Solar cell with back side contacts
| DWPI Title: Solar cell comprises positive and negative electrical contacts that are in contact with semiconductor layers other than absorbing layer of cell; where positive and negative electrical contacts are exposed on same side of cell |
| Abstract: A III-V solar cell is described herein that includes all back side contacts. Additionally, the positive and negative electrical contacts contact compound semiconductor layers of the solar cell other than the absorbing layer of the solar cell. That is, the positive and negative electrical contacts contact passivating layers of the solar cell. |
| Use: For manufacturing solar cell (claimed) particularly III-V solar cell useful in e.g. a consumer device, such as a mobile telephone, a mobile gaming apparatus, a tablet computing device, or the like for generating electrical power for such a device. |
| Advantage: The solar cell improves efficiency and is relatively small in size. The cell has few shading effects, thus allowing more light to reach absorbing layers of the solar cell. The cell includes all back-side contacts, thus increasing ease in which the solar cell is packaged and interconnected with other solar cells in solar panel, e.g. connecting several of the cells may allow high voltages in small areas. The metal stack survives acid etches to release the cell from wafer, and the cell can be used by itself or stacked with other cells in unique configurations and small form factors. As both the positive and the negative contact pad are exposed on the back side of the solar cell, the conductive metals of the contact pads do not block light from reaching the absorbing layer of the solar cell. This arrangement enhances efficiency of conversion of solar radiation into electrical power over conventional III-V solar cell designs. |
| Novelty: A solar cell (100) comprises gallium indium phosphorus (GaInP) layer (108); n-type gallium arsenide (GaAs) layer (110) in contact with it; p-type GaAs layer (112) in contact with n-type GaAs layer; second GaInP layer (116) in contact with p-type GaAs layer; second p-type GaAs layer (118) in contact with second GaInP layer; metallic positive electrical contact (120) in contact with p-type GaAs contact layer; and metallic negative electrical contact (122) in contact with first GaInP layer, where the positive and negative electrical contacts are exposed on same side of solar cell. |
| Filed: 6/20/2011 |
| Application Number: US13164017A |
| Tech ID: SD 11510.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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