High efficiency multijunction II-VI photovoltaic solar cells
US8912428B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 2008 |
| Grant date | Dec 16, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 1, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E10/544
Abstract
A Group II-VI photovoltaic solar cell comprising at least two and as many as five subcells stacked upon one another. Each subcell has an emitter layer and a base layer, with the base of the first subcell being made of silicon, germanium, or silicon-germanium. The remaining subcells are stacked on top of the first subcell and are ordered such that the band gap gets progressively smaller with each successive subcell. Moreover, the thicknesses of each subcell are optimized so that the current from each subcell is substantially equal to the other subcells in the stack. Examples of suitable Group II-VI semiconductors include CdTe, CdSe, CdSeTe, CdZnTe, CdMgTe, and CdHgTe.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.