Method for Distinguishing Biological Material Products
Granted: November 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140349861
A method for encoding and identifying biological materials is disclosed. The method may include encoding and identifying plants from which controlled substances may be derived and other materials for which movement and distribution may need to be tracked. The biological material may be first encoded using DNA oligomers. A spray method or the use of an encoded substrate, both using these DNA oligomers for encoding the biological material, may be employed. The biological material, or a…
Photo-catalytic Systems for Production of Hydrogen
Granted: November 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140342254
A system for splitting water and producing hydrogen for later use as an energy source may include the use of a photoactive material including PCCN and plasmonic nanoparticles. A method for producing the PCCN may include a semiconductor nanocrystal synthesis and an exchange of organic capping agents with inorganic capping agents. The PCCN may be deposited between the plasmonic nanoparticles and may act as photocatalysts for redox reactions. The photoactive material may be used in presence…
Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction System
Granted: November 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140339072
A system employing sunlight energy for reducing CO2 into methane and water is disclosed. The system may include the use of a photoactive material including plasmonic nanoparticles and photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals (PCCN). A method for producing the PCCN may include a semiconductor nanocrystal synthesis and an exchange of organic capping agents with inorganic capping agents. Additionally, the PCCN may be deposited between the plasmonic nanoparticles, and may act as…
SOLAR CELL CONTACT FORMATION USING LASER ABLATION
Granted: November 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140326308
The formation of solar cell contacts using a laser is described. A method of fabricating a back-contact solar cell includes forming a poly-crystalline material layer above a single-crystalline substrate. The method also includes forming a dielectric material stack above the poly-crystalline material layer. The method also includes forming, by laser ablation, a plurality of contacts holes in the dielectric material stack, each of the contact holes exposing a portion of the…
System for Harvesting Oriented Light - Water Splitting
Granted: October 9, 2014
Application Number:
20140301905
A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing focused polarized sunlight energy is disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited and oriented on a substrate to form an oriented photoactive material. The oriented photoactive material may be employed…
System for Harvesting Oriented Light - Water Splitting
Granted: October 9, 2014
Application Number:
20140301904
A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing focused polarized sunlight energy is disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited and oriented on a substrate to form an oriented photoactive material. The oriented photoactive material may be employed…
Method for Increasing Efficiency of Semiconductor Photocatalysts
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140262806
A method and composition for producing a photoactive material including photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals (PCCN) and plasmonic nanoparticles are disclosed. The PCCN may include a semiconductor nanocrystal synthesis and an exchange of organic capping agents with inorganic capping agents. Additionally, the PCCN may be deposited between the plasmonic nanoparticles, and may act as photocatalysts for redox reactions. The photoactive material may be used in a plurality of…
METHODS FOR IMPROVING SOLAR CELL LIFETIME AND EFFICIENCY
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140273326
Methods for protecting a texturized region and a lightly doped diffusion region of a solar cell to improve solar cell lifetime and efficiency are disclosed. In an embodiment, an example method includes providing a solar cell having a front side which faces the sun during normal operation and a back side opposite the front side, a silicon substrate and where the silicon substrate includes a texturized region and a lightly doped diffusion region. The method includes placing the solar cell…
SYSTEM FOR INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF SEMICONDUCTOR PHOTOCATALYSTS EMPLOYING A HIGH SURFACE AREA SUBSTRATE
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140272623
A system for energy production may include a photoactive material with photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals (PCCN) and plasmonic nanoparticles over a high surface area gridded substrate for increasing light harvesting efficiency. The formation of PCCN may include a semiconductor nanocrystal synthesis and an exchange of organic capping agents with inorganic capping agents. Additionally, the PCCN may be deposited between the plasmonic nanoparticles, and may act as photocatalysts…
NESTED TORQUE TUBES FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC TRACKING SYSTEMS
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270930
A sun tracking solar energy collection system can include torque tubes that can be configured to allow the cylindrical body of one torque tube to nest with projections extending from an adjacent torque tube. The torque tubes can be formed with a plurality of rotatable shafts connected to each other in an end to end fashion. The torque tubes may be connected with coupling flanges, shaped with a plurality of radially extending lobes. The coupling flanges can include a plurality of concave…
System for Harvesting Oriented Light for Water Splitting and Carbon Dioxide Reduction
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140262743
A photosynthetic system for splitting water to produce hydrogen and using the produced hydrogen for the reduction of carbon dioxide into methane is disclosed. The disclosed photosynthetic system employs photoactive materials that include oriented photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals (PCCN) within their composition, in order to harvest sunlight and obtain the energy necessary for water splitting and subsequent carbon dioxide reduction processes. The photosynthetic system may also…
Substrate for Increased Efficiency of Semiconductor Photocatalysts
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140262742
A high surface area grid having two mesh sheets aligned in opposite direction to each other is disclosed. One mesh sheet may be horizontally aligned while the other may be vertically aligned. Piezoelectric actuators may be attached along the sides of each wire sheet, employing piezoelectric actuators to allow a precise control of the displacement of the wires. High surface area grid may be employed in the formation of a photoactive material, where semiconductor photocatalysts may be…
SUPPORT FOR SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTION
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140261626
A solar energy collection system can include support devices made with bearings. Such bearings can include an inner partially toroidal surface for sliding contact and support of an outer surface of a torque tube. The toroidal surface can be made with a single radius of curvature or multiple radiuses of curvature and cylindrical portions. The bearings can include connectors for connecting the bearing members to a support housing. The connectors can be tool-less connectors.
Oriented Photocatalytic Semiconductor Surfaces
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140256532
The present disclosure relates to oriented photocatalytic semiconductor surfaces which may include photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals (PCCNs) positioned all in the same orientation. The photoactive material may be employed in a plurality of photocatalytic energy conversion applications such as the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide and water splitting, among others. The disclosed oriented PCCNs, within the oriented photoactive material, may also exhibit different shapes…
System for Harvesting Oriented Light - Water Splitting
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140252275
A system and method for splitting water to produce hydrogen and oxygen employing focused polarized sunlight energy is disclosed. Hydrogen and oxygen may then be stored for later use as fuels. The system and method use inorganic capping agents that cap the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals to form photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals, which may be deposited and oriented on a substrate to form an oriented photoactive material. The oriented photoactive material may be employed…
System for Harvesting Oriented Light for Carbon Dioxide Reduction
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140251786
A system and method for harvesting oriented light for reducing carbon dioxide to produce fuels, such as methane, are disclosed. The present disclosure also relates to oriented photocatalytic semiconductor surfaces that may include oriented photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals (PCCN) which may form oriented photoactive materials. The disclosed photocatalytic system for harvesting oriented light may include a polarization system that employs reflective or polarizing surfaces, such…
TRENCH PROCESS AND STRUCTURE FOR BACKSIDE CONTACT SOLAR CELLS WITH POLYSILICON DOPED REGIONS
Granted: August 14, 2014
Application Number:
20140224319
A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. A trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. The trench structure may include a textured surface for increased solar radiation collection. Among other advantages, the resulting structure increases efficiency by providing isolation between…
SOLAR CELL HAVING SILICON NANO-PARTICLE EMITTER
Granted: August 7, 2014
Application Number:
20140220726
A silicon solar cell having a silicon substrate includes p-type and n-type emitters on a surface of the substrate, the emitters being doped nano-particles of silicon. To reduce high interface recombination at the substrate surface, the nano-particle emitters are preferably formed over a thin interfacial tunnel oxide layer on the surface of the substrate.
Light Emitting Device with All-Inorganic Nanostructured Films
Granted: July 31, 2014
Application Number:
20140209856
A fused film and methods for making the fused film to be employed in a light emitting device are provided. In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a method for forming a film from fused all-inorganic colloidal nanostructures, where the all-inorganic colloidal nanostructures may include inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles and functional inorganic ligands that may be fused to form an electrical network that is electroluminescent. In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a…
Artificial Photosynthetic System Using Photocatalyst
Granted: July 31, 2014
Application Number:
20140209478
A photosynthetic system for splitting water to produce hydrogen and using the produced hydrogen for the reduction of carbon dioxide into methane is disclosed. The disclosed photosynthetic system employs photoactive materials that include photocatalytic capped colloidal nanocrystals within their composition, in order to harvest sunlight and obtain the energy necessary for water splitting and subsequent carbon dioxide reduction processes. The photosynthetic system may also include elements…
