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:
Dec. 08, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 29, 2006
James C. Kim, San Jose, CA (US);
Sungsoo Yi, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
James C. Kim, San Jose, CA (US);
Sungsoo Yi, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Sundiode, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for solar cell having graded energy wells is provided. The active region of the solar cell comprises nanostructures. The nanostructures are formed from a material that comprises a III-V compound semiconductor and an element that alters the band gap of the III-V compound semiconductor. For example, the III-V compound semiconductor could be gallium nitride (GaN). As an example, the 'band gap altering element' could be indium (In). The concentration of the indium in the active region is non-uniform such that the active region has a number of energy wells, separated by barriers. The energy wells may be 'graded', by which it is meant that the energy wells have a different band gap from one another, generally increasing or decreasing from one well to another monotonically.