Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for tunable photonic harvesting for solar energy conversion and dynamic shading tolerance are provided herein.

Abstract: A solar cell structure including a solar cell having a front surface and a back surface, a reflective layer disposed proximate the back surface and a flexible support layer disposed between the back surface and the reflective layer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a solar cell has base and emitter diffusion regions formed on the back side. The emitter diffusion region is configured to collect minority charge carriers in the solar cell, while the base diffusion region is configured to collect majority charge carriers. The emitter diffusion region may be a continuous region separating the base diffusion regions. Each of the base diffusion regions may have a reduced area to decrease minority charge carrier recombination losses without substantially increasing series resistance losses due to lateral flow of majority charge carriers. Each of the base diffusion regions may have a dot shape, for example.

Abstract: The cell according to the present disclosure has a support body having a length direction and a pair of main surfaces, and an element part in which a first electrode, a solid electrolyte layer having an oxide containing a rare earth element oxide as a main component, and a second electrode are stacked, in that order, on one of the main surfaces of the support body. The cell also has a first layer provided on the other main surface of one end part of the support body in the length direction, which layer contains a different amount of a rare earth element oxide that is the same oxide as the main component of the solid electrolyte layer, and is stronger than the solid electrolyte layer. A second layer is provided between the first layer and the support body, and the second layer has a higher content of a component that is the same as the component contained in the support body than the first layer, and also contains the same component as the first layer.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor (100), comprising a substrate (105), two electrodes (130) and (140) screen printed onto said substrate, an elastomer (150) disposed over one of said plurality of screen printed electrodes, and one or more electroactive species disposed within said elastomer.

Abstract: A photodiode comprising a photoactive spinel oxide layer is described. This photoactive spinel oxide layer forms a contact with both a light absorption layer of quantum dots, quantum wires, or quantum rods, and an inorganic substrate layer. In some embodiments, the inorganic substrate layer and the photoactive spinel oxide layer form an isotype junction. Methods of characterizing the photodiode are provided and demonstrate commercially relevant electrical and optoelectronic properties, particularly the ability to operate as a photodetector with a high photosensitivity. An economical process for preparing the photodiode is provided as well as applications.

Abstract: A photodiode comprising a photoactive spinel oxide layer is described. This photoactive spinel oxide layer forms a contact with both a light absorption layer of quantum dots, quantum wires, or quantum rods, and an inorganic substrate layer. In some embodiments, the inorganic substrate layer and the photoactive spinel oxide layer form an isotype junction. Methods of characterizing the photodiode are provided and demonstrate commercially relevant electrical and optoelectronic properties, particularly the ability to operate as a photodetector with a high photosensitivity. An economical process for preparing the photodiode is provided as well as applications.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a thermoelectric material having a plurality of grains and grain boundaries. The process includes determining a material composition to be investigated for the thermoelectric material and then determining a range of values of grain size and/or grain boundary barrier height obtainable for the material composition using current state of the art manufacturing techniques. Thereafter, a range of figure of merit values for the material composition is determined as a function of the range of values of grain size and/or grain boundary barrier height. And finally, a thermoelectric material having the determined material composition and an average grain size and grain boundary barrier height corresponding to the maximum range of figure of merit values is manufactured.

Abstract: A sensor element includes a NOx sensor part, a NH3 gas sensor part, and a single common electrode shared by the both parts. The former has a pump cell including a measurement electrode facing an internal space, a pump electrode formed on a surface of the element, and a solid electrolyte therebetween. The latter includes a sensing electrode formed on a surface of the element and having catalytic activity inactivated for a NH3 gas. The common electrode is located to be in contact with a reference gas. The NOx concentration is determined based on a potential difference occurring between the sensing electrode and the common electrode, and a current flowing through the pump cell in a state of controlling a voltage applied across the electrodes to maintain a potential difference between the measurement electrode and the common electrode constant.

Abstract: A system and method are presented for the design and fabrication of arrays of vacuum photodiodes for application to solar power generation. In a preferred embodiment, each photodiode cell comprises a microfabricated enclosure with a hermetically sealed vacuum, an absorptive photocathode, and a transparent anode, wherein the photocathode and the anode are separated by a vacuum gap of less than about 20 micrometers. Light incident on the photocathode through the anode leads to a flux of electrons passing from the photocathode across the vacuum gap to the anode. In a further preferred embodiment, the photocathode is backed by a reflection layer with, e.g., controlled diffuse reflection, thus increasing the efficiency of energy extraction. An array of such cells may be manufactured using automated thin-film deposition and micromachining techniques.

Abstract: A photodiode comprising a photoactive spinel oxide layer is described. This photoactive spinel oxide layer forms a contact with both a light absorption layer of quantum dots, quantum wires, or quantum rods, and an inorganic substrate layer. In some embodiments, the inorganic substrate layer and the photoactive spinel oxide layer form an isotype junction. Methods of characterizing the photodiode are provided and demonstrate commercially relevant electrical and optoelectronic properties, particularly the ability to operate as a photodetector with a high photosensitivity. An economical process for preparing the photodiode is provided as well as applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of recalibrating a device for assessing concentration of at least one analyte ion in a liquid, the device having a plurality of ion selective electrodes (ISEs) generating a signal in response to sensing a selected ion in the liquid, and a data processing unit implementing a neural network algorithm that has been trained to calculate ion interference between the selected ion and other ions in the liquid sensed at one of the electrodes and/or electrode interference between ones of the electrodes sensing a same selected ion.

Abstract: A battery includes an electrode body, a case, a positive electrode external terminal, a negative electrode external terminal, an insulator, and a connection bolt, and at least one external terminal of the positive electrode external terminal and the negative electrode external terminal includes an attachment portion and a plate portion. The connection bolt includes a bar-shaped body portion and a flange portion disposed at one end of the bar-shaped body portion, and is fastened to the plate portion in a state in which at least a portion of a roof portion of the insulator is fitted between the flange portion and the plate portion.

Abstract: An assembly includes a photovoltaic module including a solar cell and a cooling system including a heat pipe adapted to dissipate heat from the solar cell. A method includes dissipating heat from the solar cell using the heat pipe. The photovoltaic module may be disposed on a vehicle to convert solar energy into electricity.

Abstract: A gas sensor element including a lead portion (79a) formed on a lower surface of an insulating member (76) and extending through a through hole (176) to an upper surface thereof, and a lead portion (79b) extending from the upper surface of the insulating member (76) through the through hole (176) to the lower surface of the insulating member (76) so as to cover the lead portion (79a) along the inner circumferential wall and a portion of the lower surface around the through hole. The lead portion (79a) has a section exposed to a space (230) on the lower surface side of the insulating member (76). The lead portion (79b) is disposed so as to face the insulating member (76) with the space (230) therebetween. The lead portion (79a) communicates with the outside through the space (230). Also disclosed is a method for producing the gas sensor element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I) based on carbazole substituted by diphenylamine and used as organic hole conductors or hole transporting material in an optoelectronic or photoelectrochemical device, with (I), D being selected from formula (1) or (2):

Abstract: In one embodiment, a solar cell has base and emitter diffusion regions formed on the back side. The emitter diffusion region is configured to collect minority charge carriers in the solar cell, while the base diffusion region is configured to collect majority charge carriers. The emitter diffusion region may be a continuous region separating the base diffusion regions. Each of the base diffusion regions may have a reduced area to decrease minority charge carrier recombination losses without substantially increasing series resistance losses due to lateral flow of majority charge carriers. Each of the base diffusion regions may have a dot shape, for example.

Abstract: The present invention concerns fluorescent boron thienyldipyrromethene type compounds, their preparation process, as well as their use as an electron donor in the field of organic electronics, in particular for the production of a photoactive layer in photovoltaic cells of the bulk heterojunction type or for the production of field effect transistors.

Abstract: A thermoelectric generator includes: a heat-receiving plate configured to receive heat; a cooling plate configured to be kept at a lower temperature than a temperature of the heat-receiving plate; and a thermoelectric generation module interposed between the heat-receiving plate and the cooling plate, in which the thermoelectric generation module includes: an opposed surface that is opposed to the cooling plate; a plurality of thermoelectric elements; a terminal configured to electrically conduct to the thermoelectric elements; and a lead member bonded to the terminal, in which the lead member penetrates the opposed surface and extends to the cooling plate.

Abstract: A multijunction solar cell includes an InGaAs buffer layer and an InGaAlAs grading interlayer disposed below, and adjacent to, the InGaAs buffer layer. The grading interlayer achieves a transition in lattice constant from one solar subcell to another solar subcell.