Abstract
A multi-junction solar cell includes a plurality of photovoltaic cell layers that are electrically connected and stacked to define upper and lower subcells having at least one step difference therebetween that exposes portions of the lower subcell such that, responsive to incident illumination, a current density of the exposed portions of the lower subcell is greater than that of portions thereof having the upper subcell thereon. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.
Claims19
A multi-junction solar cell, comprising:
- a plurality of photovoltaic cell layers electrically connected and stacked to define upper and lower subcells having at least one step difference therebetween that exposes portions of the lower subcell such that, responsive to incident illumination, a current density of the exposed portions of the lower subcell is greater than that of portions thereof having the upper subcell thereon, and respective current densities of the upper and lower subcells are different.
A multi-junction solar cell, comprising:
- a plurality of photovoltaic cell layers electrically connected and stacked to define at least one upper subcell and a lower subcell having at least one step difference therebetween that exposes portions of the lower subcell such that, responsive to incident illumination, a current density of the exposed portions of the lower subcell is greater than that of portions of the lower subcell having the upper subcell thereon,
- wherein the lower subcell comprises silicon (Si), wherein the at least one upper subcell comprises a group III-V material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.