Nanostructures and methods for manufacturing the same
AssigneeQuNano AB
InventorsLars Ivar Samuelson, Bjorn Jonas Ohlsson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar cell may include an electrically conducting substrate, a plurality of nanowhiskers extending from the substrate and a transparent electrode extending over free ends of the nanowhiskers and making electrical contact with them. Each nanowhisker may have a column with a diameter of nanometer dimension. The column may include a first p-doped semiconductor lengthwise segment and a second n-doped semiconductor lengthwise segment. The first and second semiconductor segments may have an interface between them, which forms a p-n junction. The nanowhiskers may be encapsulated in a transparent material.
Claims12
A solar cell comprising:
- an electrically conducting substrate;
- a plurality of nanowhiskers having a first end on said substrate and a second end extending away from said substrate, each nanowhisker having a column with a diameter of nanometer dimension, the column comprising a first p-doped semiconductor lengthwise segment and a second n-doped semiconductor lengthwise segment, said first and second semiconductor segments having an interface therebetween forming a p-n junction,
- the nanowhiskers being encapsulated in a transparent material;
- a transparent electrode extending over free ends of the whiskers and making electrical contact therewith;
- and
- a metal seed particle on the second end of each of said plurality of semiconductor nanowhiskers.
A solar cell comprising:
- a plurality of semiconductor nanowhiskers having a first end on a substrate and a second end extending away from the substrate, each nanowhisker having at least one p-n junction;
- a transparent material encapsulating the nanowhiskers;
- a first conductor contacting one end of the nanowhiskers;
- a second conductor contacting a second end of the nanowhiskers;
- and
- a metal seed particle on the second end of each of said plurality of semiconductor nanowhiskers.
A solar cell comprising:
- a doped semiconductor substrate;
- a plurality of epitaxial nanowhiskers having a first end on said substrate and a second end extending away from said substrate, each epitaxial nanowhisker having a column with a diameter of nanometer dimension, the column comprising a first p-doped semiconductor lengthwise segment and a second n-doped semiconductor lengthwise segment, said first and second semiconductor segments having an interface therebetween forming a p-n junction,
- the epitaxial nanowhiskers being encapsulated in a transparent material;
- a transparent electrode extending over free ends of the epitaxial nanowhiskers and making electrical contact therewith;
- and
- a metal seed particle on the second end of each of said plurality of semiconductor epitaxial nanowhiskers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.