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Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer

Dry Epitaxial Lift-Off for High Efficiency Solar Cells, Phase I

Completed Technology Project

Project Introduction

Dry Epitaxial Lift-Off for High Efficiency Solar Cells, Phase I
A new method of transferring epitaxially grown active films onto an inexpensive polymeric flexible carrier. Specifically, for making thin lightweight high efficiency (> 30%) IMM3J solar cells while reusing the GaAs or Ge base wafer. This will reduce the costs of fabricating high efficiency PV cells by 30% and will raise specific power to > 200W/kg. The method uses a thin strained layer under the epitaxially grown active layers without ion implantation or wet etching. A crack propagates in the strained layer splitting the epi-layers from the base wafer after bonding to polyimide wafer, hence dry epitaxial lift-off (DELO), due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the semiconductor and flexible substrate without applying mechanical pressure. The base wafer is re-used to grow new epi-layers. More »

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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.

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