Claims
- 1. A method of making a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
contacting a cross-linking agent with semiconductor particles; and incorporating the semiconductor particles into the photovoltaic cell.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent comprises an organometallic molecule.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent and the semiconductor particles each comprise an identical chemical element.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the chemical element is a metal.
- 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the chemical element is selected from a group consisting of titanium, zirconium, and zinc.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent and the semiconductor particles comprise an identical chemical bond.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the chemical bond is a metal to non-metal bond.
- 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the chemical bond is a metal-oxygen bond.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent is a material selected from a group consisting of metal alkoxides, metal acetates, and metal halides.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent comprises a sol-gel precursor.
- 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a dye on the semiconductor particles.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor particles are disposed on a first substrate.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising electrically connecting a second substrate to the first substrate.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the semiconductor particles are disposed between the first and second substrates.
- 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second substrate is flexible.
- 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second substrate comprises a polymeric material.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the polymeric material is selected from a group consisting of polyethyleneterephthalate and polyethylenenaphthalate.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second substrate comprises a polyimide.
- 19. The method of claim 12, further comprising heating the first substrate to less than about 400° C.
- 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the first substrate is flexible.
- 21. The method of claim 12, wherein the first substrate comprises a polymeric material.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the polymeric material is selected from a group consisting of polyethyleneterephthalate and polyethylenenaphthalate.
- 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the substrate comprises a polyimide.
- 24. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating a polymeric electrolyte into the photovoltaic cell.
- 25. A method of making a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
(a) contacting titanium oxide particles with a first flexible polymeric substrate to form a titanium oxide film on the first substrate; (b) contacting the titanium oxide film with titanium alkoxide to cross-link the particles; (c) contacting the titanium oxide film with a dye; (d) contacting the titanium oxide film with a polyelectrolyte; and (e) applying a second flexible polymeric substrate on the polyelectrolyte to form the cell.
- 26. A method of making a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
(a) continuously forming a first electrode comprising:
a flexible polymeric first substrate; a titanium oxide film disposed on the first substrate; a dye comprising ruthenium disposed on the titanium oxide film; and a polyelectrolyte disposed on the titanium oxide film; (b) continuously forming a second electrode comprising:
a flexible polymeric second substrate; and a catalyst layer comprising platinum disposed on the second substrate; and (c) continuously connecting the first and second electrodes to form the cell.
- 27. A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
a first substrate having cross-linked semiconductor particles disposed thereon; and a second substrate electrically connected to the first substrate.
- 28. The cell of claim 27, wherein one of the substrates is flexible.
- 29. The cell of claim 27, wherein one of the substrates comprises a polymeric material.
- 30. The cell of claim 27, wherein one of the substrates comprises a polyimide.
- 31. The cell of claim 27, wherein the semiconductor particles are between the first and second substrates.
- 32. The cell of claim 31, further comprising a polymeric polyelectrolyte between the first and second substrates.
- 33. The cell of claim 32, wherein the polyelectrolyte comprises:
about 5% to about 100% by weight of a polymer; about 5% to about 95% by weight of a plasticizer; and about 0.5M to about 10M of a redox electrolyte.
- 34. The cell of claim 27, further comprising a dye disposed on the semiconductor particles.
- 35. The cell of claim 27, wherein the semiconductor particles are crosslinked by a material comprising a chemical element that is of the same type as a chemical element in the semiconductor particles.
- 36. The cell of claim 35, wherein the chemical element is a metal.
- 37. The cell of claim 35, wherein the chemical element is selected from a group consisting of titanium, zirconium, and zinc.
- 38. The cell of claim 27, wherein the semiconductor particles are crosslinked by a material comprising an identical chemical bond as in the semiconductor particles.
- 39. The cell of claim 38, wherein the chemical bond is a metal to non-metal bond.
- 40. The cell of claim 38, wherein the chemical bond is a metal-oxygen bond.
- 41. The cell of claim 27, wherein both of the substrates are flexible.
- 42. The cell of claim 27, wherein both of the substrates comprise a polymeric material.
- 43. A method of fabricating a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
(a) forming a first electrode comprising semiconductor particles disposed on a flexible substrate; (b) forming a second electrode comprising a second substrate; and (c) continuously joining the first and second electrodes to form the photovoltaic cell.
- 44. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) comprises contacting the semiconductor particles with a cross-linking agent.
- 45. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) comprises heating the first electrode to less than about 400° C.
- 46. The method of claim 45, wherein heating is performed after contacting the particles with a cross-linking agent.
- 47. The method of claim 43, wherein step (a) comprises applying a polymeric polyelectrolyte to the first electrode.
- 48. The method of claim 47, wherein the polyelectrolyte comprises about 5% to about 100% by weight of a polymer, about 5% to about 95% by weight of a plasticizer and about 0.5M to about 10M of a redox electrolyte.
- 49. The method of claim 43, wherein the second substrate is flexible.
- 50. The method of claim 43, wherein step (b) comprises forming a catalyst on the second substrate.
- 51. The method of claim 43, further comprising contacting the semiconductor particles with a dye.
- 52. A method of fabricating a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising:
forming a first electrode comprising
(a) applying semiconductor particles onto a flexible first substrate; and (b) applying a polymeric electrolyte onto the first substrate, wherein forming the first electrode is performed in a continuous process.
- 53. The method of claim 52, further comprising contacting a cross-linking agent with the semiconductor particles.
- 54. The method of claim 53, further comprising heating the first electrode to less than about 400° C. after contacting the cross-linking agent with the semiconductor particles.
- 55. The method of claim 52, further comprising contacting the particles with a dye.
- 56. The method of claim 52, further comprising forming a second electrode having a catalyst disposed thereon.
- 57. The method of claim 56, wherein the second electrode is formed in a continuous process.
- 58. The method of claim 57, further comprising continuously joining the first and second electrodes to form the photovoltaic cell.
- 59. A photovoltaic cell, comprising:
a first electrode; a second electrode; and a polymeric electrolyte between the first and second electrodes, the electrolyte comprising
about 5% to about 100% by weight of a polymer; about 5% to about 95% by weight of a plasticizer; and about 0.5M to about 10M of a redox electrolyte.
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/298,858, filed on Jun. 15, 2001, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
STATEMENT AS TO FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OF DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Funding for the work described herein was provided by the federal government, which has certain rights in the invention.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60298858 |
Jun 2001 |
US |