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US 5,176,758 AGranted
Translucent photovoltaic sheet material and panels
AssigneeUnited Solar Systems Corporation
InventorsPrem Nath, Craig Vogeli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light transmissive power generating photovoltaic device (14) includes a power generating film having a substrate (30), a plurality of semiconductor layers (30, 32, 34) and a transparent conductive oxide layer (37) with a grid adhered on the top surface thereof. Apertures (42) pass through the opaque semiconductive layers to let light pass through. The power generating film is laminated onto a transparent glass sheet (24, 26) on each side to form the photovoltaic device.
Claims8
A light transmissive photovoltaic device comprising:
- an electrically conductive substrate forming a first electrode;
- a plurality of layers of semiconductive material disposed on said substrate to form at least one photovoltaic cell;
- an electrically conductive second electrode disposed on a top layer of said semiconductive material;
- and
- a plurality of apertures passing through said semiconductive layers and said substrate to let a portion of incident light pass therethrough, each of said plurality of apertures having a diameter sufficiently small to cause diffraction of a substantial portion of said incident light passing through said device.
2 more elements
A light transmissive power generating sheet material including:
- a transparent substrate comprising a first, light transmissive, electrically conductive electrode;
- a photovoltaic semiconductor layered film having a top surface and a bottom surface and constructed to produce a voltage differential between its bottom surface and its top surface, when its top surface is exposed to incident light;
- said bottom surface being supported by said substrate and in electrical contact with said first electrode;
- an optically transmissive second electrode disposed on said top surface of said semiconductor layered film;
- and
- a plurality of apertures extending through said semiconductor layered film to let said light pass therethrough, said apertures being sized small enough to diffract most of said incident light passing therethrough.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.