US2003192585A1PendingUtilityA1

Photovoltaic cells incorporating rigid substrates

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Assignee: KONARKA TECHNOLOGIES INCPriority: Jan 25, 2002Filed: Jan 24, 2003Published: Oct 16, 2003
Est. expiryJan 25, 2022(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Bill BeckenbaughRussell Gaudiana
H01G 9/2068H01G 9/2077H01G 9/2031H01G 9/2059Y02E10/549Y02E10/542H01G 9/2095H10K 77/10
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Claims

Abstract

The invention, in one aspect, provides a photovoltaic cell including a charge carrier material and a photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material including nanoparticles linked by a polymeric linking agent, both disposed between first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates. In one embodiment, the charge carrier material and the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material are disposed between a first and second flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrate that are themselves disposed between the first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A photovoltaic cell comprising a charge carrier material and a photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material including nanoparticles linked by a polymeric linking agent, both disposed between first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates.  
     
     
         2 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the charge carrier material and the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material are disposed between a first and second flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrate that are themselves disposed between the first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates.  
     
     
         3 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises particles with an average size substantially in the range of about 5 nm to about 80 nm.  
     
     
         4 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, niobium oxides, lanthanum oxides, tin oxides, tantalum oxides, terbium oxides, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises a photosensitizing agent that comprises a molecule selected from the group consisting of xanthines, cyanines, merocyanines, phthalocyanines, and pyrroles.  
     
     
         6 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises a photosensitizing agent that comprises a metal ion selected from the group consisting of divalent and trivalent metals.  
     
     
         7 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises a photosensitizing agent that comprises at least one of a ruthenium transition metal complex, an osmium transition metal complex, and an iron transition metal complex.  
     
     
         8 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the charge carrier material comprises a redox electrolyte system.  
     
     
         9 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein the charge carrier material comprises a polymeric electrolyte.  
     
     
         10 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrates comprises a polyethylene terephthalate material.  
     
     
         11 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates comprises tempered glass.  
     
     
         12 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , further comprising a catalytic media layer disposed between the first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates.  
     
     
         13 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 12 , wherein the catalytic media layer comprises platinum.  
     
     
         14 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 1 , further comprising an electrical conductor material applied to at least one of the first and second rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrates.  
     
     
         15 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 14 , wherein the electrical conductor material comprises indium tin oxide.  
     
     
         16 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrates comprises a polyethylene naphthalate material.  
     
     
         17 . A photovoltaic cell comprising a charge carrier material and a photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material including nanoparticles linked by a polymeric linking agent, both disposed between a rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrate and a flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrate.  
     
     
         18 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises particles with an average size substantially in the range of about 5 nm to about 80 nm.  
     
     
         19 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, niobium oxides, lanthanum oxides, tin oxides, tantalum oxides, terbium oxides, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises a photosensitizing agent that comprises a molecule selected from the group consisting of xanthines, cyanines, merocyanines, phthalocyanines, and pyrroles.  
     
     
         21 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises a photosensitizing agent that comprises a metal ion selected from the group consisting of divalent and trivalent metals.  
     
     
         22 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the photosensitized interconnected nanoparticle material comprises a photosensitizing agent that comprises at least one of a ruthenium transition metal complex, an osmium transition metal complex, and an iron transition metal complex.  
     
     
         23 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the charge carrier material comprises a redox electrolyte system.  
     
     
         24 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the charge carrier material comprises a polymeric electrolyte.  
     
     
         25 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrate comprises a polyethylene terephthalate material.  
     
     
         26 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the rigid, significantly light-transmitting substrate comprises tempered glass.  
     
     
         27 . The photovoltaic cell of  claim 17 , wherein the flexible, significantly light-transmitting substrate comprises a polyethylene naphthalate material.  
     
     
         28 . A method of interconnecting nanoparticles at low temperatures on a rigid substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a rigid substrate;    applying a solution comprising a polymeric linking agent and a solvent to the rigid substrate; and    contacting a plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles with the solution at a temperature below about 300° C. to interconnect at least a portion of the plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the temperature is below about 200° C.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the temperature is below about 100° C.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the temperature is about room temperature.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the polymeric linking agent comprises a long chain macromolecule.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the long chain macromolecule comprises: 
 a backbone structure substantially similar to a chemical structure of the plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles; and    one or more reactive groups chemically bonded to the backbone structure.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles comprise a chemical structure, M x O y  wherein x and y are integers.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein M comprises one of the group comprising Ti, Zr, Sn, W, Nb, Ta, and Tb.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the polymeric linking agent comprises poly(n-butyl titanate).  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the solvent of the solution comprises n-butanol.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the rigid substrate is significantly light-transmitting.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the rigid substrate comprises tempered glass.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, niobium oxides, lanthanum oxides, tin oxides, tantalum oxides, terbium oxides, and

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