The present invention in general relates to a device containing a nano-element structure; to design of such a device, and in particular to the use of nano-imprinting, printing, and substrate transfer processing in a manufacturing approach for producing light and carrier collection management (LCCM) devices. These devices are operative as photo-active devices, for example solar cell photovoltaics, photosynthesis devices, or light detection devices, as well as charge storage devices.
Historically, photovoltaic and light detection devices such as photodetector devices, lithium drifted silicon based detectors, and photo electron effect devices have been formed as planar layers successively constructed to afford a functioning device. Owing to the high optical reflectivity of planar substrates and poor optical path length matching, such devices, particularly photovoltaic devices, have traditionally exhibited low light harvesting efficiencies. In recognition of this limitation, such devices are preferentially etched or otherwise textured to promote internal light reflection within the light harvesting portions of the device. While surface texturing incrementally improves light harvesting efficiency on such devices, the texturing process is far from uniform and inefficient in material usage.
Light sensitive devices are tailored for the part of the electro-magnetic spectrum for which they are designed. For example, solar cell devices are tailored to interact with at least some portion of the photon-rich ultra-violet, visible, and infra-red parts of the solar spectrum. In order for solar cell photovoltaics, photosynthesis devices and light detection devices to reach their respective maximal operational potentials, devices must prove not only light absorbing for the spectrum for which they are designed but also effective in converting photons with minimal losses into electrical carriers and then efficiently extracting such carriers to an electrical circuit. To achieve these objectives, light and carrier collection management (LCCM) devices have been developed that have multi-scale electrode architecture and controlled three dimensional structures that attempt to optimize light absorption, photon conversion to electrical carriers, and carrier collection along with efficient material utilization. For the fabrication of LCCM devices, electron beam (e-beam) lithography has been used for pattern definition of the crucial nano-scale electrode structures. The technique has been ideal for optimizing the nano-structure dimensions (e.g., diameter of electrode nano-element columns, inter-columnar spacing) and nano-element spacing arrangement, since it offers the opportunity to explore many different patterns due to its flexibility. However, the technique is slow and expensive and therefore not suitable for high throughput device production. The incorporation of two-dimensional (2-D) nano-element arrays into thin film solar cell structures has been studied by a number of groups for its light trapping [1-6] because, unlike gratings, their response to light is relatively independent of the polarization of the incident light wave.[7] In addition, conducting nano-element arrays can assist in photocarrier collection.[1] This “collecting nano-element” geometry potentially offers an additional advantage of enhanced photo-carrier collection and can thereby give rise to both effective light and carrier collection management (LCCM) advantages.
These configurations can give enhanced light trapping through effective absorber thickness and plasmonic and photonic effects [5, 6]. The LCCM concept can be used in superstrate (light enters through the substrate) configurations, with the array on the substrate, and in substrate (light enters through the free surface) configurations, also with the array on the substrate. Since substrate cells do not have the array transparency requirement, they have used metallic (e.g., silver) arrays. The use of metallic arrays has attracted great attention since it is argued that this use of metallic arrays offers, in addition to effective absorber thickness and photonic effects, the advantage of light trapping through the plasmonic phenomena of (1) metallic nano-element scattering, (2) metallic nano-element near-field enhancement in the absorber, and (3) structured metallic surface scattering into plasmon polariton and photonic modes [2-4]. Prior modeling has supported the view that this metallic (e.g., Ag) nano-element array substrate design is more effective than the superstrate architectures [3, 6]. The requirement of reliance on metallic element arrays in the prior art has limited the manufacturability and increased costs of such cells.
Thus, there exists a need for a process to form LCCM device nanostructures more efficiently and with a process amenable to mass production. There further exists a need for a continuous operation of nano-imprinting or printing lithography system for modifying a substrate to include producing nano-element structures of a controlled shape, size and inter-element spacing and arrangement.
A process for forming a nano-element structure is provided that includes contacting a template with a material to form the nano-element structure having an array of nano-elements and a base physically connecting the array of nano-elements. The material that is contacted with the template is the nano-element structure material or precursor material from which the array of nano-elements is formed. The nano-element structure is then removed from contact with the template. The nano-element structure material or its precursor is brought into contact with the template for the forming of the array of nano-elements by techniques such as nano-imprinting and printing. The process is amenable to being done in continuous processing fashion. A final substrate subsequently supports the array of nano-elements so produced. The array of nano-elements is exposed free and at least one layer of a dopant layer, a spacer layer, a light absorber layer, a conductor, or a counter electrode layer, are employed to complete an operative device.
A photo (i.e., light) active or charge storage device is provided with an array of conductive nano-elements in a two-dimensional (2-D) arrangement disposed on a conducting layer or themselves having a base that serves as the conductive layer. This array and conductive layer form an electrode which gives light trapping and photocarrier collecting capability for photo-responsive devices; e.g., the resulting device can provide light and carrier collection management (LCCM) photovoltaic devices. Photovoltaic structures functioning as solar cell structures, for example, may be used as one sun devices or they may be combined with luminescent solar concentrator films or with micro-optics elements positioned in concert with the array for concentrator devices. The same two possibilities of non-concentrator or concentrator options are available for other light responsive devices.
The present invention has utility for a design and process for photo-active devices incorporating nano-elements positioned in an array. The inventive process employs nano-element template imprinting, nano-element direct imprinting, the nano-printing technique of nano-stamping, or combinations thereof.
Variations may be applied to metallic or non-metallic nano- elements. The design and process are applicable to substrate or superstrate cell configurations in one sun and concentrator uses. By way of example, photo-active devices formed according to the present invention include solar cell photovoltaics, photosynthesis devices, and light detection devices. Nano-imprinting lithography for defining LCCM nano-scale electrode element structures of this invention permits low cost, manufacturable nano-scale pattern generation. The nano-imprinting process coupled with nano-element transfer of this invention is new and highly efficient. The invention embodiments disclosed here all have the following advantages over other techniques for producing structures incorporating nano-element metallic or non-metallic arrays for light trapping: the new approach (1) does not need a dry-etching step for cleaning the bottom of an imprinted pattern; (2) can use high process temperature during the following process steps; (3) does not use an etching step to define the nano-elements and their array, and (4) does not need an etching step for removing the deposited base portion of any nano-element array material. The approach disclosed here for manufacturing not only reduces the number of vacuum-based processing steps, but also offers more freedom in selecting process conditions for subsequent steps. These potential advantages combined with the capabilities of high throughput with low cost production offered by roll-to-roll processing critically contribute to low cost manufacturing by the present invention, and offer market competitiveness advantages.
This new fabrication approach for creating nano-scale array structures for photo-active devices will be specifically discussed in the context of solar cells. However, the present invention has application to various photo-active devices producing or utilizing light, the latter including solar cell photovoltaics, photosynthesis devices, and light defection devices.
In particular roll-to-roll nano-imprinting and printing, roll-to-roll processing, or combinations are used in the inventive process. An array of nano-scale electrode element structures is used as, or as a part of, one of the electrodes as a component of an LCCM device. This inventive component array penetrates into a light absorber layer (e.g., amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)) or, more generally, into an active layer containing at least one absorber. The unique architecture of the resulting LCCM devices decouples the directions of light absorption and photo-generated carrier collection, and thereby allows the inventive devices to take better advantage of the available light while providing efficient carrier collection. An inventive LCCM device in certain embodiments offers significantly higher power conversion efficiencies (PCE) than cells utilizing the “sandwich like” planar architecture employed in many conventional solar cell devices [11]. An inventive LCCM a-Si:H single junction solar cell device has attained about 8.2% in PCE which is the highest PCE among the solar cell devices employing nanotechnology, and even though an anti-reflection (AR) coating was not employed [6].
Numerical modeling of the design in
The general architecture of
(1) It is substrate cell design with a transparent conductive nano-element array positioned on a planar back reflecting conductive (e.g., metal) electrode. This avoids excessive use of Ag and allows nano-imprinting or stamping [8, 9, 16, 17] of organic or inorganic transparent conducting nano-elements onto this planar surface.
(2) It uses conformal cell layers positioned on the nano-elements (These can all be deposited in one pump-down, if vacuum deposition is used).
(3) It can insure that all photocarriers can access their respective electrode surfaces.
(4) It can be fabricated with imprint or print lithography techniques and can be fabricated using roll-to-roll processing.
These features of an inventive structure underscore the use of conformality and of transparent conductive (e.g., transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), transparent conducting organics) nano-elements. As seen in
In the modeling results of
This concept of redirecting the light into circuitous paths and having locations where there can be at least some lateral flow in or into the absorber material can be utilized also in concentrator applications of the LCCM design, Taking as an example the case of the inset in
The circle denotes the top view of the dome of radius ˜230 nm that is present in this hexagon for this L=550 nm case. A straight forward calculation of the area of this hexagon gives 2.6×105 nm2, while the same calculation for the circle gives 1.6×105 nm2. Consequently ˜1.0×105 nm2 of the area in this top view of this example is not contributing as significantly as it could to the short circuit current density. Put another way, 38% of the incoming light per hexagon is not channeled through the dome structure of this example and is not experiencing total redirection into the circuitous paths seen in
This will be attainable to varying degrees depending on the lensing system details and the direction of the incoming sunlight itself. While these numbers give upper bounds, it is clear that this concentrator LCCM cell offers enhanced performance in short circuit current and power conversion efficiency. The lensing here is an example of the use of micro-optics [10] and the lens materials may be formed of glasses, organics, or some combination thereof. The formation of the lens for each hexagon optionally occurs through the use of imprinting or stamping. The dome shape of the basic LCCM substrate cell may be used in aiding in the lens shaping. An alternative to optical lensing concentration is luminescent solar concentration. In this case at least the area outside the dome of our example would be covered with a film containing luminescent entity (quantum dots, molecules) to direct light into the domes.
In discussing the manufacturing of these LCCM cells, both non-concentrator and concentrator versions, it is noted that the nano-element array in
In one embodiment of the fabrication of LCCM type devices, the formation of the 2-D nano-element array uses an imprint resist which is patterned into an array of voids in the resist, the pattern of template voids being formed in the imprint resist by nano-imprinting. A conductive material is then disposed in the template voids of the resist to form the nano-elements arrayed in 2-D (i.e., a 3-D nano-element array periodically laid out in 2-D as in
To complete an inventive device some combination of layers are disposed on the array. These layers are illustratively selected from among doping layers, spacer layers, light absorber layers, a counter electrode and a combination of these various layers.
In a second embodiment the formation of the 2-D nano-element array is effected by directly imprinting the 2-D nano-element pattern into a planar layer of the nano-element or nano-element precursor material situated on a substrate. This nano-element material may have sublayers of various compositions. These imprinting results in a 3-D nano-elements arrayed in a 2-D pattern in the nano-element material and may be done to also insure a continuous base layer of the nano-element material is preserved among the nano-elements. The nano-element material, and base layer, if present, (or their precursors) are to be inherently, or to be rendered, conducting and, in superstrate applications, transparent during or at the conclusion of processing. The base resides on the substrate. The base may be transparent or a reflector. The imprintable material which becomes the nano-elements, and in some configurations, the base may include materials such as inks, sol-gels and organics. The sol-gels are formed, for example, from materials such as Al doped zinc oxide (AZO) and indium doped tin oxide (ITO).
In the second embodiment the substrate initially holding the un-patterned nano-element material is the final device substrate and may be formed of materials such as metals and metal foils, plastics, glass and glass foils, This substrate may also have a conducting layer on its surface thereby allowing it to support the electrical conduction of the nano-element array and base. Doping layers, spacer layers, a light absorber or absorbers, and a counter electrode are disposed conformally on the nano-element array to complete the photo responsive device.
In a third embodiment, the formation of the 2-D nano-element array uses a template substrate containing a pattern of array template voids, the pattern of template voids having being formed in the template substrate by any of a variety of lithography and etching procedures such as photo-lithography, e-beam lithography, or imprinting combined with wet or dry etching, as may be needed. A conductive material is then disposed into the template voids of the template substrate to form the 2-D nano-element array and optional base. A final substrate is then put into contact with the nano-elements or their base, if present, and used to support the array-base nano-element structure positioned on the template substrate. This substrate may be formed of materials such as metals and metal foils, plastics, glass and glass foils. The array of nano-elements and its base may be adhered to the final substrate surface for integrity and for enhancing separation from the template substrate. In some configurations, there is an adhering material which may or may not be conducting. This substrate may have, if there is a base, and must have, if there is no base, a conducting layer thereby allowing it to support the electrical conduction of the nano-element array and base. If a superstrate configuration is being used, then of course this conducting layer, base, and nano-elements must be transparent. Doping layers, spacer layers, a light absorber or absorbers, and a counter electrode are disposed conformally onto the array-base structure on the final substrate as needed to complete the photo responsive device.
As noted earlier,
As noted, e-beam pattern generation for nano-element array production is not a manufacturable approach for mass production solar cells. Nano-imprinting of the present invention can pattern large areas at one time and is compatible with roll-to-roll processing. Traditional nano-imprinting, however, has drawbacks when considering usage thereof to produce the nano-element array needed for the LCCM photo-response device architecture. For example, if the nano-imprinting is used to define empty template regions which are to filled to become the nano-elements, nano-imprinting techniques cannot define patterns all the way down to a substrate using a single imprinting step. At least one dry-etching step for either cleaning the residues on the bottom of the pattern or transferring the pattern further down to a substrate is required [12,13]. The concepts disclosed herein avoid such problems.
A first embodiment of the fabrication of LCCM type devices disclosed herein uses an imprint resist material which is patterned with an array of template voids in the resist material. The pattern of template voids is formed in the imprint resist material by nano-imprinting. The overall process is pictured in
In embodiment 1, a first substrate 10 is coated with an imprint resist material 12. An imprinting tool 14 with a mold pattern, to yield a template void array 16 into the resist material 12 upon contact. This template 16 in the resist material 12 is to be filled with material to obtain an array with the desired nano-scale features and spacing 17. The nano-scale featured and spaced material nano-element array 17 is attained by disposing material or materials 12 into the template void array 16 giving the result seen in
The inventive process further overcomes the limitations of the prior art by then transferring the disposed nano-element structure 18 to a second substrate 20. This transferal is accomplished by separating the filled template 16 from the structure 18 through techniques such as dissolution (e.g., water soluble), chemical attack, thermal decomposition, or mechanical separation. The innovative usage of a second substrate 20 offers more flexibility (1) in the choice of the second (final solar cell) substrate, and (2) in the process conditions during subsequent fabrication steps. For example, in the case of a-Si:H solar cell devices, the process temperature of the film depositions onto the nano-element structure is critical. The quality of the films is sensitive to deposition temperature and to the temperatures associated with later processing [14]. The processing approach of the present invention allows for transferring the nano-element structure from a first “mother” substrate to a second (or final) substrate (e.g., glass substrates, plastics, metal foils) that can be selected to be compatible with the processing temperatures needed for further processing.
The novelty of the embodiment allows the use of imprinting for the creation of shapes such as cones which could not be achieved without the required separation step inherent in this processing flow. The novelty of the present invention also precludes commonly encountered etch and cleaning steps affording simplicity of processing, cost savings, and removing environmental concerns of etch waste disposal. For example, an etch step normally occurs after the nano-scale electrode elements have been formed in the void regions of the template of
After disposition of any optional additional conducting material to insure the mechanical stability and electrical continuity between array elements of the nano-element array 17 (i.e., after base augmentation as needed), the resulting structure is bonded to the second (final) substrate 20 seen in
Nano-imprinting techniques operative herein illustratively include approaches that may employ hot-embossing and UV radiation exposure in the pattern definition process needed on the mother substrate 10 (
In the case of a substrate cell, the base 8 is optionally configured as a conducting Bragg stack reflector or conventional metallic reflector readily formed of a metal (e.g., Ag, Cu, Au, Al, or alloys containing one of the aforementioned metals). In the case of a superstrate cell, the base 8 must be both conducting and transparent (e.g., a TCO or appropriate TCO equivalent organic). This continuation may be done by sputtering or ALD but it is appreciated that other deposition and growth approaches illustratively including plasma ablation, spray pyrolysis, CVD, and other PVD techniques are also operative in adding or augmenting the base 8. At the conclusion of this base completion, the whole nano-element structure 18 is transferred (
As shown in
If a material is used to adhere the base to the final substrate (see
Whether a bonding layer of some type is or is not used, at least two paths may be taken to separate from the mother substrate 10 upon transfer to the final substrate 20. One exemplary route is to chemically remove or dissolve the imprinted resist 12 bearing the nano-element array 17 and base 8 in a solvent, so substrates 10 and 20 are separated and released as the layer 12 is removed. The resist may be removed by standard resist removal techniques. In addition, it may be chosen to be water soluble for ease of dissolution or may thermally decompose for removal.
The second route is to mechanically separate the substrates 10 and 20. Cleaning steps are optionally used after separation to prepare the now free surfaces of the nano-element structure 18 for subsequent disposition of the essentially conformal layers required to complete a substrate or superstrate solar cell. Such conformity is attained by adjusting the processing parameters of the technique chosen as is well known in thin film work.
It is also possible to have substrate 20 be a temporary substrate and to transfer first to this temporary substrate which is selected for processing compatibility such as tolerance of high temperature absorber deposition temperatures. These temporary substrates may include metals or metal foils to allow high temperature processing. After such use of a temporary substrate, the array could be moved to or attached to a final substrate by the approaches discussed for moving to substrate 20. These include dissolving, chemically removing, or thermally decomposing the temporary substrate after adhering to the final substrate.
It is appreciated that roll-to-roll processing may be used in this embodiment to imprint and/or transfer nano-element structures.
Nano-imprinting techniques are used in another embodiment of the invention for direct pattern definition as shown in
In
In a substrate LCCM cell configuration, these elements (nano-columns, nano-cones, etc.) may be printed in material 30 of embodiment 2 where this material 30 resides on a reflecting surface on substrate 24 (e.g., containing a Bragg stack or a metal). In a superstrate LCCM cell configuration, these elements 32 may be printed onto a transparent surface of a transparent substrate 24. If the remaining material 34 among the nano-elements (i.e., the base) is retained and of sufficient conductance, then the surface of the substrate 24 need not be conducting. Material 30 and remaining material 34 must be transparent for a superstrate cell. In embodiment 2, the free surfaces of the nano-elements 32 and base 34 are immediately ready for subsequent deposition of the essentially conformal layers required to complete a substrate or superstrate solar cell. Such conformality is attained by adjusting the deposition technique and parameters as is well known in thin film work. If a transparent substrate is used (e.g., glass, glass foils, or transparent plastics) in this processing flow as the substrate 24, then the processing may be used to produce a superstrate cell-type. If an opaque substrate (e.g., metal, metal foil, metal coated plastic or metal coated glass) is utilized as the substrate 24, this processing produces the substrate cell-type seen in
As shown in
The characteristic feature of embodiment 3 is the use of a template, containing all of the array patterning information, positioned in a template substrate. This template substrate may be employed in one of two approaches to form the nano-element structure. In either, the template substrate is preferably a metal or polymer ribbon-like roll-to-roll band. If this template substrate is reused after separation, reuse may be undertaken after appropriate cleaning and reapplication of an anti-sticking (i.e., release) agent, as needed, to enhance nano-element structure separation form the template substrate.
In this third embodiment, the array template voids present on the template substrate have been formed in the template substrate by any of a variety of lithography and etching procedures such as photo-lithography, e-beam lithography, or imprinting lithography combined with wet or dry etching, as may be needed.
In one approach of embodiment 3, the nano-element material is deposited into the template of the template substrate by methods such as, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD), or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), including spraying and laser ablation. A base of conducting material may be further disposed to give electrical communication among the multiplicity of the nano-elements of the array until all the surface of the template substrate is sufficiently covered by a conducting layer. Prior to these material dispositions, an anti-sticking agent (e.g., the fluorinated materials for this purpose from Daikin Industries) may be applied to the template substrate to enable separation of the array-base nano-element structure from the template substrate. In some configurations, the two disposed materials of the array-base materials system may be the same. In other configurations, the nano-element array (substrate cell) or both (superstrate cell) must be transparent. In still other configurations, the base must also provide mechanical stability. In substrate cells, the base must be a reflector (e.g., Ag) and/or the substrate onto which it is attached must have a planar reflecting metal surface. The array of nano-elements is dimensioned by its formation in the template substrate.
A second substrate is then put into contact with the base with the objective of eventually supporting the array-base materials system positioned on the template substrate, This second substrate may be the final device substrate and may be formed of materials such as metals and metal foils, plastics, glass and glass foils, The array of nano-elements and its base may be adhered to the second substrate surface for integrity and for enhancing separation from the template substrate. In some configurations, there is an adhering material which may or may not be conducting, as described in the prior embodiment discussions. The second substrate may also have a conducting layer thereby allowing it to support the electrical conduction of the nano-element array and base. The use of reflecting materials and conducting materials on this substrate and/or the base, as dictated by the requirements of substrate or superstrate configurations, is determined as discussed in Embodiments 1 and 2.
Doping layers, spacer layers, a light absorber or absorbers, and a counter electrode, with properties as required by a substrate or superstrate cell, are disposed conformally onto the array-base structure on the second substrate to complete the photo responsive device.
In certain embodiments, the template substrate is a constantly reused, metal or polymer ribbon-like roll-to-roll band.
In this embodiment 3 of the present invention, the second approach of using the template substrate concept is seen in
Material 72 has been applied to substrate 70 using standard disposing techniques including CVD and PVD deposition, spraying, laser ablation, or spreading. It is appreciated that the patterning of material 72 into the template pattern 69 on the template substrate 68 in
The template substrate 68 containing the nano-element structure 18 with its optional base is then brought into contact with a third, or final substrate 20 where the above detailed embodiment 1 and 2 descriptions with respect to reference numeral 20 is applicable hereto. Removal of the template substrate 68 is readily accomplished by the techniques detailed above.
If no base is desired in the two approaches of embodiment 3, the approach of Ref. 11 may be used. This pre-coats the non-void surface of the template of the template substrate 68 with a non-wetting agent, instead of an anti-sticking agent, to avoid nano-element material disposition between the nano-elements.
The nano-element material or its precursor 72, filled into the template of template substrate 68 and its optional but preferred base, when finally transferred to the substrate 20, may necessitate a curing step to attain the required physical properties such as RTA, heating, or radiation exposure before or after being printed as the nano-element structure of an LCCM cell. This may be done at times between and including filling of the voids and after transfer. Preferably this step will be done before separation form the template substrate and its use will decrease the adherence of the nano-element structure facilitating its separation.
If the final substrate 20 is transparent (e.g., glass or transparent plastic), then the processing and material property selection may be used to produce the superstrate cell-type. If an opaque substrate (e.g., metal, metal foil, metal coated plastic or glass foil, or metal coated glass) is utilized as the final substrate 20, this processing will produce the substrate cell-type seen in
Any patents or publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. These patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
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This application claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/559065 filed 26 Sep. 2011; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US2012/036732 | 5/7/2012 | WO | 00 | 3/26/2014 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61539065 | Sep 2011 | US |