Magnolia Solar adds Three new US Patents
Magnolia Solar has recently been awarded three additional patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) describing and protecting innovations in lightweight flexible solar cells for photovoltaic applications. These expand the company's intellectual property portfolio to five issued patents.
Magnolia Solar is actively working on the development of flexible, lightweight, high-efficiency solar cell technologies for a wide range of portable power applications. Magnolia Solar's technology portfolio includes nanostructured antireflection coatings, advanced thin-film photovoltaic absorber structures, and novel, low-cost manufacturing processes. 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 are currently under review.
US Patent No. 8921687 issued on December 30, 2014 pertains to a novel device structure for increasing the efficiency of high-performance thin-film solar cells. Specifically, this 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 No. 8969711 issued on March 3, 2015 describes a solar cell employing nano-crystalline superlattice material. The superlattice full spectrum absorber 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 No. 8981207 issued on March 17, 2015 details a high efficiency quantum dot sensitised thin-film solar cell. The quantum dot layer provides a tunable bandgap to cover the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet bands of the solar spectrum. The increased absorption described in this patent can increase the current output of thin-film solar cells, including CIGS structures deposited on flexible substrates.
Ashok K. Sood, President and CEO of Magnolia Solar, stated, "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. 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."
Sood added: "Magnolia has begun exploring various ways to use its intellectual property for commercial applications and for generating revenue and profits for Magnolia Solar. 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."
