Abstract: A method for manufacturing optoelectronic devices is disclosed. A layered structure may be formed with a plurality of layers including a bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer, and one or more active layers between the top and bottom electrode layers. The layered structure is divided into one or more separate device module sections by cutting through one or more of the layers of the layered structure. At least one of the layers is an unpatterned layer at the time of cutting. Each of the resulting device module sections generally includes a portion of the active layer disposed between portions of the top and bottom electrode layers. An edge of a device section may optionally be protected against undesired electrical contact between two or more of the bottom electrode, top electrode and active layer portions.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing optoelectronic devices is disclosed. A layered structure may be formed with a plurality of layers including a bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer, and one or more active layers between the top and bottom electrode layers. The layered structure is divided into one or more separate device module sections by cutting through one or more of the layers of the layered structure. At least one of the layers is an unpatterned layer at the time of cutting. Each of the resulting device module sections generally includes a portion of the active layer disposed between portions of the top and bottom electrode layers. An edge of a device section may optionally be protected against undesired electrical contact between two or more of the bottom electrode, top electrode and active layer portions.

Abstract: One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.

Abstract: A compound film for an active layer of a photovoltaic device may be formed in two or more sub-layers. A first sub-layer having a first component of the active layer may be formed on a substrate with a first process. A second sub-layer including a second component of the active layer may then be formed using a second process such that the first sub-layer is disposed between the second sub-layer and the substrate. The second component has a different chemical composition than the first component. The first and/or second sub-layer may comprise one or more components in the form of particles and/or globules. This procedure may be repeated any number of times for any number of sub-layers so that active layer can be built up sequentially. The different chemical compositions of the components in the sub-layers can provide the active layer with a graded bandgap. The components of the sub-layers may include elements of group IB, and/or group IIIA.

Abstract: Charge-splitting networks, optoelectronic devices, methods for making optoelectronic devices, power generation systems utilizing such devices and method for making charge-splitting networks are disclosed. An optoelectronic device may include a porous nano-architected (e.g., surfactant-templated) film having interconnected pores that are accessible from both the underlying and overlying layers. A pore-filling material substantially fills the pores. The interconnected pores have diameters of about 1-100 nm and are distributed in a substantially uniform fashion with neighboring pores separated by a distance of about 1-100 nm. The nano-architected porous film and the pore-filling material have complementary charge-transfer properties with respect to each other, i.e., one is an electron-acceptor and the other is a hole-acceptor. The nano-architected porous, film may be formed on a substrate by a surfactant temptation technique such as evaporation-induced self-assembly.

Abstract: Optoelectronic device modules, arrays optoelectronic device modules and methods for fabricating optoelectronic device modules are disclosed. The device modules are made using a starting substrate having an insulator layer sandwiched between a bottom electrode made of a flexible bulk conductor and a conductive back plane. An active layer is disposed between the bottom electrode and a transparent conducting layer. One or more electrical contacts between the transparent conducting layer and the back plane are formed through the transparent conducting layer, the active layer, the flexible bulk conductor and the insulating layer. The electrical contacts are electrically isolated from the active layer, the bottom electrode and the insulating layer.

Abstract: Series interconnection of optoelectronic device modules is disclosed. Each device module includes an active layer disposed between a bottom electrode and a transparent conducting layer. An insulating layer is disposed between the bottom electrode of a first device module and a backside top electrode of the first device module. One or more vias are formed through the active layer, transparent conducting layer and insulating layer of the first device module. Sidewalls of the vias are coated with an insulating material such that a channel is formed through the insulating material to the backside top electrode of the first device module. The channel is at least partially filled with an electrically conductive material to form a plug that makes electrical contact between the transparent conducting layer and the backside top electrode of the first device module.

Abstract: One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.

Abstract: A nanostructured apparatus may include a mesoporous template having an array of regularly-spaced pores. One or more layers of material may conformally coat the walls to a substantially uniform thickness. Such an apparatus can be used in a variety of devices including optoelectronic devices, e.g., light emitting devices (such as LEDs, and lasers) and photovoltaic devices (such as solar cells) optical devices (luminescent, electro-optic, and magnetooptic waveguides, optical filters, optical switches, amplifies, laser diodes, multiplexers, optical couplers, and the like), sensors, chemical devices (such as catalysts) and mechanical devices (such as filters for filtering gases or liquids).

Abstract: An absorber layer of a photovoltaic device may be formed on an aluminum or metallized polymer foil substrate. A nascent absorber layer containing one or more elements of group IB and one or more elements of group IIIA is formed on the substrate. The nascent absorber layer and/or substrate is then rapidly heated from an ambient temperature to an average plateau temperature range of between about 200° C. and about 600° C. and maintained in the average plateau temperature range 2 to 30 minutes after which the temperature is reduced.

Abstract: CIGS absorber layers fabricated using coated semiconducting nanoparticles and/or quantum dots are disclosed. Core nanoparticles and/or quantum dots containing one or more elements from group IB and/or IIIA and/or VIA may be coated with one or more layers containing elements group IB, IIIA or VIA. Using nanoparticles with a defined surface area, a layer thickness could be tuned to give the proper stoichiometric ratio, and/or crystal phase, and/or size, and/or shape. The coated nanoparticles could then be placed in a dispersant for use as an ink, paste, or paint. By appropriate coating of the core nanoparticles, the resulting coated nanoparticles can have the desired elements intermixed within the size scale of the nanoparticle, while the phase can be controlled by tuning the stochiometry, and the stoichiometry of the coated nanoparticle may be tuned by controlling the thickness of the coating(s).

Abstract: Spaces in a nanostructure can be filled with an organic material while in the solid state below Tm (without heating) by exposing the organic material to solvent vapor while on or mixed with the nanostructured material. The exposure to solvent vapor results in intimate contact between the organic material and the nanostructured material without having to expose them to possibly detrimental heat to melt in the organic material. Solution processing methods need only to be employed to create bulk films while organic material infiltration can take place in the solid state after depositing the film.

Abstract: Transparent conductive electrodes, optoelectronic apparatus, optoelectronic devices and methods for making such electrodes, apparatus and devices are disclosed. The transparent conducting electrode (TCE) includes a layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material and an array of electrically conductive wires distributed across the layer of transparent electrically conducting polymer material. The TCE may be made by distributing an array of conductive wires across a conductive polymer layer and attaching polymer layer to the wire array. An optoelectronic apparatus may comprise an active layer in electrical contact with the TCE. An optoelectronic device may incorporate an active layer disposed between two electrodes, at least one of which is the TCE. An optoelectronic device may be made by disposing an active layer between a base electrode and a TCE and attaching all three together.

Abstract: An ink for forming CIGS photovoltaic cell active layers is disclosed along with methods for making the ink, methods for making the active layers and a solar cell made with the active layer. The ink contains a mixture of nanoparticles of elements of groups IB, IIIA and (optionally) VIA. The particles are in a desired particle size range of between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter, where a majority of the mass of the particles comprises particles ranging in size from no more than about 40% above or below an average particle size or, if the average particle size is less than about 5 nanometers, from no more than about 2 nanometers above or below the average particle size. The use of such ink avoids the need to expose the material to an H2Se gas during the construction of a photovoltaic cell and allows more uniform melting during film annealing, more uniform intermixing of nanoparticles, and allows higher quality absorber films to be formed.

Abstract: An absorber layer may be formed on on a substrate using atomic layer deposition reactions. An absorber layer containing elements of groups IB, IIIA and VIB may be formed by placing a substrate in a treatment chamber and performing atomic layer deposition of a group IB element and/or one or more group IIIA elements from separate sources onto a substrate to form a film. A group VIA element is then incorporated into the film and annealed to form the absorber layer. The absorber layer may be greater than about 25 nm thick. The substrate may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The coiled substrate may be placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated by an atomic layer deposition process.

Abstract: One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.

Abstract: The metallic components of a IB-IIIA-VIA photovoltaic cell active layer may be directly coated onto a substrate by using relatively low melting point (e.g., less than about 500° C.) metals such as indium and gallium. Specifically, CI(G)S thin-film solar cells may be fabricated by blending molten group IIIA metals with solid nanoparticles of group IB and (optionally) group IIIA metals. The molten mixture may be coated onto a substrate in the molten state, e.g., using coating techniques such as hot-dipping, hot microgravure and/or air-knife coating. After coating, the substrate may be cooled and the film annealed, e.g., in a sulfur-containing or selenium-containing atmosphere.

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture where two more materials having different electron affinities are regularly arrayed such that their presence alternates within distances of between about 1 nm and about 100 nm. The materials are present in a matrix based on a porous template with an array of template pores. The porous template is formed by anodizing a layer of metal. A photovoltaic device may include such a porous template disposed between a base electrode and a transparent conducting electrode. A first charge-transfer material fills the template pores, A second (complementary) charge-transfer material fills additional space not occupied by the first charge-transfer material.

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture with an inorganic insulating nanostructured template having template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with a elements density of between about 1012 elements/m2 and about 1016 elements/m2. A first charge-transfer material coats the walls of the template elements leaving behind additional space. A second charge-transfer material fills the additional space such that the first and second charge-transfer materials are volumetrically interdigitated. At least one charge transfer material has an absorbance of greater than about 103/cm. The first and second charge-transfer materials have complementary charge transfer properties with respect to each other.

Abstract: Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture having a nanostructured template made from an n-type first charge transfer material with template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with about 1012 to 1016 elements/m2. A p-type second charge-transfer material optionally coats the walls of the template elements leaving behind additional space. A p-type third charge-transfer material fills the additional space volumetrically interdigitating with the second charge transfer material.