NANOSTRUCTURE AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME
Nanostructures and photovoltaic structures are disclosed. Method for creating nanostructures are also presented. A method according to one embodiment includes adding a template to a substrate; depositing conductive material in the template thereby forming an array of conductive nanocables on the substrate; removing at least part of the template; and depositing at least one layer of photovoltaic material on exposed portions of the conductive nanocables. A nanostructure according to one embodiment includes an array of nanocables extending from a substrate, the array of nanocables having physical characteristics of having been formed using an at least partially removed template; an insulating layer extending along the substrate; and at least one layer of photovoltaic material overlaying portions of the nanocables.
1 . A method, comprising:
adding a template to a substrate;
depositing conductive material in the template thereby forming an array of conductive nanocables on the substrate;
removing at least part of the template; and
depositing at least one layer of photovoltaic material on exposed portions of the conductive nanocables.
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the template is created by forming a membrane on a patterned surface, and removing the membrane from the patterned surface, wherein the membrane is subsequently coupled to the substrate for being the template.
3 . The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the membrane comprises a dielectric, polymer or a combination thereof.
4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising creating a front contact in communication with an uppermost of the at least one layer of photovoltaic material.
5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising depositing a layer over the nanocables, wherein a material of the layer is of sufficient temperature at deposition thereof to photovoltaically activate the nanocables with the at least one layer of photovoltaic material thereon.
6 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the layer is a transparent conductive oxide that also acts as a front contact for the nanocables with photovoltaic material thereon.
7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising depositing a dielectric overcoat of ethyl vinyl acetate.
8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the depositing one of the layers of photovoltaic material includes performing multiple chemical bath depositions with at least one of a thermal anneal and a densification performed between the chemical bath depositions.
9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein axes of the nanocables are tilted from a direction normal to a plane of the substrate.
10 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the template partially remains during the deposition of the at least one layer of photovoltaic material.
11 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the remaining template is an insulating layer.
12 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is electrically conductive, and further comprising segmenting at least a portion of the conductive substrate for forming electrically isolated segments thereof.
13 . The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein in a first deposition, electricity is conducted only to a first group of the conductive nanocables for depositing the at least one layer of photovoltaic material thereon; wherein in a second deposition, electricity is conducted only to a second group of the conductive nanocables for depositing the at least one layer of photovoltaic material thereon; wherein the first and second groups include at least some different conductive nanocables.
14 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein a composition, thickness, and/or height of structures formed by the first deposition is different than a composition, thickness, and/or height of structures formed in the second deposition.
15 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising forming a conductive layer over the at least one layer of photovoltaic material, and segmenting the conductive layer for forming electrically isolated segments thereof.
16 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising coupling the array of conductive nanocables with photovoltaic material thereon to a photovoltaic device, the photovoltaic device being at least semi-transparent, wherein the array is positioned relative to the photovoltaic device such that light passing through the photovoltaic device strikes the array.
17 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least some of the conductive nanocables with photovoltaic material thereon have a portion with a wider diameter than in another portion thereof.
18 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the portion having the wider diameter is positioned towards the substrate.
19 . The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the portion having the wider diameter is positioned away from the substrate.
20 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the template is formed by embossing.
21 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising photovoltaically activating the conductive nanocables with photovoltaic material thereon using a pulsating laser.
22 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the template is added to the substrate in a continuous process.
23 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is conductive, and further comprising treating the substrate for enhancing electrical contact between the substrate and the conductive nanocables.
24 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein voids are present in the array, and further comprising forming a conductive layer over the array and coupling a conductor to the conductive layer adjacent the void.
25 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the template is formed at least in part from a photoresist that is patterned without a hard mask.
26 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer of photovoltaic material is electroplated.
27 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer of photovoltaic material is formed by chemical vapor deposition and etching.
28 . A nanostructure, comprising:
an array of nanocables extending from a substrate, the array of nanocables having physical characteristics of having been formed using an at least partially removed template;
an insulating layer extending along the substrate; and
at least one layer of photovoltaic material overlaying portions of the nanocables.
29 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the nanocables are elongated.
30 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the nanocables have substantially uniform peripheries.
31 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the template is a membrane.
32 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the nanocables are tilted from normal to a plane of the substrate.
33 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein a portion of the template remains, the portion of the template being an insulating layer between the nanocables.
34 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , further comprising a front contact in communication with an uppermost of the at least one layer of photovoltaic material.
35 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , further comprising a dielectric overcoat of ethyl vinyl acetate.
36 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the at least one of the layer of photovoltaic material has a physical structure characteristic of formation thereof by multiple chemical bath depositions with at least one of a thermal anneal and a densification performed between the chemical bath depositions.
37 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the substrate is electrically conductive, and wherein at least a portion of the conductive substrate is segmented into electrically isolated segments.
38 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , further comprising a conductive layer over the at least one layer of photovoltaic material, the conductive layer being segmented into electrically isolated segments.
39 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein a first group of the nanocables has a different composition, thickness, and/or height than a second group of the nanocables.
40 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the at least one layer of photovoltaic material overlaying a first group of the nanocables has a different composition and/or thickness than the at least one layer of photovoltaic material overlaying a second group of the nanocables.
41 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , further comprising a photovoltaic device coupled to the array of nanocables, the photovoltaic device being at least semi-transparent, wherein the array is positioned relative to the photovoltaic device such that light passing through the photovoltaic device strikes the array.
42 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein at least some of the conductive nanocables with photovoltaic material thereon have a portion with a wider diameter than in another portion thereof.
43 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 42 , wherein the portion having the wider diameter is positioned towards the substrate.
44 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 42 , wherein the portion having the wider diameter is positioned away from the substrate.
45 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein the substrate is conductive, wherein the substrate has physical characteristics of being treated for enhancing electrical contact between the substrate and the conductive nanocables.
46 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , wherein at least one void is present in the array.
47 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 46 , further comprising a conductive layer over the array and a conductor coupled to the conductive layer in the void.
48 . The nanostructure as recited in claim 28 , further comprising a conductive grid above the insulating layer and between the nanocables.