The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 01, 1993
Filed:
May. 03, 1991
Narain G Hingorani, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Harshad Mehta, Cupertino, CA (US);
Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An advanced solar cell having an improved efficiency over known conventional solar cells uses an external electric field to enhance the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy. The advanced solar cell has a layered extrinsic semiconductor with a lightly doped base layer sandwiched between two oppositely and heavily doped layers to form a P-N junction within the semiconductor. The base layer has opposing incident and collection surfaces, at least one of which has recessed contact regions interspersed between biasing regions. At least one of the heavily doped layers is substantially confined within the recessed contact regions. Overlaying the biasing region is an enhancement layer, such as a layered MOS structure. Biasing the enhancement layer provides an externally generated electric field to the semiconductor which enhances a depletion region formed around the P-N junction when photon radiation impinges on the semiconductor. A transparent layer of a conductive material may overlay one of the heavily doped layers or comprise a portion of the MOS structure. A method is also provided of converting solar energy into electrical energy.