Electrode Assembly, Process for Manufacturing an Electrode Assembly, Photovoltaic Device, and Use of a Non-Close Packed Monolayer of Transparent Particles in an Electrode Assembly

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This invention introduces a novel electrode assembly for photovoltaic (solar energy) devices that features a unique non-close packed monolayer of transparent particles between its layers. The core idea is to improve the efficiency of solar cells in capturing light, regardless of the angle or intensity, by using a special arrangement of transparent particles to manipulate and enhance light absorption inside the solar cell. The manufacturing process includes depositing core-shell particles as a spaced monolayer, then removing the shell, leaving only transparent core particles in place, which optimizes optical and electronic performance.

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• Fixed-tilt solar panels on rooftops and windows, where sunlight comes from various angles throughout the day and seasons.
• Integration into thin-film, multi-junction, perovskite, quantum dot, or tandem solar cells to boost their efficiency.
• Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) materials like solar windows, facades, or colored decorative panels with energy generation capability.
• Low-light photovoltaic applications such as indoor, self-powered sensors, portable electronic devices, and wearables.
• Aesthetic or architectural solar modules that combine custom iridescent coloration with transparency.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Increased light absorption and photocurrent generation across a wide range of incident light angles, resulting in improved solar cell efficiency without the need for mechanical tracking.
• Stable and efficient electricity production even when sunlight hits at a non-optimal angle, making it ideal for stationary or building-integrated solar installations.
• Thin, lightweight, and potentially transparent or colored solar devices for flexible applications such as wearables, windows, and consumer electronics.
• Simple integration with existing thin-film solar manufacturing processes and compatibility with a wide variety of photovoltaic technologies.
• Enhanced visual aesthetics (such as vivid, iridescent coloration) coupled with high performance, appealing for design-focused solar products.

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Patent Abstract

An electrode assembly is provided, comprising (a) a first electrode (1), (b) a monolayer of particles (2), (c) an electron transport material (ETM) layer (3), (d) a light-absorbing layer (4), (e) a hole transport material (HTM) layer (5), and (f) a second electrode (6), wherein at least one of the first and the second electrode (1, 6) is transparent; wherein said monolayer of particles (2) is a non-close packed monolayer; wherein the monolayer of particles (2) is obtained by depositing a non-close packed monolayer of core-shell particles and subsequently removing the shell from said as-deposited non-close packed monolayer of core-shell particles; and wherein a minimum interparticle distance in the monolayer of particles (2) is equal to or greater than two times the thickness of the shell of said core-shell particles. Furthermore, a process for manufacturing the electrode assembly as well as photovoltaic device, comprising the electrode assembly and the use of a non-close packed monolayer of transparent particles in an electrode assembly are provided.