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:
Nov. 17, 2009
Filed:
Apr. 25, 2006
Igor A. Levitsky, Fall River, MA (US);
William B. Euler, Narragansett, RI (US);
Natalya A. Tokranova, Cohoes, NY (US);
Bai Xu, Slingerlands, NY (US);
James Castracane, Albany, NY (US);
Igor A. Levitsky, Fall River, MA (US);
William B. Euler, Narragansett, RI (US);
Natalya A. Tokranova, Cohoes, NY (US);
Bai Xu, Slingerlands, NY (US);
James Castracane, Albany, NY (US);
The Research Foundation of State University of New York, Albany, NY (US);
Abstract
A method for forming a photovoltaic cell which includes forming a nanostructured layer in a semiconductor material having a plurality of pores opening onto a surface, the plurality of pores having a depth greater than about 1 micron and a diameter between about 5 nanometers and about 1,200 nanometers, and disposing an organic charge-transfer material in the pores of the nanostructured layer. A first electrode is attached to the semiconductor material, and a second electrode is attached to the organic charge-transfer material. The semiconductor material has a thickness between about 5 microns and about 700 microns. Desirably, the nanostructured layer has a porosity of less than the porosity corresponding to the percolation threshold, and the organic charge-transfer material extends at least about 100 nm from the surface of the nanostructured layer. The organic charge-transfer material may partially cover the sides of the pores of the nanostructured layer thereby providing a generally cylindrical cavity therein.