Magnolia Solar Corp of Woburn, MA and Albany, NY, USA says that its subsidiary Magnolia Solar Inc was recently awarded three additional patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). US Patents 8,921,687, 8,969,711 and 8,981,207 describe and protect Magnolia's innovations in lightweight flexible solar cells for photovoltaic applications, and expand the firm's intellectual property portfolio to five issued patents.
Magnolia is developing flexible, lightweight, high-efficiency solar cell technologies for a wide range of portable power applications. The firm's technology portfolio includes nanostructured anti-reflection coatings, advanced thin-film photovoltaic absorber structures, and novel, low-cost manufacturing processes. The firm says that thin-film solar cells are an attractive source of portable and mobile power, as they can be integrated into flexible, lightweight photovoltaic modules that can operate in both terrestrial and space environments. Several other patent applications by the firm are currently under review.
US Patent 8,921,687 (issued on 30 December 2014) pertains to a novel device structure for increasing the efficiency of high-performance thin-film solar cells. Specifically, the patent describes an advanced thin-film solar cell structure employing quantum-structured III-V absorber materials and nanostructured transparent conductive coatings. This novel structure leverages optical light trapping mechanisms to increase the current output of III-V thin-film solar cells.
US Patent 8,969,711 (issued on 3 March) describes a solar cell employing nano-crystalline superlattice material as a full-spectrum absorber that can be deposited on a stainless-steel flexible substrate. This patent provides a means to boost the efficiency of low-cost flexible thin-film solar cells.
US Patent 8,981,207 (issued on 17 March) details a high-efficiency thin-film solar cell with a quantum-dot-sensitized layer that provides a tunable bandgap to cover the infrared, visible and ultraviolet bands of the solar spectrum. The increased absorption can increase the current output of thin-film solar cells, including copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) structures deposited on flexible substrates.
"We have been aggressively pursuing more than a dozen US patent applications as a means to protect our intellectual property (IP) in the field of flexible photovoltaics," says president & CEO Dr Ashok K. Sood. "These patents pertain to novel device structures for increasing the efficiency of lightweight, high-performance and lost-cost thin-film solar cells. These novel structures employ nanostructured absorbers and leverage optical light-trapping mechanisms to increase the current output of thin-film solar cells," he adds.
"Magnolia has begun exploring various ways to use its intellectual property for commercial applications and for generating revenue and profits," Sood continues. "We have also initiated preliminary discussions with various solar companies to help accelerate the commercialization of these technologies. As we move forward in these endeavors, we intend to provide additional information."
