An apparatus is disclosed for transferring a pattern of a composition containing particles of an electrically conductive material and a thermally activated adhesive from a surface of a flexible web to a surface of a substrate. The apparatus comprises: respective drive mechanisms for advancing the web and the substrate to a nip through which the web and the substrate pass at the same time and where a pressure roller acts to press the surfaces of the web and the substrate against one another, a heating station for heating at least one of the web and the substrate prior to, or during, passage through the nip, to a temperature at which the adhesive in the composition is activated, a cooling station for cooling the web after passage through the nip, and a separating device for peeling the web away from the substrate after passage through the cooling station, to leave the pattern of composition adhered to the surface of the substrate.

An InGaN solar photovoltaic device includes a base band, a light absorption layer, an n-type ZnO electron transport layer, and a p-type InN hole transport layer, the p-type InN hole transport layer is on a front side of the light absorption layer, and the base band and the n-type ZnO electron transport layer are on a back side of the light absorption layer, wherein the light absorption layer includes a p-type In.sub.xGa.sub.1-XN layer and an n-type In.sub.yGa.sub.1-yN layer which are superposed, where 0.2<x<0.4 and 0.2<y<0.4, and the p-type In.sub.xGa.sub.1-XN layer and the n-type In.sub.yGa.sub.1-yN layer are doped with Si and Mg. The InGaN solar photovoltaic device with a flexible multi-layer structure features high in energy conversion efficiency, low in cost, simple in manufacturing, and easy to implement, and thus has a broad prospect in application.

A method is disclosed for applying an electrical conductor to a solar cell, which comprises providing a flexible membrane with a pattern of groove formed on a first surface thereof, and loading the grooves with a composition comprising conductive particles. The composition is, or may be made, electrically conductive. Once the membrane is loaded, the grooved first surface of the membrane is brought into contact with a front or/and back of a solar cell. A pressure is then applied between the solar cell and the membrane(s) so that the composition loaded to the grooves adheres to the solar cell. The membrane(s) and the solar cell are separated and the composition in the groove is left on the solar cell surface. The electrically conductive particles in the composition are then sintered or otherwise fused to form a pattern of electrical conductor on the solar cell, the pattern corresponding to the pattern formed in the membrane(s).

A detector including a detector membrane comprising a semiconductor sensor and a readout circuit, the detector membrane having a thickness of 100 micrometers or less and a curved surface conformed to a curved focal plane of an optical system imaging electromagnetic radiation onto the curved surface; and a mount or substrate attached to a backside of the detector membrane. A maximum of the strain experienced by the detector membrane is reduced by distribution of the strain induced by formation of the curved surface across all of the curved surface of the detector membrane, thereby allowing a decreased radius of curvature (more severe curving) as compared to without the distribution.

High-performance perovskite solar cell (PSC) devices, arrays thereof, and modules manufactured on flexible and stretchable substrates using roll-to-roll high throughput manufacturing techniques. The flexible cells can be cut into strips and are connected via flexible and/or stretchable interconnects. The interconnect can be a layer deposited on a wavy surface of the stretchable substrate, a coiled or hinged wire, or a conductive paste that can be deformed prior to curing. The highly deformable solar modules can conform to complex organic contours and shapes, such as those that are common in vehicle designs. Such shapes typically require at least one axis of flex and at least one axis of stretch.

The present disclosure relates to a 3D formable photovoltaic solar panel, in particular to a semi-finished free-formable photovoltaic module for a 3D formed solar panel, and to a method for manufacturing thereof. The semi-finished free-formable photovoltaic module comprising: a plurality of laterally spaced back contactable flexible photovoltaic elements; a plurality of flexible electrically conductive wiring elements forming an electrically conductive interconnection between flexible photovoltaic elements, each wiring element having an overlap with the respective back terminals of adjacent flexible photovoltaic elements; and an encapsulant over layer, wherein the encapsulant cover layer essentially fixates the overlaps of the wiring elements with respect to the respective back terminals.

An X-ray imaging device with an X-ray conversion area on a flexible circuit such as a Thin Film Transistor circuit with an array of detector cells is manufactured in a method comprising the steps of — providing a flexible carrier layer on a substrate plate, with a first surface of the flexible carrier layer attached to the substrate plate and a second surface of the flexible carrier layer exposed, whereby the substrate plate hinders the flexible carrier layer from bending; — creating an array of detector cells on a part of the second surface; — mounting a peripheral circuit on the second surface outside said part, interconnected to the array of detector cells; — attaching a further layer to the second surface, after or before mounting the peripheral circuit, the further layer comprising an X-ray conversion area at least over the array of detector cells, the further layer being attached to the flexible carrier layer beyond a first edge of the array of detector cells, and beyond the peripheral circuit, the further layer comprising a recess or and opening to accommodate the peripheral circuit; — detaching the substrate plate from the flexible carrier layer before the end of manufacturing the X-ray imaging device.

A photovoltaic apparatus is provided including a first photovoltaic module and a second photovoltaic module. Each photovoltaic module includes a front sheet having an outer portion and an inner portion. The outer portion is disposed around a core to form a keder. Each photovoltaic module further includes a back sheet and a photovoltaic device disposed between the front sheet and the back sheet. Each photovoltaic device includes an array of photovoltaic cells.

Provided are methods, systems, and apparatuses providing flexible conductive substrates for nanomaterial/perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. One such apparatus may include a flexible conductive substrate, a nanomaterial layer disposed on the flexible conductive substrate, and a perovskite layer disposed on the nanomaterial layer. The flexible conductive substrate may be a cost-effective metal sheet such as a stainless steel sheet or an aluminum sheet. The nanomaterial layer may comprise semiconductor or oxide nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, or nanoparticles, such as gadolinium-doped zinc oxide nanorods. The perovskite layer may comprise inorganic or organic perovskite. The apparatus may further include an optically transparent conductive layer disposed on the perovskite layer. Optionally, the apparatus may include an electrical contact disposed on a portion of the optically transparent conductive layer.

A detector including a detector membrane comprising a semiconductor sensor and a readout circuit, the detector membrane having a thickness of 100 micrometers or less and a curved surface conformed to a curved focal plane of an optical system imaging electromagnetic radiation onto the curved surface; and a mount attached to a backside of the detector membrane. A maximum of the strain experienced by the detector membrane is reduced by distribution of the strain induced by formation of the curved surface across all of the curved surface of the detector membrane, thereby allowing an increased radius of curvature of the curved surface as compared to without the distribution.