US2007181179A1PendingUtilityA1

Tandem photovoltaic cells

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Assignee: KONARKA TECHNOLOGIES INCPriority: Dec 21, 2005Filed: Dec 21, 2006Published: Aug 9, 2007
Est. expiryDec 21, 2025(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Christoph BrabecRussell GaudianaChristoph Waldauf
H10K 30/30H10F 10/161Y02E10/549H10K 2102/103H10K 30/81H10K 85/151H10K 85/113H10K 30/57H10K 85/215H10K 85/1135H10K 85/115B82Y 10/00H10K 30/151
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Claims

Abstract

Tandem photovoltaic cells having a recombination layer, as well as related systems, methods, and components, are disclosed.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A system, comprising: 
 first and second electrodes;    a recombination layer between the first and second electrodes, the recombination layer comprising a semiconductor material;    a first photoactive layer between the first electrode and the recombination layer; and    a second photoactive layer between the second electrode and the recombination layer;    wherein the system is configured as a photovoltaic system.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises a p-type semiconductor material and an n-type semiconductor material.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the p-type semiconductor material comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyanilines, polyvinylcarbazoles, polyphenylenes, polyphenylvinylenes, polysilanes, polythienylenevinylenes, polyisothianaphthanenes, polycyclopentadithiophenes, polysilacyclopentadithiophenes, polycyclopentadithiazoles, polythiazolothiazoles, polythiazoles, polybenzothiadiazoles, poly(thiophene oxide)s, poly(cyclopentadithiophene oxide)s, polythiadiazoloquinoxalines, polybenzoisothiazoles, polybenzothiazoles, polythienothiophenes, poly(thienothiophene oxide)s, polydithienothiophenes, poly(dithienothiophene oxide)s, polytetrahydroisoindoles, and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the p-type semiconductor material comprises poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene).  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the p-type semiconductor material comprises a metal oxide.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the metal oxide comprises an oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxides, strontium copper oxides, and strontium titanium oxides.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the p-type semiconductor material comprises a p-doped metal oxide.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the p-doped metal oxide comprises p-doped zinc oxides or p-doped titanium oxides.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the n-type semiconductor material comprises a metal oxide.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the metal oxide comprises an oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, molybdenum oxides, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the n-type semiconductor material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, inorganic nanoparticles, oxadiazoles, discotic liquid crystals, carbon nanorods, inorganic nanorods, polymers containing CN groups, polymers containing CF 3  groups, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the p-type and n-type semiconductor materials are blended into one layer.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the recombination layer comprises two layers, one layer comprising the p-type semiconductor material and the other layer comprising the n-type semiconductor material.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first or second photoactive layer comprises an electron donor material and an electron acceptor material.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the electron donor material comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyanilines, polyvinylcarbazoles, polyphenylenes, polyphenylvinylenes, polysilanes, polythienylenevinylenes, polyisothianaphthanenes, polycyclopentadithiophenes, polysilacyclopentadithiophenes, polycyclopentadithiazoles, polythiazolothiazoles, polythiazoles, polybenzothiadiazoles, poly(thiophene oxide)s, poly(cyclopentadithiophene oxide)s, polythiadiazoloquinoxaline, polybenzoisothiazole, polybenzothiazole, polythienothiophene, poly(thienothiophene oxide), polydithienothiophene, poly(dithienothiophene oxide)s, polytetrahydroisoindoles, and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the electron donor material comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polycyclopentadithiophenes, and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the electron donor material comprises poly(3-hexylthiophene) or poly(cyclopentadithiophene-co-benzothiadiazole).  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the electron acceptor material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, inorganic nanoparticles, oxadiazoles, discotic liquid crystals, carbon nanorods, inorganic nanorods, polymers containing CN groups, polymers containing CF 3  groups, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 . wherein the electron acceptor material comprises a substituted fullerene.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the substituted fullerene comprises PCBM.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first photoactive layer has a first band gap and the second photoactive layer has a second band gap different from the first band gap.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a hole carrier layer between the first photoactive layer and the first electrode.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the hole carrier layer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polythiophenes, polyanilines, polyvinylcarbazoles, polyphenylenes, polyphenylvinylenes, polysilanes, polythienylenevinylenes, polyisothianaphthanenes, and copolymers thereof.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a hole blocking layer between the second photoactive layer and the second electrode.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the hole blocking layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of LiF, metal oxides, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a tandem photovoltaic cell.  
   
   
       27 . A system, comprising: 
 first and second electrodes;    first and second photoactive layers between the first and second electrodes, the first photoactive layer comprising a first semiconductor material and the second photoactive layer comprising a second semiconductor material; and    a third layer between the first and second photoactive layers, the third layer comprising a third semiconductor material different from the first or second semiconductor material;    wherein the system is configured as a photovoltaic system.    
   
   
       28 . A system, comprising: 
 first and second electrodes;    first and second photoactive layers between the first and second electrodes;    a third layer comprising an n-type semiconductor material, the first photoactive layer being between the first electrode and the third layer and the third layer being between the first and second photoactive layers; and    a fourth layer comprising an p-type semiconductor material, the second photoactive layer being between the second electrode and the fourth layer and the four layer being between the second photoactive layer and the third layer;    wherein the system is configured as a photovoltaic system.    
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising a hole carrier layer between the first electrode and the first photoactive layer.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 29 , further comprising a hole blocking layer between the second electrode and the second photoactive layer.  
   
   
       31 . A system, comprising: 
 first and second electrodes, at least one of the first and second electrodes comprising a mesh electrode;    a recombination layer between the first and second electrodes, the recombination layer comprising a semiconductor material;    a first photoactive layer between the first electrode and the recombination layer; and    a second photoactive layer between the second electrode and the recombination layer;    wherein the system is configured as a photovoltaic system.    
   
   
       32 . A method, comprising: 
 preparing a photovoltaic system having a recombination layer by a roll-to-roll process.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the method further comprising disposing the recombination layer onto a photoactive layer.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the disposing comprises disposing a first layer containing a first semiconductor material onto the photoactive layer and disposing a second layer containing a second semiconductor material onto the first layer, the second semiconductor being different from the first semiconductor.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one of the first and second semiconductor materials is an n-type semiconductor material and the other of the first and second semiconductor materials is a p-type semiconductor material.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the recombination layer is disposed on the photoactive layer using at least one process selected from the group consisting of solution coating, ink jet printing, spin coating, dip coating, knife coating, bar coating, spray coating, roller coating, slot coating, gravure coating, and screen printing.

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