Methods and systems to boost efficiency of solar cells

Abstract

The physical and chemical properties of surfaces can be controlled by bonding nanoparticles, microspheres, or nanotextures to the surface via inorganic precursors. Surfaces can acquire a variety of desirable properties such as antireflection, antifogging, antifrosting, UV blocking, and IR absorption, while maintaining transparency to visible light. Micro or nanomaterials can also be used as etching masks to texture a surface and control its physical and chemical properties via its micro or nanotexture.

1 . A structure comprising:
 a solar cell panel configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength range; and   a top structure attached on a top surface of the solar cell panel, the top surface being oriented towards incident electromagnetic radiation, the top structure configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range, the second wavelength range comprising shorter wavelengths than the first wavelength range.   
     
     
         2 . A structure comprising:
 a solar cell panel configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength range, the solar cell panel having a top surface oriented towards incident electromagnetic radiation, and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface;   a bottom structure attached to the bottom surface of the solar cell panel, the bottom structure configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range, the second wavelength range comprising longer wavelength than the first wavelength range.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom structure attached on a bottom surface of the solar cell panel, the bottom surface opposite to the top surface, the bottom structure configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation in a third wavelength range, the third wavelength range comprising longer wavelengths than the first wavelength range. 
     
     
         5 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the top structure comprises a first electrode, a layer of semiconducting particles and a second electrode. 
     
     
         6 . The structure of  claim 4 , wherein the top structure comprises a first electrode, a first layer of semiconducting particles and a second electrode, and the bottom structure comprises a third electrode, a second layer of semiconducting particles and a fourth electrode. 
     
     
         7 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom structure comprises a first electrode, a layer of semiconducting particles and a second electrode. 
     
     
         8 . The structure of  claim 5 , further comprising an electron transport layer and a hole transport layer each on opposite sides of the layer of semiconducting particles. 
     
     
         9 . The structure of  claim 6 , further comprising a first electron transport layer and a first hole transport layer each on opposite sides of the first layer of semiconducting particles, and a second electron transport layer and a second hole transport layer each on opposite sides of the second layer of semiconducting particles. 
     
     
         10 . The structure of  claim 7 , further comprising an electron transport layer and a hole transport layer each on opposite sides of the layer of semiconducting particles. 
     
     
         11 . The structure of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first and second electron transport layers are selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 , WO 3 , PbO, MnTiO 3 , SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , Ca, LiF x , CsF x , KF x , CsO x , MgF x , and LaB 6 ,   the first and second hole transport layers area selected from the group consisting of: GaP, AlSb, ZnTe, NiO, AlCuO 2 , MOO x , WO x , CuPc, CuSCN, CuO x :N, and V 2 O x ,   the first layer of semiconducting particles is selected from the group consisting of:   InGaP, CdSe, CdZnTe, AlGaAs, CdSTe, CdSSe, CsPbCl, CsPbBr, and CsPbl, and   the second layer of semiconducting particles is selected from the group consisting of: PbS, PbSe, PbTe, HgS, HgCdTe, HgCdSe, Bi 2 Se 3 , Ge, GaSb, and InGaAs.   
     
     
         12 . The structure of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom structure further comprises a photon management layer under the fourth electrode, the photon management layer comprising a plurality of three-dimensional elements, the plurality of three-dimensional elements having lateral dimensions, height and spacing configured to increase scattering of incident electromagnetic radiation back up towards the second layer of semiconducting particles. 
     
     
         13 . The structure of  claim 12 , wherein the three-dimensional elements have a triangular or rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
         14 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the top structure is deposited on the top surface of the solar cell panel. 
     
     
         15 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom structure is deposited on the bottom surface of the solar cell panel. 
     
     
         16 . The structure of  claim 11 , wherein the top structure further comprises a photon management layer under the second electrode, the photon management layer comprising a plurality of three-dimensional elements, the plurality of three-dimensional elements having lateral dimensions, height and spacing configured to increase scattering of incident electromagnetic radiation back up towards the second layer of semiconducting particles.