Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Pauls Stradins

David Levi Young

William Michael Nemeth

Qi Wang

Howard M Branz

Matthew Robert Page

Harold R McHugh

Vincenzo Anthony LaSalvia

Hao-Chih Yuan

Adele Clare Tamboli

Emily Lowell Warren

Charles Teplin

Benjamin Guocian Lee

Brian Egaas

Caroline Lima Salles De Souza

The present disclosure relates to a photovoltaic (PV) system that includes a plurality of interconnected sections, where each section includes a PV element and a reflective surface, where at least two sections have a folded state and an unfolded state, and each section is configured to be switched between the folded state and the unfolded state.

Foldable solar panels

The present disclosure relates to a passivating contact that includes a dielectric layer constructed of a first material, an intervening layer constructed of a second material, and a substrate constructed of a semiconductor, where the dielectric layer is positioned between the substrate and the intervening layer, the dielectric layer has a first thickness, and the substrate has a second thickness. The passivating contact also includes a plurality of conductive pathways that include the second material and pass through the first thickness, the second material penetrates into the second thickness forming a plurality of penetrating regions within the substrate, and the plurality of conductive pathways are configured to allow current to pass through the first thickness.

Engineered nanostructured passivated contacts and method of making the same

Presented herein are embodiments of a tandem solar panel subunit with 2-terminals, made from two 3-terminal cell tandems, whose top-cells are strongly current-mismatched to the Si 3-terminal bottom cell.

Tandem module unit

PolySi:Ga/SiOpassivated contacts were prepared using ion implantation and dopant inks to introduce Ga into a-Si. Following crystallization anneals these p-type contacts exhibited improved passivation (iVoc of about 730 mV) over B-doped passivated contacts for solar cells.

Doped passivated contacts

Methods of forming interdigitated back contact (IBC) layers are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a first layer having alternating regions of n-type amorphous hydrogenated silicon and p-type amorphous hydrogenated silicon is formed on a second layer of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon. The first layer and the second layer are then annealed, such that dopants from the first layer diffuse into the second layer, and the first layer and the second layer crystallize into polysilicon.

Methods of forming interdigitated back contact layers

Methods for forming passivated contacts include implanting compound-forming ions into a substrate to about a first depth below a surface of the substrate, and implanting dopant ions into the substrate to about a second depth below the surface. The second depth may be shallower than the first depth. The methods also include annealing the substrate.

Passivated contact formation using ion implantation

Methods of hydrogenation of passivated contacts using materials having hydrogen impurities are provided. An example method includes applying, to a passivated contact, a layer of a material, the material containing hydrogen impurities. The method further includes subsequently annealing the material and subsequently removing the material from the passivated contact.

Hydrogenation of passivated contacts

An apparatus () for detecting slow or thermal neutrons (). The apparatus () includes an alpha particle-detecting layer () that is a hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n diode structure. The apparatus includes a bottom metal contact () and a top metal contact () with the diode structure () positioned between the two contacts () to facilitate detection of alpha particles (). The apparatus () includes a neutron conversion layer () formed of a material containing boron-10 isotopes. The top contact () is pixilated with each contact pixel extending to or proximate to an edge of the apparatus to facilitate electrical contacting. The contact pixels have elongated bodies to allow them to extend across the apparatus surface () with each pixel having a small surface area to match capacitance based upon a current spike detecting circuit or amplifier connected to each pixel. The neutron conversion layer () may be deposited on the contact pixels () such as with use of inkjet printing of nanoparticle ink.

High sensitivity, solid state neutron detector

An apparatus () for detecting slow or thermal neutrons () including an alpha particle-detecting layer () that is a hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n diode structure. The apparatus includes a bottom metal contact () and a top metal contact () with the diode structure () positioned between the two contacts () to facilitate detection of alpha particles (). The apparatus () includes a neutron conversion layer () formed of a material containing boron-10 isotopes. The top contact () is pixilated with each contact pixel extending to or proximate to an edge of the apparatus to facilitate electrical contacting. The contact pixels have elongated bodies to allow them to extend across the apparatus surface () with each pixel having a small surface area to match capacitance based upon a current spike detecting circuit or amplifier connected to each pixel. The neutron conversion layer () may be deposited on the contact pixels () such as with use of inkjet printing of nanoparticle ink.

A crystal oriented metal back contact for solar cells is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic device and methods for making the photovoltaic device are disclosed. The photovoltaic device includes a metal substrate with a crystalline orientation and a heteroepitaxial crystal silicon layer having the same crystal orientation of the metal substrate. A heteroepitaxial buffer layer having the crystal orientation of the metal substrate is positioned between the substrate and the crystal silicon layer to reduce diffusion of metal from the metal foil into the crystal silicon layer and provide chemical compatibility with the heteroepitaxial crystal silicon layer. Additionally, the buffer layer includes one or more electrically conductive pathways to electrically couple the crystal silicon layer and the metal substrate.

Back contact to film silicon on metal for photovoltaic cells

A rapid thermal processing device and methods are provided for thermal processing of samples such as semiconductor wafers. The device has components including a stamp () having a stamping surface and a heater or cooler () to bring it to a selected processing temperature, a sample holder () for holding a sample () in position for intimate contact with the stamping surface; and positioning components () for moving the stamping surface and the stamp () in and away from intimate, substantially non-pressured contact. Methods for using and making such devices are also provided. These devices and methods allow inexpensive, efficient, easily controllable thermal processing.

Rapid thermal processing by stamping

An apparatus for measuring quantum efficiency (QE) of solar cells. The apparatus includes a light source including an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that each emit light corresponding to a differing portion of a test spectrum and each LED is driven by a sinusoidal power supply that operates at a unique frequency. The light source includes an optical coupling focusing the LED light into a test beam targeted on a solar cell, and a signal conditioner converts analog current signals generated by the solar cell into digital voltage signals. A QE measurement module determines a QE value corresponding to each of the LEDs based on the digital voltage signals using a Fast Fourier Transform module that processes the digital voltage signals to generate values for each operating frequency. The QE measurement module determines the QE values by applying a conversion factor to these values. Since all the LEDs can be power-modulated simultaneously and the corresponding cell responses to each of the LEDS can be analyzed simultaneously, the QE spectrum measurement time is greatly shortened as compared to conventional methods.

Growing community of inventors

Golden, CO, United States of America

Pauls Stradins