Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Leland Stanford Junior University

Harvard College

National University of Singapore

Tonio Buonassisi

Emanuel Michael Sachs

Jonathan Mailoa

Karen K Gleason

Michael J Aziz

Michael David McGehee

Colin David Bailie

Rong Yang

Mark T Winkler

Zhe Zl Liu

Yaron Segal

Haohui Liu

Baby Reeja Jayan

Eric Carl Johlin

Ian Marius Peters

Sterling Watson

Austin Joseph Akey

Nasim Sahraei Khanghah

Riley E Brandt

Anthony Pennes

Zekun Ren

Sarah Wieghold

A solar spectrum sensor, a consumer device and a method for determining an ambient solar spectrum. The solar spectrum sensor comprises a sensor unit configured for generating respective photo current outputs responsive to different parts of the solar spectrum; a measurement unit configured for measuring the respective photo current outputs from the sensor unit; and a processing unit for determining an average photon energy, APE, value of the solar spectrum from the measured photo current outputs and for determining the solar spectrum based on the determined APE.

Solar spectrum sensor for determining value of solar spectrum based on determined average photon energy

Embodiments related to systems and methods of crack detection in wafers (e.g., silicon wafers for photovoltaics, photovoltaic devices including silicon wafers) are disclosed. In some embodiments, an apparatus may include a light source configured to illuminate a side of a wafer and a camera directed towards a first face of the wafer. In some embodiments, a long axis of a field of view of the camera may be angled relative to a propagation direction of the light source. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the field of view of the camera is offset from the path of propagation of light emitted from the light source through the wafer. In some embodiments, at least a portion of a light beam may be oriented at a positive non-zero angle relative to the first face of the wafer, and a dimension of the light beam normal to the first face of the wafer may be larger than a thickness of the wafer.

Systems and methods for crack detection

A 2-terminal multi-junction solar cell having a thin film of metal halide semiconductor as the top solar-cell material and crystalline silicon as the bottom solar-cell material. In the illustrative embodiment, the top solar-cell material is a perovskite of the form AM(IH), where A is a cation, preferably methylammonium (CHNH), formamidinium ([RN&#x2014;CH&#x2550;NR]), or cesium; M is metal, preferably Pb, Sn, Ge; H is a halide, preferably Br or Cl; and x=iodine fraction, in the range of 0 to 1, inclusive. The integration of the two solar-cell materials is enabled by the use of a tunnel junction composed of indirect band-gap material.

2-terminal metal halide semiconductor/C-silicon multijunction solar cell with tunnel junction

Embodiments described herein are related to methods for processing substrates such as silicon substrates. In some cases, the method may provide the ability to passivate a silicon surface at relatively low temperatures and/or in the absence of a solvent. Methods described herein may be useful in the fabrication of a wide range of devices, including electronic devices such as photovoltaic devices, solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes, sensors, and the like.

Fabrication and passivation of silicon surfaces

Method for making thin crystalline or polycrystalline layers. The method includes electrochemically etching a crystalline silicon template to form a porous double layer thereon, the double layer including a highly porous deeper layer and a less porous shallower layer. The shallower layer is irradiated with a short laser pulse selected to recrystallize the shallower layer resulting in a crystalline layer. Silicon is deposited on the recrystallized shallower layer and the silicon is irradiated with a short laser pulse selected to crystalize the silicon leaving a layer of crystallized silicon on the template. Thereafter, the layer of crystallized silicon is separated from the template. The process of the invention can be used to make optoelectronic devices.

Method for producing thin layers of crystalline or polycrystalline materials

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Tonio Buonassisi