IP Library › Granted Patent US 12684877
Granted Patent B2
US 12684877 · App. 18/799,458 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Solar cell structures for improved current generation and collection

Inventors: Richard R. King (Thousand Oaks, CA); Christopher M. Fetzer (Seattle, WA); Daniel C. Law (Arcadia, CA); Xing-Quan Liu (Arcadia, WA); William D. Hong (Los Angeles, CA); Kenneth M. Edmondson (Burbank, CA); Dimitri D. Krut (Encino, CA); Joseph C Boisvert (Thousand Oaks, CA); Nasser H. Karam (La Canada, CA)
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
H10F10/161H10F10/142H10F10/163H10F77/14H10F77/143H10F77/1433H10F77/1437Y02E10/544
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12684877
App. No.
18/799,458
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, optoelectronic devices are described herein. In some implementations, an optoelectronic device comprises a photovoltaic cell. The photovoltaic cell comprises a space-charge region, a quasi-neutral region, and a low bandgap absorber region (LBAR) layer or an improved transport (IT) layer at least partially positioned in the quasi-neutral region of the cell.

Claims (26)

1 . An optoelectronic device comprising a photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell comprising:

a space-charge region;

a quasi-neutral region; and

a low bandgap absorber region (LBAR) layer or an improved transport (IT) layer forming a first portion of a base layer of the cell;

a window layer;

a back-surface-field (BSF) layer;

an emitter layer;

a second portion of the base layer; and

a third portion of the base layer

wherein the first portion of the base layer is disposed between the second portion of the base layer and the third portion of the base layer, the second portion of the base layer being adjacent the emitter layer, the third portion of the base layer being disposed between the first portion of the base layer and the BSF layer;

wherein the first portion of the base layer comprises an ordered (Al)GaInP; and

wherein the emitter layer, the second portion of the base layer and the third portion of the base layer each comprise a disordered (Al)GaInP.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the base layer is at least partially positioned in the quasi-neutral region of the cell.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the base layer is entirely positioned in the quasi-neutral region of the cell.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the base layer is within the quasi-neutral region of the base.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the base layer is entirely positioned in the space-charge region of the cell.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the base layer is positioned partially in the space-charge region of the base layer and partially in the quasi-neutral region of the base layer.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the base layer has a lower bandgap than at least one of the second portion of the base layer and the third portion of the base layer.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the base layer has a lower bandgap than each of the second portion of the base layer and the third portion of the base layer.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the base layer has a lower bandgap than the emitter layer.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the LBAR layer has a lower bandgap than an immediately adjacent semiconductor layer of the cell.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the LBAR layer has a lower bandgap than two immediately adjacent semiconductor layers of the cell.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the LBAR is ordered.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the emitter layer and the second portion of the base layer are disordered.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the window layer comprises AlInP.

15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a photodiode.