High volume method of making low-cost, lightweight solar materials

US8778724B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• UT-BATTELLE, LLC · US

Inventors

• Craig A. Blue · Knoxville, US
• Art Clemens · Knoxville, US
• Chad E. Duty · Knoxville, US
• David C. Harper · Williamsburg, US
• Ronald D. Ott · Knoxville, US
• John Daniel Kennedy Rivard · Washington, US
• Christopher Murray · Boynton Beach, US
• Susan L. Murray · San Diego, US
• Andre Klein · Homécourt, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 24, 2010
• Grant date: Jul 15, 2014
• Expiry date: Nov 14, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50

Abstract

A thin film solar cell and a method fabricating thin film solar cells on flexible substrates. The method includes including providing a flexible polymeric substrate, depositing a photovoltaic precursor on a surface of the substrate, such as CdTe, ZrTe, CdZnTe, CdSe or Cu(In,Ga)Se2, and exposing the photovoltaic precursor to at least one 0.5 microsecond to 10 second pulse of predominately infrared light emitted from a light source having a power output of about 20,000 W/cm2 or less to thermally convert the precursor into a crystalline photovoltaic material having a photovoltaic efficiency of greater than one percent, the conversion being carried out without substantial damage to the substrate.