Light trapping architecture for photovoltaic and photodector applications
There is disclosed photovoltaic device structures which trap admitted light and recycle it through the contained photosensitive materials to maximize photoabsorption. For example, there is disclosed a photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising: a first reflective layer comprising a thermoplastic resin; a second reflective layer substantially parallel to the first reflective layer; a first transparent electrode layer on at least one of the first and second reflective layer; and a photosensitive region adjacent to the first electrode, wherein the first transparent electrode layer is substantially parallel to the first reflective layer and adjacent to the photosensitive region, and wherein the device has an exterior face transverse to the planes of the reflective layers where the exterior face has an aperture for admission of incident radiation to the interior of the device.
1. A photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising:
a first reflective layer comprising a thermoplastic resin;
a second reflective layer substantially parallel to the first reflective layer;
a first transparent electrode layer on at least one of the first and second reflective layer; and
a photosensitive region adjacent to the first electrode,
a second transparent electrode layer substantially parallel to the first reflective layer and adjacent to the photosensitive region in spaced opposition to the first transparent electrode,
wherein the first transparent electrode layer is substantially parallel to the first reflective layer and adjacent to the first reflective layer and the photosensitive region, and
wherein the device has an exterior face transverse to the planes of the reflective layers where the exterior face has an aperture for admission of incident radiation to the interior of the device.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first transparent electrode layer and the second transparent electrode layer each independently comprise a conducting oxide, a conducting carbon nanotube, a conducting polymer, or mixtures thereof.
3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the first reflective layer and second reflective layer independently range from 1 mm to 10 mm.
4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the thickness of the first reflective layer and second reflective layer independently range from 4 mm to 6 mm.
5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin of the first reflective layer comprises a fluoropolymer resin.
6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the fluoropolymer resin comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.
7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the aperture has a substantially circular, polygonal, or rectangular shape.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second reflective layers are substantially planar.
9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second reflective layer comprises a metal or a thermoplastic resin.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic resin of the second reflective layer comprises fluoropolymer resin.
11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the fluoropolymer resin comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.
12. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical concentrator having an entrance opening and an exit opening wherein the exit opening is attached to the aperture.
13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the optical concentrator has substantially parabolically sloped sides between the entrance opening and the exit opening.
14. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the optical concentrator has a substantially conical shape between the entrance opening and the exit opening.
15. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the optical concentrator has a truncated paraboloid shape or trough shape.
16. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the optical concentrator has an inner surface comprising a plurality of planar regions collectively approximating a conical shape.
17. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the optical concentrator has an inner surface comprising a plurality of planar regions collectively approximating a trough shape.
18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive region comprises organic materials.
19. The device according to claim 18 , further comprising an exciton blocking layer disposed adjacent to the first electrode layer.
20. The device according to claim 19 , further comprising an exciton blocking layer and second electrode layer, wherein the exciton blocking layer is disposed adjacent to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer and first reflective layer.
21. The device according to claim 20 , further comprising an exciton blocking layer disposed between the electron transporting layer and one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode and first reflective layer, wherein the second electrode and first reflective layer is a cathode.
22. The device according to claim 21 , wherein the exciton blocking layer comprises 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, bathocuproine, or Ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate.
23. The device according to claim 19 , wherein the photosensitive region comprises a hole transporting layer adjacent to an electron transporting layer.
24. The device according to claim 23 , wherein the hole transporting layer comprises Cu Pc and the electron transporting layer comprises PTCBI or C60.
25. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive region is a stacked organic photosensitive optoelectronic device.
26. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive region comprises inorganic photosensitive materials.
27. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive region is a silicon based photovoltaic structure.
28. An aligned array of light collectors comprising two or more devices according to claim 1 that are aligned adjacent to one another.
29. A photosensitive optoelectronic device comprising:
a first reflective layer comprising a thermoplastic resin;
a transparent first electrode layer optionally comprising a conductive oxide or conducting polymer, said first electrode layer adjacent to the first reflective layer;
a photosensitive region adjacent to the first electrode;
a second transparent electrode optionally comprising a conductive oxide or conducting polymer, said second transparent electrode substantially parallel to the first reflective layer and adjacent to the photosensitive region in spaced opposition to the first electrode; and
a second reflective layer comprising a thermoplastic resin substantially parallel to the first reflective layer and adjacent to the second electrode in spaced opposition to the first electrode and photosensitive region,
wherein the device has an exterior face transverse to the planes of the reflective layers where the exterior face has an aperture for admission of incident radiation to the interior of the device.
30. The device according to claim 29 , wherein the thermoplastic resin of at least one of the first or second reflective layers comprise fluoropolymer resin.
31. The device according to claim 30 , wherein the fluoropolymer resin comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.
32. The device according to claim 29 , wherein the thermoplastic resin of at least one of the first or second reflective layers further comprises barium sulfate coated thereon or doped therein.
33. The device according to claim 29 , wherein the conducting oxide is chosen from indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide (TO), gallium indium tin oxide (GITO), zinc oxide (ZO), and zinc indium tin oxide (ZITO), and the transparent conductive polymers comprises polyanaline (PANI).
34. An aligned array of light collectors comprising two or more devices according to claim 29 that are aligned adjacent to one another.