Solid-state solar paint

Abstract

Methods and devices for forming painted circuits using multiple layers of electrically conductive paint. In one aspect, a painted circuit includes a substrate and one or more paint layers applied to the substrate where the one or more paint layers each form an electrical component of the painted circuit, and where the one or more paint layers includes a p-type hole conducting paint layer applied to the substrate, a photosensitized paint layer applied to the p-type hole conducing paint layer, an n-type electron conducting paint layer applied to the photosensitized paint layer, and a transparent protective paint layer applied to the n-type electron conducting paint layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A painted circuit, comprising:
 a substrate; and   one or more paint layers applied to the substrate, wherein the one or more paint layers each form an electrical component of the painted circuit, the one or more paint layers including:
 a p-type hole conducting paint layer applied to the substrate; 
 a photosensitized paint layer applied to the p-type hole conducting paint layer; 
 an n-type electron conducting paint layer applied to the photosensitized paint layer; and 
 a transparent protective paint layer applied to the n-type electron conducting paint layer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The painted circuit of  claim 1 , wherein a given paint layer of the one or more paint layers comprises a conductive paint formulation having a resistance that is defined in part by a resistivity of a conductive material that is included in the conductive paint formulation and a thickness of the given paint layer, and wherein the resistance of the conductive paint formulation including a conductive material having a higher resistivity provides a higher resistance than the resistance of the conductive paint formulation including a conductive material with a lower resistivity. 
     
     
         3 . The painted circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the p-type hole conducting paint layer comprises p-type nanoparticles. 
     
     
         4 . The painted circuit of  claim 3 , wherein the p-type nanoparticles are copper oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         5 . The painted circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the photosensitized paint layer comprises a semiconductor paint layer and a photosensitized dye paint layer. 
     
     
         6 . The painted circuit of  claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor paint layer comprises a titanium dioxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         7 . The painted circuit of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitized dye paint layer comprises copper phthalocyanine. 
     
     
         8 . The painted circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the n-type electron conducting paint layer comprises n-type nanoparticles. 
     
     
         9 . The painted circuit of  claim 8 , wherein the n-type nanoparticles are aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         10 . The painted circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising two or more contacts, each contact comprising a metallic foil affixed to a substrate or an n-type electron conducting paint layer and in electrical contact with the substrate or the n-type electron conducting paint layer, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . A process for manufacturing a painted circuit, comprising:
 providing a substrate; and   applying one or more paint layers on a surface of the substrate, the one or more paint layers each forming an electrical component of the painted circuit, wherein applying the one or more paint layers includes:
 applying a p-type hole conducting paint to the substrate to yield a layer of the p-type hole conducting paint in direct contact with the substrate; 
 applying a photosensitized paint to the p-type hole conducting paint layer to yield a layer of the photosensitized paint in direct contact with the p-type hole conducting layer; 
 applying an n-type electron conducting paint to the photosensitized paint layer to yield a layer of the n-type electron conducting paint in direct contact with the photosensitized paint layer; and 
 applying a transparent protective paint to the n-type electron conducting paint layer to yield a layer of the transparent protective paint in direct contact with the n-type electron conducting paint layer. 
   
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein a given paint layer of the one or more paint layers comprises a conductive paint formulation having a resistance that is defined in part by a resistivity of a conductive material that is included in the conductive paint formulation and a thickness of the given paint layer, and wherein the resistance of the conductive paint formulation including a conductive material having a higher resistivity provides a higher resistance than the resistance of the conductive paint formulation including a conductive material with a lower resistivity. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein applying a p-type hole conducting paint comprises applying a layer of p-type nanoparticles dispersed in solution on the substrate, and sintering the p-type nanoparticles to form an electrically continuous p-type hole conducting paint layer. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the p-type nanoparticles are copper oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein applying a photosensitized paint comprises:
 applying a layer of semiconductor paint including semiconductor nanoparticles dispersed in solution on the p-type hole conducting paint layer;   sintering the semiconductor nanoparticles to form an electrically continuous semiconductor paint layer;   applying a layer of photosensitized dye paint to the semiconductor paint layer; and   thermally processing the photosensitized dye paint layer to chemisorb the photosensitized dye paint layer onto the semiconductor paint layer.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles are titanium dioxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the photosensitized dye is copper phthalocyanine in anhydrous ethanol. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein applying an n-type electron conducting paint comprises applying a layer of n-type nanoparticles dispersed in solution on the photosensitized paint layer, and sintering the n-type nanoparticles to form an electrically continuous n-type electron conducting paint layer. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , wherein the n-type nanoparticles are aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising thermally processing the painted circuit. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 11 , further comprising affixing two or more contacts to the painted circuit, wherein each contact comprises a metallic foil and is affixed to a substrate or an n-type electron conducting layer and in electrical contact with the substrate or the n-type electron conducting layer, respectively.