US4084044A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Liquid-semiconductor photocell using sintered electrode
Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1977-02-18
•
Granted: 1978-04-11
•
Expires: 1997-02-18
Abstract
Abstract Liquid-semiconductor photocells have received attention recently for use in solar power devices. Alternatives to single crystal semiconductors have been sought to reduce the cost of the photocells. According to this invention, the semiconductor is made from a pressure sintered and vapor annealed semiconductor. The electrode is relatively inexpensive to make and the efficiency of the solar cell compares favorably to the efficiency of solar cells using single crystal electrodes.
Inventors
- 👤 Adam Heller
- 👤 Barry Miller
- 👤 Murray Robbins
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 06:42
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01G; H01G9/00; H01G9/20; H01M; H01M14/00; H01M14/005; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/542; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49108
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A photocell containing a photovoltaic junction beteen a semiconductor material and a liquid electrolyte containing a redox couple CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said photoactive electrode comprises a sintered and metal vapor annealed semiconductor, said semiconductor being formed from a powdered chalcogenide selected from the group consisting of cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, cadmium sulfide and bismuth sulfide and mixtures thereof, and said metal is selected from the group consisting of cadmium and bismuth.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A photocell containing a photovoltaic junction beteen a semiconductor material and a liquid electrolyte containing a redox couple CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said photoactive electrode comprises a sintered and metal vapor annealed semiconductor, said semiconductor being formed from a powdered chalcogenide selected from the group consisting of cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, cadmium sulfide and bismuth sulfide and mixtures thereof, and said metal is selected from the group consisting of cadmium and bismuth.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The photocell recited in claim 1 in which said electrolyte containing the redox couple is a solution comprising anions selected from the group consisting of sulfide, selenide, telluride and mixtures thereof.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for making a photocell comprising: forming a chalcogenide semiconductor electrode, said chalcogenide being selected from the group consisting of powdered cadmium selenide, cadmium sulfide, cadmium telluride and bismuth sulfide; and immersing said electrode and a counter electrode in a cell containing a redox electrolyte comprising anions selected from the group consisting of sulfide, selenide, telluride and mixtures thereof; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said forming step comprises: sintering and metal vapor annealing said chalcogenide semiconductor, said metal being selected from the group consisting of cadmium and bismuth.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
87 words
A method for making a photocell comprising: forming a chalcogenide semiconductor electrode, said chalcogenide being selected from the group consisting of powdered cadmium selenide, cadmium sulfide, cadmium telluride and bismuth sulfide; and immersing said electrode and a counter electrode in a cell containing a redox electrolyte comprising anions selected from the group consisting of sulfide, selenide, telluride and mixtures thereof; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said forming step comprises: sintering and metal vapor annealing said chalcogenide semiconductor, said metal being selected from the group consisting of cadmium and bismuth.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 3 in which said sintering step uses a pressure between 400psi and 10,000psi and a temperature between 600° and 1100° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as recited in claim 4 in which said metal vapor annealing step comprises heating said chalcogenide to a temperature between 500° and 800° C and exposing said chalcogenide to said metal vapor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4011149A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-04-10 | 1981-10-10 | 1982-04-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-04-10 | 1985-10-10 | 1986-04-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-04-10 | 1989-10-10 | 1990-04-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |