US4227941A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Shallow-homojunction solar cells
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1979-03-21
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Granted: 1980-10-14
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Expires: 1999-03-21
Abstract
Abstract Improvements in shallow-homojunction solar cells based upon a plurality of layers of a direct gap semiconductor material such as GaAs, as well as their fabrication, are disclosed. The shallow-homojunction solar cells have a n+/p/p+ structure in which the n+ top layer is limited to a thickness which permits significant carrier generation to occur in a lower semiconductor layer. An anodic antireflection coating is applied over the n+ top layer, and a particularly preferred method for applying the antireflection coating is by anodization. These solar cells can be grown on relatively inexpensive substrates, if desired, such as silicon or germanium.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl O. Bozler
- 👤 Ralph L. Chapman
- 👤 John C. C. Fan
- 👤 Robert W. McClelland
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:12
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/14; H10F10/144; H10F77/00; H10F77/30; H10F77/306; H10F77/311; H10F77/315; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/544
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
55 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device formed from a direct bandgap semiconductor material doped to provide an n + /p/p + layered structure, said n + layer having a thickness below about 1500 Angstroms thereby allowing significant carrier generation to occur in the p layer upon irradiation of said device with light on the n + side.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device formed from a direct bandgap semiconductor material doped to provide an n + /p/p + layered structure, said n + layer having a thickness below about 1500 Angstroms thereby allowing significant carrier generation to occur in the p layer upon irradiation of said device with light on the n + side.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device of claim 1 wherein said device has an antireflection coating over said n + layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device of claim 2 wherein said direct bandgap semiconductor material comprises GaAs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device of claim 3 wherein said device has a substrate formed from a different material than GaAs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device of claim 4 wherein said substrate is formed from silicon or germanium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A shallow-homojunction photovoltaic device of claims 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said antireflection coating comprises an anodic coating.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-10-14 | 1984-04-14 | 1984-10-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-10-14 | 1988-04-14 | 1988-10-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-10-14 | 1992-04-14 | 1992-10-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |