Patent · US Active

Photovoltaic up conversion and down conversion using rare earths

US8039736B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

1References

15Claims

0Family size

Inventors

Andrew Clark · Shrewsbury, US
Robin Smith · Palo Alto, US
Scott Semans · Palo Alto, US
Richard Hamilton Sewell · Los Altos, US

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 20, 2009
Grant date	Oct 18, 2011
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Aug 6, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY02E10/547
WIPO fieldMicro-structural and nano-technology
WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The use of rare-earth (REO, N, P) based materials to covert long wavelength photons to shorter wavelength photons that can be absorbed in a photovoltaic device (up-conversion) and (REO, N, P) materials which can absorb a short wavelength photon and re-emit one (downshifting) or more longer wavelength photons is disclosed. The wide spectral range of sunlight overlaps with a multitude of energy transitions in rare-earth materials, thus offering multiple up-conversion pathways. The refractive index contrast of rare-earth materials with silicon enables a DBR with >90% peak reflectivity and a stop band greater than 150 nm.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.