| Sol No.: |
Navy SBIR FY2010.3 |
| Topic No.: |
N103-233 |
| Topic Title: |
Full Spectrum Photovoltaic Cells |
| Proposal No.: |
N103-233-0519 |
| Firm: |
Acree Technologies Incorporated
1980 Olivera Ave
Suite D
Concord, California 94520-5454 |
| Contact: |
Alex Welsh |
| Phone: |
(925) 798-5770 |
| Web Site: |
www.acreetech.com |
| Abstract: |
The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of using sputter deposition techniques to fabricate high efficiency (>50%) solar cell devices that convert sunlight to electricity using the full range of the visible spectrum. The approach will use the low cost, scalable and well characterized thin film deposition technique of sputtering to deposit solar cells with multiple energy bands onto low cost substrates. The solar cells will utilize a highly mismatched alloy system that allows for a single alloy to exhibit multiple band gaps. It has been shown previously that this material system can be grown with band gap energies that allow for photon absorption across the full range of the visible solar spectrum, allowing for conversion efficiencies of >50%. |
| Benefits: |
The development of multijunction solar cells will allow for (1) the growth of super high efficiency solar cell devices using common sputter techniques (2) a drastic reduction in the costs associated with fabricating state-of-the-art, super high efficiency solar cells and (3) a reduction in the United States' dependence on foreign energy resources. |