Tandem thin layer solar cell

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The invention describes a tandem thin-layer (thin-film) solar cell that combines a front sub-cell made with an organic absorber material and a rear sub-cell with an inorganic absorber. Uniquely, the organic front cell absorbs light in a narrow, long-wavelength (near-infrared) band, while being highly transparent to shorter wavelengths. The rear cell absorbs in a broad, short-wavelength (visible) region. This structure, with minimal spectral overlap, is designed to reduce transmission and thermalization losses common in previous tandem cell designs, thereby improving overall energy conversion efficiency.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Rooftop solar panels for residential and commercial buildings to generate electricity more efficiently.
• Solar modules for portable electronic devices, providing lightweight and flexible power sources.
• Integration into smart windows or building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) to generate electricity from sunlight while serving as construction materials.
• High-performance solar panels for electric vehicles and drones, increasing operating range and reducing charging requirements.
• Utility-scale solar farms where maximizing energy output per surface area is critical.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Improved overall solar cell efficiency by reducing optical and thermalization losses.
• Enhanced energy conversion by better matching of absorber materials to different regions of the solar spectrum with minimal spectral overlap.
• Potential for thinner, lighter, and more flexible solar modules compared to conventional designs, enabling new applications.
• Facilitates use of both organic and inorganic materials, potentially lowering manufacturing costs and enabling roll-to-roll production methods.
• Greater transparency to certain wavelengths allows integration into semi-transparent surfaces, such as windows, expanding possible applications.

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Patent Abstract

The tandem thin film solar cell has front sub-cell (313) with organic absorber material and a rear sub-cell formed between a front electrode cell and rear electrode cell. The front sub-cell and rear sub-cell are located on a substrate (340). The inorganic absorber material of the rear cell is absorbed in broadband region and organic absorber material of the front cell is absorbed in narrow-band region of the spectrum. The absorber material of the rear cell is absorbed at longer wavelengths.