< http://www.photonics.com/todaysheadlines/article.asp?id=6070 >

IR Solar Cell Record Set


EWING, New Jersey, Jan. 12, 2006 -- Global Photonic Energy
Corp. (GPEC), a developer of organic photovoltaic technology
for high-power solar cells, announced that its research
partners at Princeton University and the University of
Southern California have achieved a record in an organic
solar cell that is responsive to light in the near-infrared
range of the solar spectrum.
The achievement is the highest level of conversion performance
yet achieved for an organic solar cell in the IR portion of
the solar spectrum, GPEC said.
GPEC sponsors research by Professor Stephen R. Forrest at
Princeton and Professor Mark E. Thompson at the University of
Southern California. They reported their results in a recent
issue of Applied Physics Letters.
Forrest's research team has focused on organic "small-molecule"
devices that are assembled literally a molecule at a time in
highly efficient nanostructures. These devices have layers or
structural elements that can be extremely small -- only half
a billionth of a meter thick -- and can be applied to low-cost,
flexible plastic surfaces.
"This latest device demonstrates that significant power can be
harvested from the IR and near-IR portion of the solar spectrum,"
said Forrest. "In fact, this novel approach has the potential to
double the power output of organic solar devices with power
harvested from the near-IR and IR portion of the solar spectrum.
"With this approach, we are well on our way to power levels
exceeding 100 watts per meter," he said.
Near-infrared (NIR) radiation is invisible to the human eye.
Many night-vision devices operate by sensing IR light emitted
by warm objects. Under only NIR radiation, the Princeton solar
cell would appear to be generating power in the dark, since
the human eye is only sensitive to visible light.
Traditionally, photovoltaic, or solar, cells have been constructed
of an inorganic semiconductor like silicon. Efficient silicon-based
devices, especially those with large surface areas, are difficult
and expensive to produce. Although the cost of silicon solar cells
has dropped dramatically since the 1950s, further reductions and
new capabilities are needed for additional market penetration
and broader adoption, GPEC said.
Recent efforts have focused on the use of "organic" materials.
Organic semiconductors contain carbon and are capable of achieving
ultralow-cost solar power generation that is competitive with
traditional fossil-fuel sources. Organic materials have the
potential to achieve ultralow cost production costs and high-power
output, GMAC said. They can be applied to virtually any surface
using a method akin to spray painting and can also be used in
flexible applications.
One challenge for organic solar cells has been the efficient
capture and conversion of sunlight. Sunlight is comprised of
photons (particles of light) that are delivered across a spectrum
that includes invisible ultraviolet (UV) light, the visible
spectrum of colors -- violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow,
orange and red -- and the invisible IR spectrum. The amount
of incoming photons across the UV, visible and IR spectrums
is about 4, 5 and 45 percent, respectively. The photons absorbed
by a solar cell directly impacts the power output. The best
organic solar cells absorb and convert only about a third of
the total available light utilizing primarily the visible portion
of the spectrum.
For more information, visit: www.globalphotonic.com


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