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High Efficiency Stretchable (Highly Conformable) Photovoltaics for Expeditionary Forces

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N00014-09-M-0297
Agency Tracking Number: N09A-020-0662
Amount: $69,998.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: N09-T020
Solicitation Number: 2009.A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2009
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-06-29
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-04-30
Small Business Information
12725 SW Millikan Way Suite 230
Beaverton, OR 97005
United States
DUNS: 124348652
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David Schut
 Senior Scientist
 (971) 223-5646
 david@voxtel-inc.com
Business Contact
 George Williams
Title: President
Phone: (971) 223-5646
Email: georgew@voxtel-inc.com
Research Institution
 Oregon State University
 Douglas A Keszler
 
Chemistry Department 153 Gilbert Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331
United States

 (541) 737-6736
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

Various high-efficiency thin-film photovoltaic (PV) materials have been applied to flexible substrates. These thin PV films are most often sputtered onto plastic or thin metal substrates, which are generally sufficiently flexible to be rolled up but are not highly deformable or stretchable. Amorphous silicon and thin silicon modules and their metal interconnects all rupture when stretched. Organic materials, which are stretchable, have not been demonstrated with the requisite efficiency. To address the need for high-efficiency stretchable PVs, a hybrid organic-inorganic PV will be manufactured using inkjet printing and solutions processing on a pre-strained substrate. The design will incorporate transparent inorganic interconnects, printed in stretchable patterns. These amorphous interconnect materials have been demonstrated to withstand the biaxial strain the application requires. To increase the PV array’s sensitivity beyond the spectral range of silicon and amorphous silicon, inorganic sensitizers will be introduced into the solar cell, and efficient charge transfer into the transparent inorganic matrix will be demonstrated, so that efficiency >12% can be achieved. In Phase I, the ability of the PV to reliably respond to high levels of repeated strain will be tested. A design process flow for high volume and low cost will be demonstrated using established manufacturing equipment.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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