Transparent infrared-to-visible up-conversion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9437835-B2
Application number	US-201214124158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2012
Priority date	Jun 6, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a transparent up-conversion device having two transparent electrodes. In embodiments of the invention, the up-conversion device comprises a stack of layers proceeding from a transparent substrate including an anode, a hole blocking layer, an IR sensitizing layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, a cathode, and an antireflective layer. In an embodiment of the invention, the up-conversion device includes an IR pass visible blocking layer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A transparent up-conversion device, comprising a stacked layer structure comprising:
a transparent anode;
at least one hole blocking layer;
an IR sensitizing layer;
at least one hole transport layer;
a light emitting layer;
at least one electron transport layer; and
a transparent cathode,
wherein the stacked layer structure has a visible light transmittance of at least 20 percent.

2. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the stacked layer structure has a thickness of less than a micron.

3. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the transparent anode or transparent cathode at a surface for entry of incident IR radiation to the stacked layer structure has an IR transmittance of at least 50% and wherein a surface for exit of visible light from the stacked layer structure has a visible light transmittance of at least 50%.

4. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the transparent anode comprises Indium tin Oxide (ITO), Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), Aluminum Tin Oxide (ATO), Aluminum Zinc Oxide (AZO), carbon nanotubes, or silver nanowires.

5. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole blocking layer comprises TiO 2 , ZnO, BCP, Bphen, 3TPYMB, or UGH2.

6. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the IR sensitizing layer comprises PbSe QDs, PbS QDs, PbSe film, PbS film, InAs film, InGaAs film, Si film, Ge film, GaAs film, perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic-3,4,9,10-dianhydride (PTCDA), tin (II) phthalocyanine (SnPc), SnPc:C 60 , aluminum phthalocyanine chloride (AlPcCl), AlPcCl:C 60 , titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc), or TiOPc:C 60 .

7. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole transport layer comprises 1,1-bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC), N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′(2-naphthyl)-(1,1′-phenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB), or N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-di(m-tolyl) benzidine (TPD).

8. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting layer comprises tris-(2-phenylpyridine) iridium (Ir(ppy) 3 ), poly-[2-methoxy, 5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy) phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV), tris-(8-hydroxy quinoline) aluminum (Alq 3 ), or iridium (III) bis-[(4,6-di-fluorophenyl)-pyridinate-N,C2′]picolinate (FIrpic).

9. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electron transport layer comprises tris[3-(3-pyridyl)-mesityl]borane (3TPYMB), 2,9-Dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen), or tris-(8-hydroxy quinoline) aluminum (Alq 3 ).

10. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the transparent cathode comprises a 10:1 Mg:Ag layer with a thickness of less than 30 nm.

11. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-reflective layer.

12. The up-conversion device of claim 11 , wherein the anti-reflective layer comprises an Alq 3 layer having a thickness of less than 200 nm.

13. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , further comprising an IR pass visible blocking layer.

14. The up-conversion device of claim 13 , wherein the IR pass visible blocking layer comprises a plurality of alternating layers of materials having different refractive indexes.

15. The up-conversion device of claim 14 , wherein the materials comprise Ta 2 O 5 and SiO 2 , wherein the plurality of alternating layers comprises 2 to 80 alternating layers of the materials, and wherein each of the alternating layers has a thickness of 10 to 100 nm.

16. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the IR sensitizing layer comprises quantum dots.

17. The up-conversion device of claim 16 , wherein the quantum dots comprise PbS quantum dots and/or PbSe quantum dots.

18. The up-conversion device of claim 1 , wherein the IR sensitizing layer generates a charge carrier upon exposure to IR radiation, wherein the charge carrier is injected into the light emitting layer, wherein the charge carrier combines with a complementary charge carrier in the light emitting layer to generate visible light.

19. The up-conversion device of claim 11 , wherein the anti-reflective layer is positioned adjacent the transparent cathode.

Assignees

• So Franky
• Kim Do Young
• Pradhan Bhabendra K
• Univ Florida
• Nanoholdings Llc

Inventors

• So Franky
• Kim Do Young
• Pradhan Bhabendra K

Classifications

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• H10K50/80 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H10F77/496 Primary

  Luminescent members, e.g. fluorescent sheets (wavelength conversion means for photovoltaic cells H10F77/45) · CPC title

• H10F77/45

  Wavelength conversion means, e.g. by using luminescent material, fluorescent concentrators or up-conversion arrangements · CPC title

• H01L51/52 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic