Solar cells employing stacked opposite conductivity layers
US4017332A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 29, 1976 |
| Grant date | Apr 12, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 29, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S148/12
Abstract
A cell for converting received light energy to electrical energy comprises, in the simplest embodiment, four layers of differing types of semiconductive material stacked so as to form three opposite conductivity junctions. The outer two, "active", junctions are formed of confronting layers with matched lattice constants so as to provide a plurality of energy converters. The center, "connective", junction is formed by two confronting intermediate layers which have purposely mismatched lattice constants so as to provide a lattice defect site surrounding the center junction. Majority carriers (electrons and holes) will recombine at the lattice defects. This will cause the connective junction, although of apparently reverse-biased opposite conductivity type layers, to act as a low resistance ohmic connection or substantial short circuit so as to connect the energy converting portions in series. Due to the stacked arrangement of junctions in which the layers forming the active junctions have increasingly lower bandgaps toward the bottom of the stack, incident photons are converted to electrical energy with far greater efficiency than in a single-junction arrangement. Preferably the stac…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.