Full Spectrum Solar Cell Using Novel Material

The goal of the proposed Phase I is to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating cost-competitive intermediate band light-harvesting solar cells with high conversion efficiency, through a combination of intermediate band physics and the unique structure of our proposed material. The most efficient solar cells developed so far use thin film layers of engineered materials to create multi-junction cells that harvest photons over a wide solar spectrum. However, these multi-junction cells require ultra-purity materials and expensive processing. Alternatively, preliminary research now indicates that intermediate band solar cells should have the distinction of achieving the highest conversion efficiency of all approaches. Radiation Monitoring Devices intends to develop intermediate band thin film solar cells with a single light-harvesting layer that will efficiently absorb light over the same wide solar spectrum. This layer of photosensitive material will be grown in a structured form on large-area substrates using RMD"s established methods that ensure consistent, reliable fabrication and reduce manufacturing costs. The novel morphology of the resulting material will foster highly efficient light capture due to its increased effective surface area and acceptance angle, and enhance charge collection at the electrodes.