Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 106, Issue 48, Pages 20149-20154Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0907390106
Keywords
3D structure; microfabrication; self-folding; photovoltaics; capillary force
Categories
Funding
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency HC [02-130130-00]
- Department of Energy [DE-FG02-07ER46471]
- National Science Foundation [DMR 0504751, CMMI 0906361]
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Fabrication of 3D electronic structures in the micrometer-to-millimeter range is extremely challenging due to the inherently 2D nature of most conventional wafer-based fabrication methods. Self-assembly, and the related method of self-folding of planar patterned membranes, provide a promising means to solve this problem. Here, we investigate self-assembly processes driven by wetting interactions to shape the contour of a functional, nonplanar photovoltaic (PV) device. A mechanics model based on the theory of thin plates is developed to identify the critical conditions for self-folding of different 2D geometrical shapes. This strategy is demonstrated for specifically designed millimeter-scale silicon objects, which are self-assembled into spherical, and other 3D shapes and integrated into fully functional light-trapping PV devices. The resulting 3D devices offer a promising way to efficiently harvest solar energy in thin cells using concentrator microarrays that function without active light tracking systems.
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