50% Efficient Solar Cell Architectures and Designs

Very High Efficiency Solar Cells (VHESC) for portable applications [1] that operate at greater than 55 percent efficiency in the laboratory and 50 percent in production are being created. We are integrating the optical design with the solar cell design, and have entered previously unoccupied design space that leads to a new paradigm. This project requires us to invent, develop and transfer to production these new solar cells. Our approach is driven by proven quantitative models for the solar cell design, the optical design and the integration of these designs. We start with a very high performance crystalline silicon solar cell platform. Examples will be presented. Initial solar cell device results are shown for devices fabricated in geometries designed for this VHESC Program.