Surface-plasmon enhanced photovoltaic device
AssigneeNEC Research Institute, Inc.
InventorTineke Thio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surface-plasmon enhanced photovoltaic device including: a first metallic electrode having an array of apertures, an illuminated surface and an unilluminated surface, at least one of the surfaces having an enhancement characteristic resulting in a resonant interaction of incident light with surface plasmons; a second electrode spaced from the first metallic electrode; and a plurality of spheres corresponding to the array of apertures and disposed between the first metallic and second electrodes, each sphere having a first portion of either p or n-doped material and a second portion having the other of the p or n-doped material such that a p-n junction is formed at a junction between the first and second portions.
Claims49
A surface-plasmon enhanced photovoltaic device comprising:
- a first metallic electrode having an array of apertures, the first metallic electrode having an illuminated surface upon which light is incident and an unilluminated surface, at least one of the illuminated and unilluminated surfaces having an enhancement characteristic resulting in a resonant interaction of the incident light with surface plasmons on the surface;
- a second electrode spaced from the first electrode;
- and
- a plurality of spheres corresponding to the array of apertures and disposed between the first metallic and second electrodes, each sphere having a first portion of either p or n-doped material and a second portion having the other of the p or n-doped material such that a p-n junction is formed at a junction between the first and second portions, an individual sphere being disposed in the apertures such that one of the first or second portions is in electrical contact with the first metallic electrode and the other of the first or second portions is in electrical contact with the second electrode.
An electrical device comprising:
- at least one component requiring a power supply;
- and
- a power supply for powering the at least one component, the power supply comprising a surface-plasmon enhanced photovoltaic device, the surface-plasmon enhanced photovoltaic device comprising:
- a first metallic electrode having an array of apertures, the first metallic electrode having an illuminated surface upon which light is incident and an unilluminated surface, at least one of the illuminated and unilluminated surfaces having an enhancement characteristic resulting in a resonant interaction of the incident light with surface plasmons on the surface;
- a second electrode spaced from the first metallic electrode;
- and
- a plurality of spheres corresponding to the array of apertures and disposed between the first metallic and second electrodes, each sphere having a first portion of either p or n-doped material and a second portion having the other of the p or n-doped material such that a p-n junction is formed at a junction between the first and second portions, an individual sphere being disposed in the apertures such that one of the first or second portions is in electrical contact with the first metallic electrode and the other of the first or second portions is in electrical contact with the second electrode.
A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, the photovoltaic device comprising:
- a first metallic electrode having an array of apertures;
- a second electrode spaced from the first metallic electrode;
- and a plurality of spheres corresponding to the array of apertures and disposed between the first metallic and second electrodes, each sphere having a shell of either p or n-doped material and a core having the other of the p or n-doped material such that a p-n junction is formed at a junction between the shell and core, an individual sphere being disposed in the apertures such that the shell is in electrical contact with the first metallic electrode and the core is in electrical contact with the second electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the first metallic electrode having the array of apertures;
- providing an array of the spheres, each sphere corresponding to an aperture in the first metallic electrode;
- depositing a photo resist on the shells;
- developing the photo resist to expose a portion of the shells;
- etching the exposed portion of the shells to expose a corresponding portion of the core;
- depositing the second electrode on the exposed core;
- and
- forming a surface plasmon enhancement characteristic on at least one of an illuminated and unilluminated surface of the first metallic electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.