I-Corps: Hybrid Organic/Silicon Solar Cells

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是一个高效率、负担得起和美观的太阳能产品。这种产品不仅会让太阳能变得更便宜，还可能加速向可再生能源的迁移。提议的太阳能产品可以集成到住宅屋顶或其他建筑集成解决方案中。最终目标是提供一种太阳能解决方案，它具有普通太阳能电池板的效用，但成本更低，美观度更高。更低成本、更轻的太阳能电池板的潜在应用将被探索。此外，太阳能瓦和其他建筑综合解决方案也将被研究。这个I-corps项目旨在通过制造混合太阳能装置，实现高效率和可负担的太阳能，使用简单和低成本的硅光吸收剂表面处理，并使用低成本的聚合物涂层来完成电池。初步建模表明，这种器件结构可以实现高功率效率。一项根本性的创新是开发出一种独特的载流子选择触点，这种触点可以在低温下用简单而丰富的技术制造出来。除了加工简单、效率高的优点外，其他优点还包括使用成本较低的硅衬底，以及低成本的本地制造，没有有毒的副产品。由于制造简单，包括模块制造，该技术可以快速扩展。由于使用该技术制造的模块重量也比传统模块轻得多，因此它们还可以通过大幅降低安装成本来提供另一个市场机会。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is a high efficiency, affordable and aesthetically pleasing solar product. Not only would this product make solar energy more affordable, it might also accelerate the migration to renewable energy. The proposed solar product could be integrated into residential roofing or perhaps another building integrated solution. The ultimate aim is to provide a solar solution that has the utility of ordinary solar panels but is lower cost and has improved aesthetic. Potential applications for lower cost, lighter, solar panels will be explored. Also, solar shingles and other building integrated solutions will be investigated.This I-corps project aims at realizing high efficiency and affordable solar by fabricating hybrid solar devices using a simple and low cost surface treatment for the silicon light absorber with a low cost polymer coating to complete the cell. Initial modeling suggests that high power efficiencies are attainable with this device structure. A fundamental innovation is the development of a unique carrier selective contact that can be fabricated at low temperatures with simple, earth-abundant technology. In addition to its advantage of simple processing and high efficiency, other advantages include the use of lower cost silicon substrates, and low-cost local manufacture without toxic by-products. Because of the simplicity of the fabrication, including module fabrication, this technology can be rapidly scaled. Because modules made using this technology will also be substantially lighter in weight than conventional modules, they may also provide another market opportunity by substantially reducing the installation costs.