Increased-transparency photovoltaic device

Abstract

A photovoltaic device comprises plural layers separated into plural cells, each comprising a region of a photoactive layer and electrodes on opposite sides thereof. Each of the regions of the photoactive layer are formed comprising a first part that comprises photoactive material and a second part that is not photoactive and that has a greater transmittance of visible light than the light absorbing photoactive material, in pre-selected locations, or in a pre-selected distribution of locations, across the region of the photoactive layer. One of the first and second parts are located in plural separate areas within the other of the first and second parts. The transparency of the photovoltaic device is increased by the transmission of light through the second part that is not photoactive.

1 . A method of making a photovoltaic device comprising forming plural layers including a photoactive layer and conductive layers on opposite sides thereof, separated into plural cells each comprising a region of the photoactive layer and conductive electrodes on opposite sides thereof, the photoactive layer being formed by a process that causes each of the regions of the photoactive layer to comprise a first part that comprises light absorbing photoactive material and a second part that is not photoactive and that has a greater transmittance of visible light than the light absorbing photoactive material, which first and second parts are in pre-selected locations, or in a pre-selected distribution of locations, across the region of photoactive layer with one of the first and second parts being located in plural separate areas within the other of the first and second parts. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the process of forming the photoactive layer comprises:
 forming precursor material, that is a precursor to the photoactive material, selectively across the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region; and   applying a conversion fluid to the precursor material, the conversion fluid converting the precursor material into the photoactive material to form the first part of the region.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the step of forming precursor material comprises any of:
 (a) depositing precursor material selectively across the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region; or   (b) depositing the precursor material across the entire region; and removing precursor material selectively from the locations of the second part of the region, whereby the precursor material remains across the locations of the first part of the region.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the step of depositing precursor material selectively comprises any of:
 (a) applying the precursor material selectively; or   (b) forming a patterned mask arranged to inhibit deposition of the precursor material across the locations of the second part of the region; and applying the precursor material across the entire region, whereby inhibition of deposition by the patterned mask causes the precursor material to be deposited selectively across the locations of the first part of the region.   
     
     
         5 .- 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the patterned mask is optically transmissive material having a greater transmittance of visible light than the first part, that is retained to form the second part of the region. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said step of removing precursor material selectively from the locations of the second part of the region comprises:
 applying a patterned mask arranged to inhibit chemical etching across the locations of the first part of the region; and   chemically etching the precursor material, whereby inhibition of etching by the patterned mask causes the precursor material to be removed from the locations of the second part of the region.   
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said plural layers include a top semiconductor layer comprising semiconductor material formed across the photoactive layer, the patterned mask being the semiconductor material and being applied selectively across the locations of the first part of the region of the photoactive layer. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the process of forming the photoactive layer comprises:
 forming precursor material, that is a precursor to the photoactive material, across the entire region; and   applying a conversion fluid selectively to the precursor material in the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region, the conversion fluid converting the precursor material in the locations of the first part of the region into the photoactive material.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said step of applying a conversion fluid selectively to the precursor material in the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region comprises any of:
 (a) applying the conversion fluid selectively across the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region; or   (b) forming a patterned mask arranged to form a barrier to the conversion fluid across the locations of the second part of the region; and applying the conversion fluid across the entire region, whereby the patterned mask causes the conversion fluid to be applied selectively to the precursor material in the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region.   
     
     
         16 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the patterned mask is optically transmissive material having a greater transmittance of visible light than the first part, that is retained to form the second part of the region. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises applying an optically transmissive material across the precursor material in the second part of the region. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the process of forming the photoactive layer further comprises removing precursor material from the locations of the second part of the region. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the process of forming the photoactive layer comprises forming photoactive material selectively across the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the step of forming photoactive material comprises any of:
 (a) depositing photoactive material selectively across the locations of the first part of the region but not the second part of the region; or   (b) forming the photoactive material across the entire region; and removing photoactive material selectively from the locations of the second part of the region, whereby the photoactive material remains across the locations of the first part of the region.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the step of depositing photoactive material selectively comprises any of:
 (a) applying the photoactive material selectively; and   (b) forming a patterned mask arranged to inhibit deposition of the photoactive material across the locations of the second part of the region; and applying the photoactive material across the entire region, whereby inhibition of deposition by the patterned mask causes the photoactive material to be deposited selectively across the locations of the first part of the region.   
     
     
         25 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the patterned mask is optically transmissive material having a greater transmittance of visible light than the first part, that is retained to form the second part of the region. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said step of removing photoactive material selectively from the locations of the second part of the region comprises:
 applying a patterned mask arranged to inhibit chemical etching across the locations of the first part of the region; and   chemically etching the photoactive material, whereby inhibition of etching by the patterned mask causes the photoactive material to be removed from the locations of the second part of the region.   
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein said plural layers include a top semiconductor layer comprising semiconductor material formed across the photoactive layer, the patterned mask being the semiconductor material and being applied selectively across the locations of the first part of the region of the photoactive layer. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the process of forming the photoactive layer further comprises applying an optically transmissive material to form the second part of the region, the optically transmissive material having a greater transmittance of visible light than the first part. 
     
     
         35 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second parts are in pre-selected locations across the region of the photoactive layer with the locations of one of the first and second parts being plural separate areas of pre-selected position, shape and size. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second parts are in a pre-selected distribution of locations across the region of the photoactive layer with the locations of said one of the first and second parts being plural separate areas in a pre-selected distribution of position, shape and size. 
     
     
         39 .- 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the photoactive material is a photoactive perovskite. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the perovskite is a perovskite compound of formula (I):
   [A][B][X] 3   (I)
   wherein [A] is at least one cation, [B] is at least one cation, and [X] is at least one anion.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the photoactive material is a photoactive perovskite compound of formula (I):
   [A][B][X] 3   (I)
   wherein [A] is at least one cation, [B] is at least one cation, and [X] is at least one anion, and wherein the precursor material comprises one or more precursor compounds, each of the one or more precursor compounds comprising one of the at least one cations [B] and one of the at least one anions [X].   
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the conversion fluid comprises a solution comprising the at least one cation [A] and one or more of the at least one anions [X]. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , and further comprising forming the conversion fluid by dissolving one or more further precursor compounds in a suitable solvent system, each of the one or more further precursor compounds comprising one of the at least one cations [A] and one of the at least one anions [X]. 
     
     
         46 .- 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A photovoltaic device comprising plural layers including a photoactive layer and conductive layers on opposite sides thereof, separated into plural cells each comprising a region of the photoactive layer and conductive electrodes on opposite sides thereof, wherein each of the regions of the photoactive layer comprises a first part that comprises light absorbing photoactive material and a second part that is not photoactive and that has a greater transmittance of visible light than the light absorbing photoactive material, which first and second parts are in pre-selected locations, or in a pre-selected distribution of locations, across the region of the photoactive layer with one of the first and second parts being located in plural separate areas within the other of the first and second parts. 
     
     
         53 . The photovoltaic according to  claim 52 , wherein the first and second parts are in pre-selected locations across the region of the photoactive layer with the locations of one of the first and second parts being plural separate areas of pre-selected position, shape and size. 
     
     
         54 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 52 , wherein the first and second parts are in a pre-selected distribution of locations across the region of the photoactive layer with the locations of said one of the first and second parts being plural separate areas in a pre-selected distribution of position, shape and size. 
     
     
         55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 52 , wherein said plural layers include top and bottom semiconductor layers comprising semiconductor material formed on opposite sides of the photoactive layer between the photoactive layer and the conductive layers. 
     
     
         57 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 52 , wherein the photoactive material is a photoactive perovskite. 
     
     
         58 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 57 , wherein the perovskite is a perovskite compound of formula (I):
   [A][B][X] 3   (I)
   wherein [A] is at least one cation, [B] is at least one cation, and [X] is at least one anion.   
     
     
         59 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 58 , wherein [A] is any of:
 at least one organic cation;   at least one inorganic cation; and   at least one organic cation and at least one inorganic cation.   
     
     
         60 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 59 , wherein [A] comprises at least one organic cation selected from methyl ammonium (CH 3 NH 3   + ), formamidinium (HC(NH) 2 ) 2   + ), and ethyl ammonium (CH 3 CH 2 NH 3   + ). 
     
     
         61 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 59 , wherein [A] comprises at least one inorganic cation selected from Cs + , Rb + , Cu + , Pd + , Pt + , Ag + , Au + , Rh + , and Ru + , and preferably comprises at least one inorganic cation selected from Cs +  and Rb + , and more preferably comprises Cs + . 
     
     
         62 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 58 , wherein [B] comprises at least one inorganic cation selected from Pb 2+  and Sn 2+ , and is preferably Pb 2+ . 
     
     
         63 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 58 , wherein [X] is at least one halide anion, is preferably at least one halide anion selected from chloride (Cl − ), bromide (Br − ), and iodide (I − ), and is more preferably at least two halides selected from chloride (Cl − ), bromide (Br − ), and iodide (I − ). 
     
     
         64 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 52 , wherein the second part of the region comprises an optically transmissive material having a greater transmittance of visible light than the first part. 
     
     
         65 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 64 , wherein optically transmissive material is electrically insulating. 
     
     
         66 . The photovoltaic device according to  claim 64 , wherein optically transmissive material is coloured. 
     
     
         67 . The photovoltaic according to  claim 52 , wherein the second part of the region comprises a precursor material that is a precursor to the photoactive material, and the photovoltaic device further comprises a coloured, optically transmissive material formed across said second part of the region. 
     
     
         68 . The photovoltaic according to  claim 67 , wherein the photoactive material is a photoactive perovskite compound of formula (I):
   [A][B][X] 3   (I)
   wherein [A] is at least one cation, [B] is at least one cation, and [X] is at least one anion, and wherein the precursor material comprises one or more precursor compounds, each of the one or more precursor compounds comprising one of the at least one cations [B] and one of the at least one anions [X].