Method of making high-efficiency solar energy device

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a high-efficiency solar cell including an Indium, Gallium, Aluminum and Nitrogen (in a combination comprising InGaN, or InAlN, or InGaAlN) alloy which may be blended with a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) material, and which may include an absorption-enhancing layer including one of more of carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and undulating or uneven surface topography.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure useful in forming a solar cell comprising:
 forming a substrate;   forming a first active layer material by mixing a nitride semiconductor material and a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) material to form a homogenous chemical compound; and   forming a first active layer by applying the first active layer material on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nitride semiconductor material comprises at least one of Indium and Nitride Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN), Indium Aluminum Nitride (InAlN), and Indium Gallium Aluminum Nitride (InGaAlN). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of mixing the nitride semiconductor material and the POSS material comprises atomizing the POSS material into the nitride semiconductor material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of forming the first active layer material further comprises vaporizing the POSS material for aligning grain boundaries of the nitride semiconductor material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first active layer material is applied to the substrate via energetic neutral atom beam epitaxy. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the nitride semiconductor material comprises a nitride semiconductor powder. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of doping first active layer material to enable photon absorption across a bandgap from approximately 0.7 electron Volt (eV) to 3.4 eV. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming an absorption-enhancing layer including at least one of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and quantum dots on the first active layer for increasing photon propagation into the first active layer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of forming a substrate includes forming nodules on the substrate, and wherein the first active layer material is uniformly applied on the substrate to define a first undulating layer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the absorption-enhancing layer is formed on the first undulating layer to define a second undulating layer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first active layer comprises forming a positively-doped base layer and forming a negatively-doped emitter layer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming a second active layer on the substrate, wherein the second active layer is formed by mixing a nitride semiconductor material and a POSS material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical compound of nitride semiconductor material and POSS material comprises 1% to 10% POSS by weight. 
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of:
 forming a first active layer material including forming a homogenous chemical compound of a nitride semiconductor material and a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS); and   forming a first active layer by applying the first active layer material on a substrate.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the nitride semiconductor material comprises at least one of Indium and Nitride Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN), Indium Aluminum Nitride (InAlN), and Indium Gallium Aluminum Nitride (InGaAlN). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of forming the first active layer material further comprises:
 atomizing the POSS material into the nitride semiconductor material; and   vaporizing the POSS material for aligning grain boundaries of the nitride semiconductor material.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the nitride semiconductor material comprises a nitride semiconductor powder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first active layer material is applied via energetic neutral atom beam epitaxy. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the chemical compound of nitride semiconductor material and POSS material comprises 1% to 10% POSS by weight. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 forming a tunnel junction layer on the first active layer; and   forming a second active layer on the tunnel junction layer, the second active layer formed from a mixture of a nitride semiconductor material and a POSS material.