Thin-film PN junctions and applications thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101439-B2
Application number	US-201615578041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

In one aspect, composite materials including a thin-film layer of lateral p-n junctions are described herein, which can be employed in circuits or various components of electrical devices. Briefly, a composite material comprises a thin-film layer including p-type regions alternating with n-type regions along a face of the thin-film layer, the p-type regions comprising electrically conductive particles dispersed in a first organic carrier and the n-type regions comprising electrically conductive particles dispersed in a second organic carrier, wherein p-n junctions are established at interfaces between the p-type and n-type regions. As described further herein, the thin-film layer is flexible, permitting the thin-film to be folded or arranged into a number of configurations to provide various circuits or components of electrical devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flexible composite material comprising:
a flexible thin-film layer having a plurality of lateral surface p-n junctions across a face of the flexible thin-film layer, the lateral surface p-n junctions established at interfaces between p-type regions and n-type regions, the p-type regions comprising electrically conductive particles dispersed in a first organic carrier and the n-type regions comprising electrically conductive particles dispersed in a second organic carrier,
wherein the flexible composite material is foldable.

2. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive particles of the p-type regions comprise p-type organic nanoparticles, p-type inorganic nanoparticles or mixtures thereof.

3. The flexible composite material of claim 2 , wherein the p-type organic nanoparticles and p-type inorganic nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, platelets and sheets.

4. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the p-type regions and the n-type regions are arranged in an alternating one-dimensional array that is arranged in a folded configuration.

5. The flexible composite material of claim 1 wherein p-dopant is provided to the electrically conductive particles of the p-type region by the first organic carrier or p-dopant species in the first organic carrier.

6. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive particles of the n-type regions comprise n-type organic nanoparticles, n-type inorganic nanoparticles or mixtures thereof.

7. The flexible composite material of claim 6 , wherein the n-type organic nanoparticles and n-type inorganic nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, platelets and sheets.

8. The flexible composite material of claim 7 , wherein the n-type organic nanoparticles and n-type inorganic nanoparticles are I-dimensional or 2-dimensional.

9. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein n-dopant is provided to the electrically conductive particles of the n-type region by the first organic carrier or n-dopant species in the first organic carrier.

10. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the first organic carrier comprises one or more polymeric species.

11. The flexible composite material of claim 10 , wherein the first organic carrier comprises fluoropolymer.

12. The flexible composite material of claim 11 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises polyvinylfluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene or mixtures thereof.

13. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the second organic carrier comprises one or more polymeric species.

14. The flexible composite material of claim 13 , wherein the second organic carrier comprises fluoropolymer.

15. The flexible composite material of claim 14 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises polyvinylfluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene or mixtures thereof.

16. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the interfaces are seamless.

17. The flexible composite material of claim 16 , wherein the first organic carrier and the second organic carrier are formed of the same material.

18. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein seams are present at the interfaces.

19. The flexible composite material of claim 1 , wherein the flexible thin-film layer has a thickness of 10 nm to 100 μm.

20. An electrical circuit comprising:
the flexible composite material of claim 1 ;
an insulating layer applied to the flexible thin film layer; and
electrical leads attached to one or more of the p-type regions and the n-type regions, wherein the flexible thin film has a folded orientation.

21. The electrical circuit of claim 20 , wherein the electrically conductive particles of the p-type regions are selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, platelets and sheets.

22. The electrical circuit of claim 20 , wherein p-dopant is provided to the electrically conductive particles of the p-type region by the first organic carrier or p-dopant species in the first organic carrier.

23. The electrical circuit of claim 20 , wherein the electrically conductive particles of the n-type regions are selected from the group consisting of nanotubes, nanowires, platelets and sheets.

24. The electrical circuit of claim 20 , wherein n-dopant is provided to the electrically conductive particles of the n-type region by the second organic carrier or n-dopant species in the second organic carrier.

25. The electrical circuit of claim 20 , wherein the insulating layer isolates opposing faces of the flexible thin-film layer.

Assignees

• Univ Wake Forest

Inventors

• Carroll David

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10D62/871

  being Group I-VI materials, e.g. Cu2O; being Group I-VII materials, e.g. CuI · CPC title

• H10D62/118

  Nanostructure semiconductor bodies · CPC title

• H10D62/80

  characterised by the materials · CPC title

• H10D8/00 Primary

  Diodes (variable-capacitance diodes H10D1/64; gated diodes H10D12/00) · CPC title