Wafer Integrated Micro-scale Concentrating Photovoltaics

Development of novel wafer integrated micro-scale photovoltaics is presented. Key notion is a multi-functional silicon platform hybrid-integrated with micro-scale multijunction cells. The IIIV-on-silicon platform simultaneously provides optical micro-concentration, hybrid photovoltaics for both direct and diffuse sunlight, and mechanical micro-assembly functionalities. A >100% improvement on the concentration-acceptance-angle product is demonstrated using the wafer-embedded micro-concentrating elements, leading to dramatically reduced module costs, sufficient angular tolerance to low-cost trackers, and an ultra-compact flat-plate form factor. Leveraging low-cost microfabrication and high-level integration techniques, the micro-scale PV approach seamlessly combines the high performance of multijunction cells and the low costs of flat-plate Si PV systems.