Fabrication processes for effectively transparent contacts

US10700234B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · US

Inventors

• Rebecca Saive · Enschede, NL
• Harry A. Atwater · South Pasadena, US
• Sisir Yalamanchili · Milpitas, US
• Colton Bukowsky · Pasadena, US
• Thomas Russell · Marietta, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 17, 2018
• Grant date: Jun 30, 2020
• Expiry date: Aug 17, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/50

Abstract

In conventional solar cells with metal contacts, a non-negligible fraction of the incoming solar power is immediately lost either through absorption or reflection upon interaction with the contacts. Effectively transparent contacts (“ETCs”) for solar cells can be referred to as three-dimensional contacts designed to redirect incoming light onto a photoabsorbing surface of a solar cell. In many embodiments, the ETCs have triangular cross-sections. Such ETCs can be placed on a photoabsorbing surface such that at least one of their sides forms an angle with the photoabsorbing surface. In this configuration, the ETCs can redirect incident light onto the photoabsorbing surface, mitigating or eliminating reflection loss compared to conventional solar cells. When constructed in accordance with a number of embodiments of the invention, ETCs can be effectively transparent and highly conductive.