Semiconductor ferroelectric compositions and their use in photovoltaic devices

US9484475B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania · US
• DREXEL UNIVERSITY · US

Inventors

• Andrew M. Rappe · Levittown, US
• Peter K. Davies · Yardley, US
• Jonathan E. Spanier · Yeadon, US
• Ilya Grinberg · Dover, US
• Don V. West · Okabena, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 11, 2012
• Grant date: Nov 1, 2016
• Expiry date: Aug 5, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/542
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Disclosed herein are ferroelectric perovskites characterized as having a band gap, Egap, of less than 2.5 eV. Also disclosed are compounds comprising a solid solution of KNbO3 and BaNi1/2Nb1/2O3-delta, wherein delta is in the range of from 0 to about 1. The specification also discloses photovoltaic devices comprising one or more solar absorbing layers, wherein at least one of the solar absorbing layers comprises a semiconducting ferroelectric layer. Finally, this patent application provides solar cell, comprising: a heterojunction of n- and p-type semiconductors characterized as comprising an interface layer disposed between the n- and p-type semiconductors, the interface layer comprising a semiconducting ferroelectric absorber layer capable of enhancing light absorption and carrier separation.