Monolithic Semiconductor Patents (Class 136/249)
  • Patent number: 11967663
    Abstract: A multi junction solar cell includes one or more upper cells and a thin-film, polycrystalline, low-bandgap bottom cell. A single-junction solar cell includes a polycrystalline semiconductor thin film, wherein a bandgap of the solar cell is greater than 1.2 eV or less than 1.2 eV, and the solar cell is configured to receive light through two surfaces, such that the bottom cell has bifacial operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventor: Richard R. King
  • Patent number: 11881532
    Abstract: A stacked multi-junction solar cell with a front side contacted through the rear side and having a solar cell stack having a Ge substrate layer, a Ge subcell, and at least two III-V subcells, with a through contact opening, a front terminal contact, a rear terminal contact, an antireflection layer formed on a part of the front side of the multi-junction solar cell, a dielectric insulating layer, and a contact layer. The dielectric insulating layer covers the antireflection layer, an edge region of a top of the front terminal contact, a lateral surface of the through contact opening, and a region of the rear side of the solar cell stack adjacent to the through contact opening. The contact layer from a region of the top of the front terminal contact that is not covered by the dielectric insulating layer through the through contact opening to the rear side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Koestler, Alexander Frey
  • Patent number: 11710797
    Abstract: The present embodiments provide a transparent electrode having a laminate structure of: a metal oxide layer having an amorphous structure and electroconductivity, and a metal nanowire layer; and further comprising an auxiliary metal wiring. The auxiliary metal wiring covers a part of the metal nanowire layer or of the metal oxide layer, and is connected to the metal nanowire layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Naito, Naomi Shida, Mitsunaga Saito, Takeshi Niimoto
  • Patent number: 11677038
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a perpetual energy harvester which harvests ambient near ultraviolet to infrared radiation and provides continual power regardless of the environment. The device seeks to harvest the largely overlooked blackbody radiation through use of a semiconductor thermal harvester, providing a continuous source of power. Additionally, increased power output is provided through a solar harvester. The solar and thermal harvesters are physically connected but electrically isolated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: BANPIL PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Achyut Kumar Dutta
  • Patent number: 11640998
    Abstract: A stacked multi-junction solar cell with a back-contacted front side, having a germanium substrate that forms a rear side of the multi-junction solar cell, a germanium sub-cell and at least two III-V sub-cells, successively in the named order, and at least one passage contact opening that extends from the front side of the multi-junction solar cell through the sub-cells to the rear side and a metallic connection contact that is guided through the passage contact opening. A diameter of the passage contact opening decreases in steps from the front side to the rear side of the multi-junction solar cell. The front side of the germanium sub-cell forms a first step having a first tread depth that circumferentially projects into the passage contact opening. The second step with a second tread depth circumferentially projects into the passage contact opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Koestler
  • Patent number: 11631779
    Abstract: A back surface electrode type solar cell in which a p-type region having a p-conductive type, and an n-type region which has an n-conductive type and in which maximum concentration of additive impurities for providing the n-conductive type in a substrate width direction is equal to or higher than 5×1018 atoms/cm3 are disposed on a first main surface of a crystal silicon substrate, a first passivation film is disposed so as to cover the p-type region and the n-type region, and a second passivation film is disposed on a second main surface which is a surface opposite to the first main surface so as to cover the second main surface, the first passivation film and the second passivation film being formed with a compound containing oxide aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hashigami, Takenori Watabe, Hiroyuki Ohtsuka, Ryo Mitta
  • Patent number: 11611008
    Abstract: A multi junction laminated laser photovoltaic cell includes a cell unit laminated body and upper and lower electrodes electrically connected with the bottom and top of the cell unit laminated body, respectively, wherein the cell unit laminated body includes more than 6 laminated PN-junction subcells, adjacent two subcells are connected in series via tunnel junctions, wherein each PN-junction subcell uses a semiconductor single crystal material with a specific band gap as the absorption layer, the multiple subcells at least have two different band gaps, and the band gaps of the subcells are arranged in such an order that they decrease successively from the light incidence side to other side of the photovoltaic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SUZHOU INSTITUTE OF NANO-TECH AND NANO-BIONICS (SINANO), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Jianrong Dong, Yurun Sun, Yongming Zhao, Shuzhen Yu
  • Patent number: 11588066
    Abstract: Tandem solar cell configurations are provided where at least one of the cells is a metal chalcogenide cell. A four-terminal tandem solar cell configuration has two electrically independent solar cells stacked on each other. A two-terminal solar cell configuration has two electrically coupled solar cells (same current through both cells) stacked on each other. Carrier selective contacts can be used to make contact to the metal chalcogenide cell (s) to alleviate the troublesome Fermi level pinning issue. Carrier-selective contacts can also remove the need to provide doping of the metal chalcogenide. Doping of the metal chalcogenide can be provided by charge transfer. These two ideas can be practiced independently or together in any combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior Univesity
    Inventors: Koosha Nassiri Nazif, Raisul Islam, Jin-Hong Park, Krishna C. Saraswat
  • Patent number: 11563133
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a four junction solar cell having an upper first solar subcell composed of a semiconductor material including aluminum and having a first band gap; a second solar subcell adjacent to said first solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a second band gap smaller than the first band gap and being lattice matched with the upper first solar subcell; a third solar subcell adjacent to said second solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a third band gap smaller than the second band gap and being lattice matched with the second solar subcell; and a fourth solar subcell adjacent to and lattice matched with said third solar subcell and composed of a semiconductor material having a fourth band gap smaller than the third band gap; wherein the fourth subcell has a direct bandgap of greater than 0.75 eV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SolAero Techologies Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel Derkacs, Daniel McGlynn
  • Patent number: 11527666
    Abstract: A compound-semiconductor photovoltaic cell includes a first photoelectric conversion cell made of a first compound-semiconductor material which lattice matches with GaAs or Ge; a first tunnel junction layer arranged on a deep side farther than the first photoelectric conversion cell in a light incident direction, and including a first p-type (Alx1Ga1-x1)y1In1-y1As (0?x1<1, 0<y1?1) layer and a first n-type (Alx2Ga1-x2)y2In1-y2P (0?x2<1, 0<y2<1) layer; and a second photoelectric conversion cell arranged on a deep side farther than the first tunnel junction layer in the light incident direction, and made of a second compound-semiconductor material which is a GaAs-based semiconductor material. The first photoelectric conversion cell and the second photoelectric conversion cell are joined via the first tunnel junction layer, and a lattice constant of the first n-type (Alx2Ga1-x2)y2In1-y2P layer is greater than a lattice constant of the first photoelectric conversion cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Shunichi Sato
  • Patent number: 11527667
    Abstract: Tunnel junctions for multijunction solar cells are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a tunnel junction includes a first layer including p-type AlGaAs, a second layer including n-type GaAs, wherein the second layer is a quantum well, and a third layer including n-type AlGaAs or n-type lattice matched AlGaInP. The quantum well can be GaAs or AlxGaAs with x being more than about 40%, and lattice matched GaInAsNSb in the Eg range of from about 0.8 to about 1.4 eV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignees: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, The Regents of the University of California, A California Corporation
    Inventors: Nikhil Jain, Myles Aaron Steiner, John Franz Geisz, Emmett Edward Perl, Ryan Matthew France
  • Patent number: 11502213
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating solar cells having a plurality of sub-cells coupled by cell level interconnection, and the resulting solar cells, are described herein. In an example, a solar cell includes a plurality of sub-cells. Each of the plurality of sub-cells includes a singulated and physically separated semiconductor substrate portion. Each of the plurality of sub-cells includes an on-sub-cell metallization structure interconnecting emitter regions of the sub-cell. An inter-sub-cell metallization structure couples adjacent ones of the plurality of sub-cells. The inter-sub-cell metallization structure is different in composition from the on-sub-cell metallization structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Seung Bum Rim, Hung-Ming Wang, David Okawa, Lewis Abra
  • Patent number: 11495705
    Abstract: Device structures, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed for photovoltaic cells that may be a single-junction or multijunction solar cells, with at least a first layer comprising a group-IV semiconductor in which part of the cell comprises a second layer comprising a III-V semiconductor or group-IV semiconductor having a different composition than the group-IV semiconductor of the first layer, such that a heterostructure is formed between the first and second layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard R. King, Christopher M. Fetzer, Nasser H. Karam
  • Patent number: 11482673
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solar battery. The solar battery comprises a semiconductor structure, a back electrode, and an upper electrode. The semiconductor structure defines a first surface and a second surface. The semiconductor structure comprises an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer. The back electrode is located on the first surface. The upper electrode is located on the second surface. The back electrode comprises a first carbon nanotube, the upper electrode comprises a second carbon nanotube, and the first carbon nanotube intersects with the second carbon nanotube. A multilayer structure is formed by an overlapping region of the first carbon nanotube, the semiconductor structure and the second carbon nanotube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin Zhang, Yang Wei, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 11469336
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a photodiode, a method for preparing the same, and an electronic device. The photodiode includes: a first electrode layer and a semiconductor structure that are stacked, a surface of the semiconductor structure away from the first electrode layer having a first concave-convex structure; and a second electrode layer arranged on a surface of the semiconductor structure away from the first electrode layer, a surface of the second electrode layer away from the first electrode layer having a second concave-convex structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING BOE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jianhua Du, Chao Li, Zhaohui Qiang, Yupeng Gao, Feng Guan, Rui Huang, Zhi Wang, Yang Lv, Chao Luo
  • Patent number: 11444217
    Abstract: A method for producing a thin-film solar module with serially connected solar cells and related device. A back electrode layer is deposited on one side of a flat substrate and subdivided by first patterning trenches. An absorber layer is deposited over the back electrode layer and subdivided by second patterning trenches. A front electrode layer is deposited over the absorber layer. At least the front electrode layer is subdivided by third patterning trenches. A direct succession of a first patterning trench, a second patterning trench, and two adjacent third patterning trenches forms a patterning zone. The third patterning trenches are produced by laser ablation through a pulsed laser beam, where one third patterning trench is produced with laser pulses of higher energy and the other third patterning trench of the patterning zone is produced with laser pulses of lower energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: CNBM RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED GLASS MATERIALS GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Andreas Heiss, Helmut Vogt
  • Patent number: 11417788
    Abstract: A type-II tunnel junction is disclosed that includes a p-doped AlGaInAs tunnel layer and a n-doped InP tunnel layer. Solar cells are further disclosed that incorporate the high bandgap type-II tunnel junction between photovoltaic subcells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Robyn L. Woo, Daniel C. Law, Joseph Charles Boisvert
  • Patent number: 11393857
    Abstract: An image sensor (32) includes a plurality of pixel sensing portion (320) that are arranged in columns and rows. Each of the pixel sensing portions (320) includes a thin film transistor (11), and a photodetection diode (13) including n-type (16), intrinsic (15), and p-type semiconductor layers (14). The intrinsic semiconductor layer (15) of the photodetection diode (13) of each of the pixel sensing portions (320) has a crystallinity gradient that varies from an amorphous silicon structure to a microcrystalline silicon structure along a first direction (L1) extending from the p-type semiconductor layer (14) toward the n-type semiconductor layer (16). An image sensing-enabled display apparatus (3) and a method of making the image sensor (32) are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SHANGHAI HARVEST INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hong-Yih Tseng, Jiandong Huang
  • Patent number: 11374140
    Abstract: A monolithic metamorphic multi-junction solar cell comprising a first III-V subcell and a second III-V subcell and a third III-V subcell and a fourth Ge subcell, wherein the subcells are stacked on top of each other in the indicated order, and the first subcell forms the topmost subcell, and a metamorphic buffer is formed between the third subcell and the fourth subcell and all subcells each have an n-doped emitter layer and a p-doped base layer, and the emitter layer of the second subcell is greater than the base layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Meusel, Alexander Berg, Philipp Schroth, Susanne Schreier
  • Patent number: 11302831
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a solar cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a plurality of insulants. The photoelectric conversion layer is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The plurality of insulants is disposed on a face of the first electrode. The face faces the second electrode. Any adjacent two of the plurality of insulants are disposed with a void interposed between the adjacent two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro Shibasaki, Mutsuki Yamazaki, Kazushige Yamamoto, Yuya Honishi
  • Patent number: 11289534
    Abstract: A component includes a substrate, a first semiconductor body having a first active layer, a second semiconductor body having a second active layer, and a first transition zone, wherein the first active layer is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation of a first peak wavelength and the second active layer is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation of a second peak wavelength, in the vertical direction, the first transition zone is arranged between the first and second semiconductor bodies and is directly adjacent to the first and second semiconductor bodies, the first transition zone includes a radiation-transmissive, at least for the radiation of the first peak wavelength partially transparent and electrically conductive material so that the first semiconductor body electrically conductively connects to the second semiconductor body via the first transition zone, and the first transition zone includes a structured surface or a first partially transparent and partially wavelength-selectively
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GmbH
    Inventors: Marika Hirmer, Sophia Huppmann, Simeon Katz
  • Patent number: 11277094
    Abstract: A photovoltaic apparatus is provided including a first portion having a first surface facing a first direction; a second portion located in a different position in the first direction from the first portion; and a third portion located in a different position in the first direction from the first portion; a front sheet and a back sheet each extending at least partially through each of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion. The photovoltaic apparatus further includes a first rigid folded portion connecting the first portion to the second portion, the first rigid folded portion including portions of the front sheet and the back sheet; and a second rigid folded portion connecting the first portion to the third portion, the second rigid folded portion including portions of the front sheet and the back sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: FLISOM AG
    Inventors: John Oldridge, Thomas Netter, Roland Kern
  • Patent number: 11271117
    Abstract: A stacked high-blocking III-V power semiconductor diode, with a p+ or n+ substrate layer, a p? layer, an n? region with a layer thickness of 10 ?m-150 ?m, and an n+ or p+ layer, wherein all layers comprise a GaAs compound, a first metallic contact layer and a second metallic contact layer and a hard mask layer with at least one seed opening, wherein the hard mask layer is integrally bonded to the substrate layer or integrally bonded to the p? layer, the n? region extends within the seed opening and over an edge region, adjacent to the seed opening, of a top side of the hard mask layer and the n? region within the seed opening is integrally bonded to the p? layer or to the n+ substrate layer and in the edge region of the top side of the hard mask layer to the hard mask layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: 3-5 Power Electronics GmbH
    Inventor: Volker Dudek
  • Patent number: 11264524
    Abstract: A multijunction solar cell including an upper first solar subcell and having an emitter of p conductivity type with a first band gap, and a base of n conductivity type with a second band gap greater than the first band gap; a second solar subcell having an emitter of p conductivity type with a third band gap, and a base of n conductivity type with a fourth band gap greater than the third band gap; and an intermediate grading interlayer disposed between the first and second subcells and having a graded lattice constant that matches the first subcell on a first side and the second subcell on the second side, and having a fifth band gap that is greater than the second band gap of the first solar subcell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SolAero Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Daniel Derkacs
  • Patent number: 11257965
    Abstract: System and method of providing a photovoltaic (PV) cell having a cushion layer to alleviate stress impact between a front metal contact and a thin film PV layer. A cushion layer is disposed between an extraction electrode and a photovoltaic (PV) surface. The cushion layer is made of a nonconductive material and has a plurality of vias filled with a conductive material to provide electrical continuity between the bus bar and the PV layer. The cushion layer may be made of a flexible material preferably with rigidity that matches the substrate. Thus, the cushion layer can effectively protect the PV layer from physical damage due to tactile contact with the front metal contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: UTICA LEASECO, LLC
    Inventors: Linlin Yang, Liguang Lan, Chris France, Gang He, Erhong Li, Jose Corbacho
  • Patent number: 11245045
    Abstract: An encapsulant of a photovoltaic module, intended for coating a photovoltaic cell (10), including: a copolymer of ethylene-alkyl acrylate, the melt flow index (MFI) of the copolymer being 1 g/10 min to 40 g/10 min; and a silane making up 0.1% to 0.5% of the weight of the composition; wherein the encapsulant also includes a cross-linking agent making up 0.1% to 0.5% of the weight of the composition and wherein the copolymer makes up at least 99% of the weight of the composition. Also, a use of such an encapsulant in a photovoltaic module as well as to a photovoltaic module including such an encapsulant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SK GLOBAL CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guillaume Jacques, Stephane Bizet, Benoit Savignat, Molly Cannet
  • Patent number: 11233167
    Abstract: An optoelectronic semiconductor component is disclosed. In an embodiment an optoelectronic semiconductor component includes a front side, a first diode and a second diode arranged downstream of one another in a direction away from the front side and electrically connected in series such that the first diode is located closer to the front side than the second diode and an electrical tunnel contact between the first and the second diodes, wherein the second diode comprises a diode layer of SinGe1-n, where 0?n?1, wherein the first diode comprises a first partial layer of SiGeC, a second partial layer of SiGe and a third partial layer of SiGeC, and wherein the partial layers follow one another directly in the direction away from the front side according to their numbering such that the first and third partial layers are of (SiyGe1-y)1-xCx, whereas 0.05?x?0.5 or 0.25?x?0.75, and whereas 0?y?1, and the second partial layer is of SizGe1-z, whereas 0?z?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: AE 111 AUTARKE ENERGIE GMBH
    Inventor: Andreas Paul Schueppen
  • Patent number: 11233166
    Abstract: Resonant cavity power converters for converting radiation in the wavelength range from 1 micron to 1.55 micron are disclosed. The resonant cavity power converters can be formed from one or more lattice matched GaInNAsSb junctions and can include distributed Bragg reflectors and/or mirrored surfaces for increasing the power conversion efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: ARRAY PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Ferran Suarez Arias
  • Patent number: 11227966
    Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion device capable of suppressing diffusion of a dopant in a p layer or n layer into an adjacent layer. A photoelectric conversion device is provided with a silicon substrate, a substantially intrinsic amorphous layer formed on one surface of the silicon substrate, and a first conductive amorphous layer that is formed on the intrinsic amorphous layer. The first conductive amorphous layer includes a first concentration layer and a second concentration layer that is stacked on the first concentration layer. The dopant concentration of the second concentration layer is 8×1017 cm?3 or more, and is lower than the dopant concentration of the first concentration layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masatomi Harada, Toshihiko Sakai, Rihito Suganuma, Kazuya Tsujino, Tokuaki Kuniyoshi, Takeshi Kamikawa
  • Patent number: 11211508
    Abstract: A thin-film solar module with a substrate and a layer structure applied thereon. The layer structure has a rear electrode layer, a front electrode layer, and an absorber layer arranged between the rear electrode layer and the front electrode layer. The absorber layer has doping of a first conductor type, while the front electrode layer has doping of a second conductor type. Serially connected solar cells are formed in the layer structure by patterning zones having a first patterning trench subdividing the rear electrode layer, a second patterning trench subdividing the absorber layer, and a third patterning trench subdividing the front electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: (CNBM) BENGBU DESIGN & RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR GLASS INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Rajneesh Verma, Christian Schubbert, Marko Stoelzel
  • Patent number: 11205733
    Abstract: A semi-transparent solar panel apparatus for allowing light to pass through solar panels onto crops to maximize solar collection areas includes a plurality of cell columns comprising a plurality of solar cells. Each cell column has a space between the adjacent cell columns to allow light to pass therethrough. A pair of encapsulant sheets is coupled together on either side of the plurality of cell columns to maintain the arrangement of the cell columns. A bottom frame is coupled to the pair of encapsulant sheets. The pair of encapsulant sheets is coupled to a bottom horizontal portion within a bottom vertical portion. A top frame is coupled to the bottom frame with a top vertical portion coupled to the bottom vertical portion of the bottom frame to seal the pair of encapsulant sheets between a top horizontal portion and the bottom horizontal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Inventor: Ricardo Garcia
  • Patent number: 11133778
    Abstract: A method of high reverse current burn-in of solar cells and a solar cell with a burned-in bypass diode are described herein. In one embodiment, high reverse current burn-in of a solar cell with a tunnel oxide layer induces low breakdown voltage in the solar cell. Soaking a solar cell at high current can also reduce the difference in voltage of defective and non-defective areas of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Defensor, Xiuwen Tu, Junbo Wu, David D. Smith
  • Patent number: 11107940
    Abstract: A multijunction solar cells that include one or more graded-index structures disposed directly above the growth substrate beneath a base layer of a solar subcells. In some embodiments, the graded-index reflector structure is constructed such that (i) at least a portion of light of a first spectral wavelength range that enters and passes through a solar cell above the graded-index reflector structure is reflected back into the solar subcell by the graded-index reflector structure; and (ii) at least a portion of light of a second spectral wavelength range that enters and passes through the solar cell above the graded-index reflector structure is transmitted through the graded-index reflector structure to layers disposed beneath the graded-index reflector structure. The second spectral wavelength range is composed of greater wavelengths than the wavelengths of the first spectral wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SolAero Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Daniel Derkacs
  • Patent number: 11094842
    Abstract: A photovoltaic device and method include a doped germanium-containing substrate, an emitter contact coupled to the substrate on a first side and a back contact coupled to the substrate on a side opposite the first side. The emitter includes at least one doped layer of an opposite conductivity type as that of the substrate and the back contact includes at least one doped layer of the same conductivity type as that of the substrate. The at least one doped layer of the emitter contact or the at least one doped layer of the back contact is in direct contact with the substrate, and the at least one doped layer of the emitter contact or the back contact includes an n-type material having an electron affinity smaller than that of the substrate, or a p-type material having a hole affinity larger than that of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen W. Bedell, Keith E. Fogel, Bahman Hekmatshoar-Tabari, Devendra K. Sadana, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Davood Shahrjerdi
  • Patent number: 11082005
    Abstract: One embodiment can provide a photovoltaic roof tile module. The photovoltaic roof tile module can include a front glass cover, a back glass cover, a plurality of photovoltaic structures positioned between the front and back glass covers, and an internal circuit component electrically coupled to the plurality of photovoltaic structures. The internal circuit component is positioned between the front and back glass covers. The back glass cover can include at least one through hole and a metallic plug inserted inside the through hole. A first surface of the metallic plug can electrically couple to the internal circuit component, and a second opposite surface of the metallic plug can be exposed to surroundings external to the photovoltaic roof tile module, thereby facilitating electrical coupling between the photovoltaic roof tile module and another photovoltaic roof tile module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter P. Nguyen, Kaleb A. Klauber
  • Patent number: 10991840
    Abstract: A stacked multi-junction solar cell having a first subcell and second subcell, the second subcell having a larger band gap than the first subcell. A third subcell has a larger band gap than the second subcell, and each of the subcells include an emitter and a base. The second subcell has a layer which includes a compound formed at least the elements GaInAsP, and a thickness of the layer is greater than 100 nm, and the layer is formed as part of the emitter and/or as part of the base and/or as part of the space-charge zone situated between the emitter and the base. The third subcell has a layer including a compound formed of at least the elements GaInP, and the thickness of the layer is greater than 100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Lars Ebel, Wolfgang Guter, Matthias Meusel
  • Patent number: 10991847
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device that includes, in order, an emitter layer, a quantum well, and a base layer, where the emitter layer has a first bandgap, the base layer has a second bandgap, and the first bandgap is different than the second bandgap by an absolute difference greater than or equal to 25 meV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Myles Aaron Steiner, Ryan Matthew France
  • Patent number: 10989818
    Abstract: A radiation detector includes: a sensor substrate including a flexible base material and a layer which is provided on a first surface of the base material and in which plural pixels, which accumulate electrical charges generated in accordance with light converted from radiation, are formed; a conversion layer that is provided on the first surface side of the sensor substrate to convert radiation into the light; and a protective film that covers a portion ranging from an opposite surface of the conversion layer opposite to a side where the sensor substrate is provided, to a corresponding position, corresponding to a position of an end part of the conversion layer, on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Ushikura, Keiichi Akamatsu, Haruyasu Nakatsugawa, Shunsuke Kodaira
  • Patent number: 10985287
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least two electrically connected photovoltaic cells, each photovoltaic cell (4i) being multi-layered structure disposed on a substrate (6) having down-web direction (X) and a cross-web direction (Y). The method comprises providing a plurality of spaced-apart first electrode strips (8i) over the substrate (6), each first electrode strip extending along the cross-web direction (Y), and providing, over the first electrode strips layer, at least one insulating strip (14a, 14b) of an insulator material extending along the down-web direction (X), each insulating strip defining a connecting area and an active area. A functional stack (20) comprising a full web coated layer of photoactive semiconductor material is formed over the first layer and within the active area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Armor
    Inventor: Jeremiah Mwaura
  • Patent number: 10985282
    Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device suitable for a thin film transistor which uses an oxide semiconductor. In a liquid crystal display device which includes a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a film having a function of attenuating the intensity of transmitting visible light is used as an interlayer film which covers at least the oxide semiconductor layer. As the film having a function of attenuating the intensity of transmitting visible light, a coloring layer can be used and a light-transmitting chromatic color resin layer is preferably used. An interlayer film which includes a light-transmitting chromatic color resin layer and a light-blocking layer may be formed in order that the light-blocking layer is used as a film having a function of attenuating the intensity of transmitting visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuji Ishitani, Daisuke Kubota
  • Patent number: 10978604
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes forming a polycrystalline absorber layer including Cu—Zn—Sn—S(Se) (CZTSSe) over a substrate. The absorber layer is rapid thermal annealed in a sealed chamber having elemental sulfur within the chamber. A sulfur content profile is graded in the absorber layer in accordance with a size of the elemental sulfur and an anneal temperature to provide a graduated bandgap profile for the absorber layer. Additional layers are formed on the absorber layer to complete the photovoltaic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Talia S. Gershon, Marinus J. P. Hopstaken, Jeehwan Kim, Yun Seog Lee
  • Patent number: 10930808
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices having a dilute nitride layer and at least one semiconductor material overlying the dilute nitride layer are disclosed. Hybrid epitaxial growth and the use of aluminum barrier layers to minimize hydrogen diffusion into the dilute nitride layer are used to fabricate high-efficiency multijunction solar cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: ARRAY PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Ferran Suarez, Ting Liu, Arsen Sukiasyan, Ivan Hernandez, Jordan Lang, Radek Roucka, Sabeur Siala, Aymeric Maros
  • Patent number: 10910512
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nano-scale light-emitting diode (LED) element for a horizontal array assembly, a manufacturing method thereof, and a horizontal array assembly including the same, and more particularly, to a nano-scale LED element for a horizontal array assembly that can significantly increase the number of nano-scale LED elements connected to an electrode line, facilitate an arrangement of the elements, and implement a horizontal array assembly having a very good electric connection between an electrode and an element and a significant high quantity of light when a horizontal array assembly having the nano-scale LED elements laid in a length direction thereof and connected to the electrode line is manufactured, a manufacturing method thereof, and a horizontal array assembly including the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yeon Goog Sung
  • Patent number: 10903786
    Abstract: In one embodiment, harmful solar cell polarization is prevented or minimized by providing a conductive path that bleeds charge from a front side of a solar cell to the bulk of a wafer. The conductive path may include patterned holes in a dielectric passivation layer, a conductive anti-reflective coating, or layers of conductive material formed on the top or bottom surface of an anti-reflective coating, for example. Harmful solar cell polarization may also be prevented by biasing a region of a solar cell module on the front side of the solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Richard M. Swanson, Denis De Ceuster, Vikas Desai, Douglas H. Rose, David D. Smith, Neil Kaminar
  • Patent number: 10903375
    Abstract: A solar cell can include a front passivation region including a plurality of layers formed of different materials from each other and including a first aluminum oxide layer and a first silicon nitride layer, and a back passivation region including a plurality of layers formed of different materials from each other and including a second aluminum oxide layer and a second silicon nitride layer, wherein a thickness of a first silicon nitride layer is greater than a thickness of the first aluminum oxide layer, and a thickness of a second silicon nitride layer is greater than a thickness of the second aluminum oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Juhwa Cheong, Yiyin Yu, Youngsung Yang, Yongduk Jin, Manhyo Ha, Seongeun Lee
  • Patent number: 10896982
    Abstract: A multijunction solar cell assembly and its method of manufacture including interconnected first and second discrete semiconductor body subassemblies disposed adjacent and parallel to each other, each semiconductor body subassembly including first top subcell, second (and possibly third) lattice matched middle subcells; a graded interlayer adjacent to the last middle solar subcell; and a bottom solar subcell adjacent to said graded interlayer being lattice mismatched with respect to the last middle solar subcell; wherein the interconnected subassemblies form at least a four junction solar cell by a series connection being formed between the bottom solar subcell in the first semiconductor body and the bottom solar subcell in the second semiconductor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: SolAero Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Daniel Derkacs
  • Patent number: 10886484
    Abstract: An organic thin film photovoltaic device module includes: a substrate; a first and second transparent electrode layers disposed on the substrate; an organic layer disposed on the substrate and the first and second transparent electrode layers; a plurality of dot-shaped contact holes formed so as to pass through up to the second transparent electrode layer in a perpendicular-to-plane direction with respect to the organic layer; a metal electrode layer disposed on the organic layer and on the second transparent electrode layer via the dot-shaped contact hole; and a passivation layer disposed on the metal electrode layer. There are provided: the organic thin film photovoltaic device module having satisfactory appearance without deteriorating appearance thereof and having the improved structure of the portion jointed in series; and the electronic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 10872887
    Abstract: A scalable voltage source having a number N of mutually series-connected partial voltage sources designed as semiconductor diodes, wherein each of the partial voltage sources comprises a p-n junction of a semiconductor diode, and each semiconductor diode has a p-doped absorption layer, wherein the p-absorption layer is passivated by a p-doped passivation layer with a wider band gap than the band gap of the p-absorption layer and the semiconductor diode has an n-absorption layer, wherein the n-absorption layer is passivated by an n-doped passivation layer with a wider band gap than the band gap of the n-absorption layer, and the partial source voltages of the individual partial voltage sources deviate by less than 20%, and between in each case two successive partial voltage sources, a tunnel diode is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Fuhrmann, Wolfgang Guter, Victor Khorenko
  • Patent number: 10873044
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention pertain to the use of alloyed semiconductor nanocrystals for use in solar cells. The use of alloyed semiconductor nanocrystals offers materials that have a flexible stoichiometry. The alloyed semiconductor may be a ternary semiconductor alloy, such as AxB1-xC or AB1-yCy, or a quaternary semiconductor alloy, such as AxByC1-x-yD, AxB1-xCyD1-y or ABxCyD1-x-y (where A, B, C, and D are different elements). In general, alloys with more than four elements can be used as well, although it can be much harder to control the synthesis and quality of such materials. Embodiments of the invention pertain to solar cells having a layer incorporating two or more organic materials such that percolated paths for one or both molecular species are created. Specific embodiments of the invention pertain to a method for fabricating nanostructured bulk heterojunction that facilitates both efficient exciton diffusion and charge transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation Inc.
    Inventor: Jiangeng Xue
  • Patent number: 10861992
    Abstract: Provided is a multijunction photovoltaic device, including: a first subcell and a second subcell. The first cell includes a base semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer. The base semiconductor layer includes a Group III-V semiconductor material. The second subcell includes an absorber layer. The absorber layer includes an organometallic halide ionic solid perovskite semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: Christopher M. Fetzer