Method and apparatus for annealing solar cells that can contain lithium or hydrogen. Heaters, a current that is applied in forward or reverse direction, or open-circuiting the cells are used optionally with illumination from the sun or a controlled light source, which can be directed using reflectors, to increase the temperature of the cells to perform periodic anneals to recover energy conversion efficiency lost due to environmental conditions such as radiation damage and maintain desired operational conditions. Larger amounts of additional energy are harvested with the improved efficiency of the cells. Illuminating the cells with specific wavelengths of light can enhance the diffusion of the lithium or hydrogen, or their binding and unbinding from dopants or defects, in the silicon lattice. The lithium or hydrogen can diffuse into the cells via their inclusion in the polysilicon layer forming a tunneling oxide passivated contact. Dopants in the silicon can reduce annealing time and temperature.
Method and apparatus for annealing micro-scale or macro solar cells that can contain lithium. Heaters, a current that is applied in forward or reverse direction, or open-circuiting the cells are used optionally with a laser or other light source to increase the temperature of the cells to perform periodic anneals to recover energy conversion efficiency lost due to environmental conditions such as radiation damage and maintain desired operational conditions. While a small amount of energy is used for heating up the small thermal mass of the micro-cells and macro cells to the desired annealing temperature, much larger amounts of additional energy is harvested with the improved efficiency of the cells. Maintaining a desired temperature for operation of cells takes very little energy owing to the small thermal mass of the cells and controlled thermal conduction of the materials in contact with the cells.
Photovoltaic systems and methods for illuminating photovoltaic cells with light just above the cell bandgap. One or more reflectors reflect light incident on the cells that is outside a desired wavelength range, thereby increasing the efficiency of the system. Energy that is available from radioactive decay products, such as fission fragments, electrons, protons, and high energy photons can also be converted to generate light in the desired wavelength range to efficiently couple into the photovoltaic devices. Silicon photovoltaic cells can be used, unlike the complex multi-junction photovoltaic cells of most systems, which also require extensive and costly manufacturing processes.
Photovoltaic systems and methods for illuminating photovoltaic cells with light just above the cell bandgap. One or more reflectors reflect light incident on the cells that is outside a desired wavelength range, thereby increasing the efficiency of the system. Energy that is available from radioactive decay products, such as fission fragments, electrons, protons, and high energy photons can also be converted to generate light in the desired wavelength range to efficiently couple into the photovoltaic devices. Silicon photovoltaic cells can be used, unlike the complex multi-junction photovoltaic cells of most systems, which also require extensive and costly manufacturing processes.
Method and apparatus for annealing micro-scale or macro solar cells that can contain lithium or hydrogen. Heaters, a current that is applied in forward or reverse direction, or open-circuiting the cells are used optionally with a laser or other light source to increase the temperature of the cells to perform periodic anneals to recover energy conversion efficiency lost due to environmental conditions such as radiation damage and maintain desired operational conditions. Larger amounts of additional energy are harvested with the improved efficiency of the cells. Illuminating the cells with specific wavelengths of light can enhance the diffusion of the lithium or hydrogen, or their binding and unbinding from dopants or defects, in the silicon lattice. The lithium or hydrogen can diffuse into the cells via their inclusion in the polysilicon layer forming a tunneling oxide passivated contact. Dopants in the silicon can reduce annealing time and temperature.
H01L 31/16 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS - Details thereof structurally associated with, e.g. formed in or on a common substrate with, one or more electric light sources, e.g. electroluminescent light sources, and electrically or optically coupled thereto the semiconductor device sensitive to radiation being controlled by the light source or sources
H01L 31/18 - Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
H01L 31/0525 - Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells including means to utilise heat energy directly associated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Seebeck elements
6.
STRUCTURED ASSEMBLY AND INTERCONNECT FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS
Structured photovoltaic assemblies and method of manufacture therefor. The assemblies can be assembled similar to flex circuits and have mechanical support structures disposed within the assembly. The supports can be sized and shaped to one or a group of solar cells in the assembly. The solar cells supported by a particular support may be interconnected with cells supported by a different support. The supports can be transparent. The connection of the interconnects to the solar cells can be enhanced by forming protrusions in vias through openings in the Insulating layer that are aligned with the solar cells. Alternatively, the openings can be filled with a conductive material in such forms as powder, ink, paste, or metal nanoparticles, and a laser can be used to melt and/or sinter the material to form the connection to the solar cell. These techniques can withstand large temperature swings over a large number of cycles, which occur in, for example, space applications.
Method and apparatus for annealing micro-scale or macro solar cells that can contain lithium or hydrogen. Heaters, a current that is applied in forward or reverse direction, or open-circuiting the cells are used optionally with a laser or other light source to increase the temperature of the cells to perform periodic anneals to recover energy conversion efficiency lost due to environmental conditions such as radiation damage and maintain desired operational conditions. Larger amounts of additional energy are harvested with the improved efficiency of the cells. Illuminating the cells with specific wavelengths of light can enhance the diffusion of the lithium or hydrogen, or their binding and unbinding from dopants or defects, in the silicon lattice. The lithium or hydrogen can diffuse into the cells via their inclusion in the polysilicon layer forming a tunneling oxide passivated contact. Dopants in the silicon can reduce annealing time and temperature.
H01L 31/18 - Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
H01L 31/032 - Inorganic materials including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only compounds not provided for in groups
H01L 35/30 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Details thereof operating with Peltier or Seebeck effect only characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
Radiation detectors and methods of use thereof that produce more accurate results. A region of the radiation detector is covered by a conversion layer. A reference region is covered by a light barrier material such as a metal, and not the conversion layer. The reference region incurs less radiation damage than the region under the conversion layer. The dark current produced by the reference region can be used to more accurately calibrate the detector, provide real time normalization of the current produced by the conversion layer region, and determine when the detector has been damaged sufficiently to be replaced.
G01T 1/24 - Measuring radiation intensity with semiconductor detectors
G01T 1/29 - Measurement performed on radiation beams, e.g. position or section of the beamMeasurement of spatial distribution of radiation
G01N 23/223 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by measuring secondary emission from the material by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence
9.
IN-SITU RAPID ANNEALING AND OPERATION OF SOLAR CELLS FOR EXTREME ENVIRONMENT APPLICATIONS
Method and apparatus for annealing micro-scale or macro solar cells that can contain lithium. Heaters, a current that is applied In forward or reverse direction, or open-circuiting the cells are used optionally with a laser or other light source to increase the temperature of the cells to perform periodic anneals to recover energy conversion efficiency lost due to environmental conditions such as radiation damage and maintain desired operational conditions. While a small amount of energy is used for heating up the small thermal mass of the micro-cells and macro cells to the desired annealing temperature, much larger amounts of additional energy is harvested with the improved efficiency of the cells. Maintaining a desired temperature for operation of cells takes very little energy owing to the small thermal mass of the cells and controlled thermal conduction of the materials in contact with the cells.
H01L 31/18 - Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
H01L 21/324 - Thermal treatment for modifying the properties of semiconductor bodies, e.g. annealing, sintering
H01L 21/326 - Application of electric currents or fields, e.g. for electroforming
H01L 31/0288 - Inorganic materials including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System characterised by the doping material
H01L 31/036 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS - Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
H02S 40/34 - Electrical components comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
10.
In-situ rapid annealing and operation of solar cells for extreme environment applications
Method and apparatus for annealing micro-scale or macro solar cells that can contain lithium. Heaters, a current that is applied in forward or reverse direction, or open-circuiting the cells are used optionally with a laser or other light source to increase the temperature of the cells to perform periodic anneals to recover energy conversion efficiency lost due to environmental conditions such as radiation damage and maintain desired operational conditions. While a small amount of energy is used for heating up the small thermal mass of the micro-cells and macro cells to the desired annealing temperature, much larger amounts of additional energy is harvested with the improved efficiency of the cells. Maintaining a desired temperature for operation of cells takes very little energy owing to the small thermal mass of the cells and controlled thermal conduction of the materials in contact with the cells.
High performance single crystal silicon cells and arrays thereof are manufactured using a rapid process flow. Tunneling junctions formed in the process provide performance benefits, such as higher efficiency and a lower power temperature coefficient. The process generates a large array of interconnected high performance cells smaller than typical cells without requiring additional process steps, and simplifies integration of these coupons into the final product. The cells can have different shapes, sizes, and orientations, enabling the array to be flexible in any desired direction. Higher efficiencies and lower hot spotting under shading is achieved by connecting small low current, high voltage cells in dense series and parallel configurations. Low current cells also require much less metallization than typical solar cells and arrays.
High performance single crystal silicon cells and arrays thereof are manufactured using a rapid process flow. Tunneling junctions formed in the process provide performance benefits, such as higher efficiency and a lower power temperature coefficient. The process generates a large array of interconnected high performance cells smaller than typical cells without requiring additional process steps, and simplifies integration of these coupons into the final product. The cells can have different shapes, sizes, and orientations, enabling the array to be flexible in any desired direction. Higher efficiencies and lower hot spotting under shading is achieved by connecting small low current, high voltage cells in dense series and parallel configurations. Low current cells also require much less metallization than typical solar cells and arrays.
H01L 31/0463 - PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate characterised by special patterning methods to connect the PV cells in a module, e.g. laser cutting of the conductive or active layers
H01L 31/05 - Electrical interconnection means between PV cells inside the PV module, e.g. series connection of PV cells
H01L 31/18 - Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
H01L 31/0352 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS - Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
H01L 31/042 - PV modules or arrays of single PV cells
H01L 31/0475 - PV cell arrays made by cells in a planar, e.g. repetitive, configuration on a single semiconductor substrate; PV cell microarrays
H01L 31/062 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS - Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the potential barriers being only of the metal-insulator-semiconductor type
H01L 31/00 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS - Details thereof
H01L 21/02 - Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
H01L 23/00 - Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
H01L 21/461 - Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
H01L 41/338 - Shaping or machining of piezo-electric or electrostrictive bodies by machining by cutting or dicing
H01L 21/78 - Manufacture or treatment of devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components or integrated circuits formed in, or on, a common substrate with subsequent division of the substrate into plural individual devices
13.
FABRICATION AND OPERATION OF MULTI-FUNCTION FLEXIBLE RADIATION DETECTION SYSTEMS
Curved, flexible arrays of radiation detectors are formed by using standard silicon semiconductor processing materials and techniques and additional functionalization through integration of conversion and shielding materials. The resulting flexible arrays can be handled, integrated, further functionalized and deployed for a wide variety of applications where conventional sensors do not provide the desired functionality, form factors and/or reliability. The arrays can be stacked and include multiple types and thicknesses of conversion layers, enabling the detector to simultaneously detect multiple radiation types, and perform complex, simultaneous functions such as energy discrimination, spectroscopy, directionality detection, and particle trajectory tracking of incident radiation.
H01L 21/26 - Bombardment with wave or particle radiation
H01L 25/00 - Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid-state devices
H01L 27/14 - Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy
Curved, flexible arrays of radiation detectors are formed by using standard silicon semiconductor processing materials and techniques and additional functionalization through integration of conversion and shielding materials. The resulting flexible arrays can be handled, integrated, further functionalized and deployed for a wide variety of applications where conventional sensors do not provide the desired functionality, form factors and/or reliability. The arrays can be stacked and include multiple types and thicknesses of conversion layers, enabling the detector to simultaneously detect multiple radiation types, and perform complex, simultaneous functions such as energy discrimination, spectroscopy, directionality detection, and particle trajectory tracking of incident radiation.
Fabrication, integration and operation of an array of micro-scale singulated electronic and opto- electronic semiconductor devices in flexible, thin and highly reliable format. The array includes power and data management devices that are distributed within the array such that each one handles only a small amount of power compared to existing systems. Thus less expensive, more reliable components can be used. These devices and systems enable novel functionality and enhanced capabilities in renewable energy, communication, sensing and control systems, such as photovoltaic arrays and phased array antennas.
G11C 7/00 - Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store
H01L 21/77 - Manufacture or treatment of devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components or integrated circuits formed in, or on, a common substrate
H01L 27/00 - Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
patents
