Selective light absorbing semiconductor surface

Abstract

A selective light absorbing semiconductor surface is disclosed. Said semiconductor surface is characterized by the presence of indentations or protrusions comprising a grating of dimensions such as to enhance the absorption of selected frequencies of radiation. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said grating is formed on the surface of a doped semiconductor for the purposes of optical frequency down conversion. The semiconductor is doped so as to create energy levels within the forbidden zone between the conduction and valence bands. Incident radiation excites electrons from the valence to conduction band from where they decay to the meta-stable newly created energy level in the forbidden zone. From there, electrons return to the valence band, accompanied by the emission of radiation of lower frequency than that of the incident radiation. Optical frequency down-conversion is thus efficiently and rapidly accomplished. In a further embodiment of the present invention said grating is formed on the entrance and exit surfaces of one or more layers of a single or multi-junction solar cell. In this embodiment said grating is characterized by indents of depth λ/4 and width >λ, where λ is the wavelength of solar radiation incident on the layer under consideration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

For a more complete explanation of the present invention and the technical advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows an energy diagram for a doped semiconductor;

FIG. 2 shows energy diagram of a prior art semiconductor p-n junction in which light is absorbed causing transition of electrons from the valence band of the semiconductor to the conduction band;

FIG. 3 shows a prior art multi-junction solar cell comprising many layers placed in series normal to the incoming radiation;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic of a semiconductor material having a grating on one surface, capable of acting as an optical frequency down converter; and

FIG. 5 shows a schematic of two gratings, one on each surface of a semiconductor, capable of acting as an enhanced efficiency layer in a solar cell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention and their technical advantages may be best understood by referring to FIGS. 4 and 5. The present invention relates to a grating on the surface of a semiconductor with selective light absorbing properties. Such a semiconductor selective light-absorbing grating has a variety of applications. In particular, it is capable of acting as an optical frequency down converter and can also be incorporated into a multijunction solar cell.

The function of the grating may be better understood with reference to FIG. 4, which shows the semiconductor grating of the present invention in diagrammatic form. Grating 40, which is formed on the surface of semiconductor material 42, is characterized by periodic indentations or protrusions. The depth of periodic indentations (equivalent to the height of periodic protrusions) is equal to a, as denoted in FIG. 4.

Methods for the imprinting of such indents on a semiconductor surface are well known to those skilled in the art and include screen printing, as used for printing CD surfaces, electron beam lithography and other imprinting processes.

Consider electromagnetic wave 1 as it meets periodic indents on grating 40. Part of electromagnetic wave 1 is reflected back from the top of an indent as wave 2 and an equal part is reflected from the bottom of an indent as wave 3. The interference of reflected waves 2 and 3 depends on the path length difference between them. The path length difference is in turn determined by indent height a, and is in fact equal to 2a since this is the difference in distance traveled by waves 2 and 3.

In the case where reflected waves 2 and 3 are in anti phase they will interfere destructively and cancel each other out completely. In order for such destructive interference to occur the difference in path length 2a must be equal to

2a=λ/2+nλ  (1)

where λ is the wavelength of electromagnetic wave 1 and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0. Such a wave will therefore not reflect, and will pass through the grating.

The relationship between electromagnetic wave velocity, frequency and wavelength is given by

λ=c/ν  (2)

where c is the velocity of light. From this it is clear that if we choose the depth of the indent to be

a=c/4ν  (3)

then radiation having characteristic frequency ν will not be reflected back from grating 40 and will fully penetrate into semiconductor 42.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention the grating of the present invention is formed on the surface of a doped semiconductor to produce an optical frequency down converter. Referring again to FIG. 4, semiconductor 42 is chosen to be a doped semiconductor. Incident radiation wave 1 with energy hv approaches grating 40. Semiconductor 42 is doped such that E_v−E_c, the energy gap between conduction and valence bands, is equal to or smaller than energy hν of incident radiation wave 1. Semiconductor 42 is doped with materials that create appropriate energy levels within the forbidden zone, such that the frequency of radiation emitted is (E′−E_v)/h where E′ is the energy of the newly created energy level in the forbidden zone. Grating 40 comprises a series of indents and protrusions such that interference effects allow electromagnetic radiation of a certain frequency ν to pass into semiconductor material 42 without reflection from the surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention semiconductor material 42 comprises a direct band gap semiconductor, such as gallium arsenide.

In another embodiment of the present invention semiconductor material 42 is doped with electron donors (n-type doping) so as to create energy levels close to the conduction band. This produces a relatively large gap between the created energy level and the valence band, thereby leading to the output of higher frequency light.

In another embodiment of the present invention semiconductor material 42 is doped with hole donors (p-type doping) so as to create energy levels close to the valence band. This produces a relatively small gap between the created energy level and the valence band, thereby leading to the output of lower frequency light.

In a yet a further embodiment of the present invention the type and concentration of doping is controlled so as to tailor the position of the created energy level to output light of a specific desired frequency.

When electromagnetic radiation enters semiconductor 42 it excites electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, from where electrons jump down to energy level E′ radiating photons of energy E_c−E′ in the process.

Further, these electrons then return to the valence band, emitting photons of frequency ν′ which is at a lower frequency than the frequency of the incoming, exciting photons. This is shown on FIG. 4 as radiation wave 4.

The presence of the grating on one surface of a semiconductor lends itself to application as an optical frequency down converter. However, there exists a further embodiment of the present invention in which the semiconductor has a grating on each surface and this has entirely different applications. The latter embodiment of the present invention can best be understood by referring to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of two gratings, one on each surface of a semiconductor. Shown is semiconductor 50 with entrance surface grating 52 and exit surface grating 54. Indents of depths a and b respectively characterize entrance and exit surface gratings 52 and 54 of semiconductor 50.

Consider electromagnetic wave 1 as it meets entrance surface grating 52. As described above in relation to FIG. 4, part of electromagnetic wave 1 is reflected back from the top of an indent as wave 2 and an equal part is reflected from the bottom of an indent as wave 3. A third portion of electromagnetic wave 1 will not be reflected and will fully penetrate into semiconductor 50 as wave 4. Let c′ be the speed of wave 4 inside semiconductor 40 and v′ its frequency.

Now consider the behavior of wave 4 as it meets exit surface grating 54 with indents of depth b.

In a preferred embodiment of the current invention, the depth of indents b is given by

b=c′/4ν′  (4)

As described above, wave 4, possessing this characteristic frequency ν′, is not reflected back inside semiconductor 50 and passes through exit surface grating 54.

According to this embodiment of the present invention, incident light of a first frequency ν passes into semiconductor 50 through entrance surface grating 52 and emitted light of a second frequency ν′ passes out through the opposite surface, namely exit surface grating 54.

One application of this embodiment of the present invention is as a coating for glasses, lenses or other optical parts. An observer looking through the optical part would see radiation in its frequency-converted form. For example, ultraviolet radiation could be seen as visible, say blue light.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention a grating is formed on the entrance and exit surfaces of layers in a multijunction solar cell, thereby improving its energy conversion performance. This embodiment of the present invention can be understood by again referring to FIG. 5 in the context of a multi-junction solar cell, where semiconductor 50, entrance surface grating 52 and exit surface grating 54 together constitute one layer of said multi-junction solar cell, such as in the example shown in FIG. 3.

Consider a ray of electromagnetic radiation 1 having a wide spectrum. Periodic indents on entrance surface grating 52 reflect back some part of the radiation. If we choose the depth of the indents of entrance surface grating 52 to be a=c/4ν₁, as above, then radiation having characteristic frequency ν₁ of said layer will not be reflected back from entrance surface grating 52 of said layer. This radiation will fully penetrate inside said layer where it will be most efficiently absorbed and converted to electricity. The efficiency of light absorption in said layer is thus increased.

Furthermore, in the case where exit surface grating 54 is characterized by indents of depth b=c′/4ν₂, as described above, radiation having characteristic frequency ν₂ of a second layer will not be reflected back and will be fully available for the efficient absorption in said second layer.

The structure described above is clearly applicable to further layers, thereby yielding an improved efficiency multi-junction solar cell. Obviously, the operation of a conventional single layer solar cell can also be improved using this method.

Solar radiation is centered at around 500 nm. The value of a is set at ¼ of this wavelength or 125 nm. The width of said indents must be greater than the wavelength (c/ν) of the incident light in order to avoid diffraction effects. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the width of said indents should be no less than 500 nm and preferably 2-5 microns. Indents of such dimensions may be easily fabricated using conventional photolithography.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples.

Claims

1. A grating having one or more indents or protrusions whereby passage of incident radiation of frequency ν is allowed, characterized in that a depth of said indents or a height of said protrusions is substantially equal to c/4ν, and that a width of said indents or protrusions is greater than c/ν, where c is the speed of light and ν the frequency of the incident radiation.

2. A frequency down-converter comprising the grating of claim 1 formed on a surface of a doped semiconductor, said semiconductor having a valence band energy Ev and a conduction band energy Ec, characterized in that said semiconductor is doped with one or more materials that create an energy level E′ within a forbidden zone, whereby said incident radiation of frequency ν is converted to emitted radiation of frequency (E′−Ev)/h.

3. The down-converter of claim 2 wherein said doped semiconductor comprises a p-type semiconductor.

4. The down-converter of claim 2 wherein said doped semiconductor comprises a direct bandgap semiconductor.

5. A solar cell comprising the grating of claim 1 formed on an entrance surface of a solar cell material, said solar cell material having a band gap Eg, characterized in that Eg/h is comparable to said frequency ν of said incident radiation.

6. The solar cell of claim 5 wherein said solar cell material comprises a semiconductor.

7. The solar cell of claim 5 having a further grating formed on an exit of said a material.

8. The solar cell of claim 7 wherein said further grating is characterized by indentations or protrusions of depth substantially equal to c′/4v′ where c′ is the speed of light in said material and v′ is a given frequency.

9. The grating of claim 7 wherein said material comprises a doped semiconductor, whereby absorption of selected frequencies of incident light at said entrance surface and emission of reduced frequency light at said exit surface is enhanced.

10. The grating of claim 9 wherein said doped semiconductor comprises a n-type semiconductor.

11. The grating of claim 9 wherein said doped semiconductor comprises a direct bandgap semiconductor.

12. The grating of claim 11 wherein said material comprises a solar cell material, whereby absorption of selected frequencies of solar radiation at said entrance surface and transmission of selected frequencies of solar radiation at said exit surface is enhanced.

13. The grating of claim 12 comprising further solar cell materials, each of said solar cell materials having an entrance surface and an exit surface characterized by said selective light absorbing grating, further characterized in that each exit surface is contiguous with an entrance surface.

14. The grating of claim 12 wherein said solar cell material comprise a semiconductor.

15. The grating of claim 12 wherein the bandgap of said semiconductor is comparable to the wavelength of said selected frequencies of solar radiation.