Monolithically integrated thin-film electronic conversion unit for lateral multijunction thin-film solar cells

US9634171B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Hans-Juergen Eickelmann · Mainz, DE
• Ruediger Kellmann · Mainz, DE
• Hartmut Kuehl · Gau-Bischofsheim, DE
• Markus Schmidt · Seibersbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 22, 2015
• Grant date: Apr 25, 2017
• Expiry date: Aug 7, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An integrated thin-film lateral multi-junction solar device and fabrication method are provided. The device includes, for instance, a substrate, and a plurality of stacks extending vertically from the substrate. Each stack may include layers, and be electrically isolated against another stack. Each stack may also include an energy storage device above the substrate, a solar cell above the energy storage device, a transparent medium above the solar cell, and a micro-optic layer of spectrally dispersive and concentrating optical devices above the transparent medium. Furthermore, the device may include a first power converter connected between the energy storage device and a power bus, and a second power converter connected between the solar cell and the power bus. Further, different solar cells of different stacks may have different absorption characteristics.