International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Ruediger Kellman

Markus Schmidt

Hans-Juergen Eickelmann

Hartmut Kuehl

An energy harvesting device includes prefabricated thin film energy absorption sheets that are each tuned to absorb electromagnetic energy of a corresponding wavelength. The energy harvesting device can include a prefabricated thin film converter sheet to convert the electromagnetic energy into electrical power. The energy harvesting device can include a prefabricated thin film battery sheet to store the electrical power. Each thin film energy absorption sheet can be fabricated using a roll-to-roll process. The energy harvesting device can be fabricated using a roll-to-sheet process from rolls of the thin film energy absorption sheets.

Energy harvesting device with prefabricated thin film energy absorption sheets and roll-to-sheet and roll-to-roll fabrication thereof

Embodiments of the present invention include a method for manufacturing, and a structure for a thin film solar module. The method of manufacturing includes fabricating a thin film solar cell and fabricating an electronic conversion unit (ECU) on a single substrate. The thin film solar cell has at least one solar cell diode on a substrate. The ECU has at least one transistor on the substrate. The ECU may further comprise a capacitor and an inductor. The ECU is integrated on the substrate monolithically and electrically connected with the thin film solar cell. The ECU and the thin film solar cell interconnect to form a circuit on the substrate. The ECU is electrically connected to a microcontroller on the solar cell module.

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Mainz, Germany

Ruediger Kellman