High intensity solar energy converter

Claim 1

A photovoltaic energy converter for converting incident radiant energy to electrical energy comprising A. an incident radiant energy responsive slab including i. a plurality of wafers of semiconductive material of a first conductivity type, each said wafer including a. first and second opposed end faces, b. a first region below the first end face having a net impurity concentration of a second conductivity type, c. a second region below the second end face having a net impurity concentration of the first conductivity type greater than the concentration in d. a base region located between said first and second regions, and e. a photovoltaic junction separating said first and base regions, ii. a plurality of electrically conductive layers, iii. said wafers and said conductive layers being stacked in alternate layers and fused together to form said slab, the first region in each said wafers being directed toward the same end of said slab, and iv. lower and upper opposed transverse surfaces, said photovoltaic junction in each said wafer being inclined toward the second region thereof at an angle deviating from a normal to said upper surface such that when viewed through said upper surface more of the base region and less of the first region is exposed in each said wafer, said inclined junction allowing increased spreading of the junction depletion layer at and below said upper surface upon illumination of said upper surface with radiant energy; B. a support substrate; C. means for mounting said slab on said substrate so that the lower transverse surface thereof is adjacent said substrate, said slab being positioned on said substrate for exposure to the incident radiant energy along a direction essentially normal to the upper transverse surface of said slab; and D. electrical contact means contacting opposed ends of said slab.