University of Chicago

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Dimerond Technologies, LLC

Other

Arch Development Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Uchicago Argonne, LLC

Gruen, Dieter M.

Dieter M Gruen

Alan R Krauss

Michael J Pellin

Orlando H Auciello

Charles E Young

Marshall H Mendelsohn

John Arthur Carlisle

Shengzhong Liu

Xianzheng Pan

Christopher D Zuiker

Chien-Ping Ju

Ali Erdemir

J Albert Schultz

Gary Elder McGuire

Thomas Greene McCauley

Dan Zhou

Ming Ding

Moshe Ron

Vincent Scott Smentkowski

James M Rigsbee

Cuma Bindal

A Bruce DeWald

George J Lamich

Xingcheng Xiao

John C Holecek

Eva-Maria Meyer

Austin E Dwight

Hans-Gerd Busmann

Irving Sheft

Barry Siskind

Paul R Fields

A photovoltaic solar cell apparatus is described herein combining the advantages of several discoveries that address the previously unsolved problem of creating high conversion efficiency solar cells at a low cost. The solar cell designs and underlying principals disclosed herein may be applied in any type of photovoltaic solar power application, such as large scale photovoltaic solar plants, rooftop panels, solar powered electronic devices, and many others.

High efficiency graphene/wide band-gap semiconductor heterojunction solar cells

An apparatus comprising a plurality of solar cells that each comprise a nanowire titanium oxide core having graphene disposed thereon. By one approach this plurality of solar cells can comprise, at least in part, a titanium foil having the plurality of solar cells disposed thereon wherein at least a majority of the solar cells are aligned substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the titanium foil. Such a plurality of solar cells can be disposed between a source of light and another modality of solar energy conversion such that both the solar cells and the another modality of solar energy conversion generate electricity using a same source of light.

Apparatus pertaining to solar cells having nanowire titanium oxide cores and graphene exteriors and the co-generation conversion of light into electricity using such solar cells

An apparatus comprising a high-temperature photovoltaic transducer that is disposed between a source of light and another modality of solar energy conversion such that both the high-temperature photovoltaic transducer and the another modality of solar energy conversion generate electricity using a same source of light.

Apparatus pertaining to the co-generation conversion of light into electricity

A core consisting essentially of a wide band-gap material has a shell consisting essentially of graphene conformally disposed about at least a substantial portion thereof. By one approach the core has at least one bisectional dimension that does not exceed 100 nanometers. By one approach a connection between a pathway that connects the shell to the core comprises a photovoltaic junction.

Apparatus pertaining to a core of wide band-gap material having a graphene shell

One provides nanocrystalline diamond material that comprises a plurality of substantially ordered diamond crystallites that are sized no larger than about 10 nanometers. One then disposes a non-diamond component within the nanocrystalline diamond material. By one approach this non-diamond component comprises an electrical conductor that is formed at the grain boundaries that separate the diamond crystallites from one another. The resultant nanowire is then able to exhibit a desired increase with respect to its ability to conduct electricity while also preserving the thermal conductivity behavior of the nanocrystalline diamond material.

Self-composite comprised of nanocrystalline diamond and a non-diamond component useful for thermoelectric applications

One provides () disperse ultra-nanocrystalline diamond powder material that comprises a plurality of substantially ordered crystallites that are each sized no larger than about 10 nanometers. One then reacts () these crystallites with a metallic component. The resultant nanowire is then able to exhibit a desired increase with respect to its ability to conduct electricity while also substantially preserving the thermal conductivity behavior of the disperse ultra-nanocrystalline diamond powder material. The reaction process can comprise combining () the crystallites with one or more metal salts in an aqueous solution and then heating () that aqueous solution to remove the water. This heating can occur in a reducing atmosphere (comprising, for example, hydrogen and/or methane) to also reduce the salt to metal.

Method and article of manufacture corresponding to a composite comprised of ultra nonacrystalline diamond, metal, and other nanocarbons useful for thermoelectric and other applications

A method of depositing nanocrystalline diamond film on a substrate at a rate of not less than about 0.2 microns/hour at a substrate temperature less than about 500&#xb0; C. The method includes seeding the substrate surface with nanocrystalline diamond powder to an areal density of not less than about 10sites/cm, and contacting the seeded substrate surface with a gas of about 99% by volume of an inert gas other than helium and about 1% by volume of methane or hydrogen and one or more of acetylene, fullerene and anthracene in the presence of a microwave induced plasma while maintaining the substrate temperature less than about 500&#xb0; C. to deposit nanocrystalline diamond on the seeded substrate surface at a rate not less than about 0.2 microns/hour. Coatings of nanocrystalline diamond with average particle diameters of less than about 20 nanometers can be deposited with thermal budgets of 500&#xb0; C.-4 hours or less onto a variety of substrates such as MEMS devices.

Method to grow pure nanocrystalline diamond films at low temperatures and high deposition rates

A photovoltaic device and method of making same. A layer of p-doped microcrystalline diamond is deposited on a layer of n-doped ultrananocrystalline diamond such as by providing a substrate in a chamber, providing a first atmosphere containing about 1% by volume CHand about 99% by volume Hwith dopant quantities of a boron compound, subjecting the atmosphere to microwave energy to deposit a p-doped microcrystalline diamond layer on the substrate, providing a second atmosphere of about 1% by volume CHand about 89% by volume Ar and about 10% by volume N, subjecting the second atmosphere to microwave energy to deposit a n-doped ultrananocrystalline diamond layer on the p-doped microcrystalline diamond layer. Electrodes and leads are added to conduct electrical energy when the layers are irradiated.

High efficiency diamond solar cells

MEMS structure and a method of fabricating them from ultrananocrystalline diamond films having average grain sizes of less than about 10 nm and feature resolution of less than about one micron . The MEMS structures are made by contacting carbon dimer species with an oxide substrate forming a carbide layer on the surface onto which ultrananocrystalline diamond having average grain sizes of less than about 10 nm is deposited. Thereafter, microfabrication process are used to form a structure of predetermined shape having a feature resolution of less than about one micron.

Patterning of nanocrystalline diamond films for diamond microstructures useful in MEMS and other devices

An electrically conducting n-type ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) having no less than 10 atoms/cm of nitrogen is disclosed. A method of making the n-doped UNCD. A method for predictably controlling the conductivity is also disclosed.

N-type droping of nanocrystalline diamond films with nitrogen and electrodes made therefrom

An ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) element formed in a cantilever configuration is used in a highly sensitive, ultra-small sensor for measuring acceleration, shock, vibration and static pressure over a wide dynamic range. The cantilever UNCD element may be used in combination with a single anode, with measurements made either optically or by capacitance. In another embodiment, the cantilever UNCD element is disposed between two anodes, with DC voltages applied to the two anodes. With a small AC modulated voltage applied to the UNCD cantilever element and because of the symmetry of the applied voltage and the anode-cathode gap distance in the Fowler-Nordheim equation, any change in the anode voltage ratio V /V required to maintain a specified current ratio precisely matches any displacement of the UNCD cantilever element from equilibrium. By measuring changes in the anode voltage ratio required to maintain a specified current ratio, the deflection of the UNCD cantilever can be precisely determined. By appropriately modulating the voltages applied between the UNCD cantilever and the two anodes, or limit electrodes, precise independent measurements of pressure, uniaxial acceleration, vibration and shock can be made. This invention also contemplates a method for fabricating the cantilever UNCD structure for the sensor.

Ultrananocrystalline diamond cantilever wide dynamic range acceleration/vibration/pressure sensor

A method for controlling the crystallite size and growth rate of plasma-deposited diamond films. A plasma is established at a pressure in excess of about 55 Torr with controlled concentrations of hydrogen up to about 98% by volume, of unsubstituted hydrocarbons up to about 3% by volume and an inert gas of one or more of the noble gases and nitrogen up to about 98% by volume. The volume ratio of inert gas to hydrogen is preferably maintained at greater than about 4, to deposit a diamond film on a suitable substrate. The diamond film is deposited with a predetermined crystallite size and at a predetermined growth rate.

Tailoring nanocrystalline diamond film properties

Growing community of inventors

Downers Grove, IL, United States of America

Dieter M Gruen