Solar Cell Absorber Layer with 3D Tubular Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar cells with flat absorber layers suffer from inefficiency in energy harvesting due to reflection of sunlight at oblique angles, leading to significant loss in potential energy conversion, particularly during winter months or off-peak hours when sunlight is not directly orthogonal to the surface.
Innovation Solution
A solar cell absorber layer with three-dimensional tubular projections extending from a base layer, formed using chemical vapor deposition and nucleation impurities, which allows for enhanced sunlight absorption from various angles by providing surfaces orthogonal to incoming photons regardless of incidence angle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flat absorber layer is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but light reflection occurs at oblique angles resulting in poor energy harvesting efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The absorber layer is transformed from a two-dimensional flat structure to a three-dimensional structure with vertical projections. This dimensional change allows the absorber to capture photons from a wider range of incident angles by providing surfaces at multiple orientations, thereby reducing light reflection and improving energy harvesting efficiency while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled deposition processes
2Device complexity
If a flat absorber layer is used, then the device structure is simple, but approximately thirty percent of incident sunlight is reflected off the surface
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing vertical projections that extend upward from the substrate, the absorber layer creates multiple surface orientations that can intercept sunlight at various angles. This three-dimensional structure reduces the amount of reflected light by providing absorptive surfaces that are orthogonal to incoming photons regardless of incidence angle, thereby minimizing energy loss while adding controlled structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical projections have curved or tapered surfaces that help to trap and absorb incident light through multiple internal reflections. The curved geometry increases the optical path length and reduces direct reflection, allowing more photons to be absorbed and converted to electrical energy
3Ease of manufacture
If a flat absorber layer is used, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but energy harvesting is inefficient during winter months or off-peak hours
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional absorber structure with vertical projections maintains manufacturing straightforwardness through controlled deposition processes while significantly improving energy conversion efficiency. The vertical structures ensure that photons arriving at oblique angles during winter or off-peak hours can still be effectively absorbed, maximizing energy harvesting under varying sunlight conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The three-dimensional absorber layer design significantly reduces light reflection and enhances energy harvesting efficiency by absorbing sunlight from diverse angles, thereby improving the overall energy conversion efficiency of solar cells.
Implementation Method 1
introducing nucleation impurities onto a surface of the material layer through the openings, the nucleation impurities forming nucleation sites on the surface
Implementation Method 2
depositing an absorber layer using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) thereby forming a base layer of the absorber material and a plurality of tubular projections formed at the nucleation sites
Implementation Method 3
Solar cells are photovoltaic components for direct generation of electrical current from sunlight. The absorber layer is the layer in which photons from sunlight become converted to electrical current
Data Source
AI summary
A solar cell with an absorber layer including three dimensional tubular projections and the method for forming the same, is provided. The three dimensional tubular projections are formed in various configurations and include surfaces facing in various directions and are adapted to absorb sunlight directed to the solar cell panel at various angles. The method for forming the absorber layer includes introducing impurities onto a layer over a solar cell substrate to form as nucleation sites and depositing an absorber layer to form a base layer portion and tubular projections at the nucleation sites. The solar cell is exposed to sunlight and the absorber layer including the three dimensional tubular projections, absorbs direct and reflected sunlight directed to the solar cell at various angles.