Decorative dual-function photovoltaic devices generating angle insensitive transmissive or reflective colors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016254403-A1
Application number	US-201415033516-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2014
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides dual-function photovoltaic (PV) devices that generate electric current and have a colored surface or colored appearance. The PV devices may be angle insensitive and polarization independent. Such a dual-function PV device may have an ultra-thin photoactive layer (e.g., comprising an undoped amorphous silicon) with a thickness of ? about 50 nm. The PV device is configured to filter (transmit or reflect) a portion of an electromagnetic spectrum, providing a controllable and tunable color appearance. Such nanometer a-Si/organic hybrid cells are designed to transmit or reflect angle insensitive colors, electrically powering up to 2% to 3% or higher by efficient absorbed photon to charge conversion. In certain variations, the present disclosure further provides decorative power generating panels creating angle insensitive transmissive or reflective colors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A dual-function photovoltaic device comprising:
an anode, a cathode, and a photoactive layer assembly disposed between the anode and the cathode, the photoactive layer assembly comprising a semiconductor active layer, a first charge transport layer, and a second charge transport layer sandwiching the semiconductor active layer; wherein the dual-function photovoltaic device is configured to generate electric current and to reflect or transmit a filtered output displaying minimal angle dependence for a predetermined range of electromagnetic wavelengths in a visible range.

2 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor active layer comprises an amorphous silicon (a-Si) material substantially free of doping and having a thickness of less than or equal to about 50 nm.

3 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor active layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 6 nm to less than or equal to about 31 nm.

4 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the filtered output displays angle insensitivity.

5 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the minimal angle dependence is up to ±60° for an angle of incidence.

6 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the minimal angle dependence is for either transverse-magnetic (TM) polarity light and/or transverse-electric (TE) polarized light.

7 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein a power conversion efficiency is greater than or equal to about 2%.

8 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein a power conversion efficiency is greater than or equal to about 3%.

9 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a dielectric-metal-dielectric structure comprising vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ), silver (Ag), and tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ).

10 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the first charge transport layer is adjacent to the cathode and comprises an organic material comprising indene-C 60 bisadduct (ICBA).

11 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 10 , wherein the organic material comprises indene-C 60 fullerene bisadduct (ICBA).

12 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises silver.

13 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal-dielectric-metal-dielectric structure comprising ordered layers of silver (Ag), tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ), silver (Ag), and tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ).

14 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the dual-function photovoltaic device is a transmission-type device and the predetermined range of electromagnetic wavelengths of the filtered output has a color selected from the group consisting of: red, green, blue, and combinations thereof.

15 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the dual-function photovoltaic device is a reflection-type device and the predetermined range of electromagnetic wavelengths of the filtered output has a color selected from the group consisting of: cyan, yellow, magenta, and combinations thereof.

16 . A dual-function colored photovoltaic device comprising:
an anode, a cathode, and an ultra-thin photoactive layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, the ultra-thin photoactive layer comprising an amorphous silicon (a-Si) material substantially free of doping having a thickness of less than or equal to about 50 nm, wherein the dual-function colored photovoltaic device is configured to filter a portion of an electromagnetic spectrum in the ultra-thin photoactive layer to generate electric current and to generate a filtered output displaying minimal polarization dependence and minimal angle dependence for a predetermined range of electromagnetic wavelengths in a visible range to generate a colored surface on the dual-function colored photovoltaic device.

17 . The dual-function colored photovoltaic device of claim 16 , wherein minimal angle dependence is up to ±60° for an angle of incidence and a power conversion efficiency of the dual-function colored photovoltaic device is greater than or equal to about 2%.

18 . The dual-function colored photovoltaic device of claim 16 , further comprising an organic charge transport layer comprising indene-C 60 bisadduct (ICBA) disposed between the cathode and the ultra-thin photoactive layer.

19 . A dual-function photovoltaic device comprising:
an anode comprising a dielectric-metal-dielectric structure; a cathode, and a photoactive layer assembly disposed between the anode and the cathode, the photoactive layer assembly comprising:
an ultra-thin photoactive layer comprising an undoped amorphous silicon (a-Si); and
an organic charge transport layer interadjacent to the ultra-thin photoactive layer and the cathode.

20 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 19 , wherein the dual-function photovoltaic device is configured to generate electric current and to reflect or transmit a filtered output displaying minimal angle dependence for a predetermined range of electromagnetic wavelengths in a visible range.

21 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 20 , wherein the minimal angle dependence is up to ±60° for an angle of incidence and a power conversion efficiency of the dual-function photovoltaic device is greater than or equal to about 2%.

22 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 19 , wherein the cathode comprises a metal-dielectric-metal-dielectric structure.

23 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 19 , wherein the anode comprises a dielectric-metal-dielectric structure.

24 . The dual-function photovoltaic device of claim 19 , wherein the organic charge transport layer comprises an organic material comprising indene-C 60 bisadduct (ICBA).

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Guo Lingjie Jay
• Lee Jae Yong
• Lee Kyu-Tae

Classifications

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• H10F77/1662

  including only Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10F77/211

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/42

  directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means · CPC title

• H10F77/00

  Constructional details of devices covered by this subclass (constructional details of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title