Photovoltaic cells based on vias through silicon

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus comprising: a first photovoltaic cell; a first through-silicon via (TSV) included in the first photovoltaic cell and passing through at least In one portion, the first TSV includes (a)(i) first sidewalls, the first sidewalls being doped oppositely to the doped silicon substrate, and (a)(ii) first contact portions, the first contact portion substantially filling the first TSV; and a second TSV included in the first photovoltaic cell and passing through at least another portion of the doped silicon substrate, the second TSV including (b)(i) a second side wall, the second sidewall includes a doped silicon substrate, and (b) (ii) a second contact portion substantially filling the second TSV; wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are both A substantially transparent conductive material is included. Other embodiments are described herein.

Description

technical field [0001] Embodiments of the invention are in the field of semiconductor devices, and in particular, in the field of photovoltaic cells. Background technique [0002] A system on a chip or system on a chip (SOC) is an integrated circuit (IC) that integrates the components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip. SOCs can contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and / or radio frequency functions—all on a single chip substrate. SOCs can be self-powered using systems that convert vibrations, differences in temperature or light, into power. For example, a photovoltaic cell located on the SOC can power the SOC. Photovoltaic cells are electrical devices that use the photovoltaic effect to convert light energy into power. When light is incident on the battery, the battery's current, voltage, and resistance change. When exposed to light, the battery can generate an electrical current without being attached to any external power source. The light ca...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Although a conventional SOC may include a photovoltaic cell, the current (and thus the power generated) generated by a conventional silicon solar cell (which stores energy from the photovoltaic cell) can be quite low (eg, 1 mWh) depending on the lighting level

This low amount of current / power may not be sufficient for many circuits on the SOC (e.g., conventional (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) (CMOS) circuits)

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