Lucintech has developed three distinct technologies:


Development of both rigid and flexible semitransparent PV modules for tinted windows is our expertise. Lucintech has demonstrated that magnetron sputtering is particularly well suited for depositing these ultrathin coatings of CdTe. These coatings are thin enough to be intrinsically transparent and yet retain most of the power conversion efficiency of thicker coatings. For example, we have fabricated solar cells with 12% efficiency using only 500 nm of CdTe.


Lucintech has completed a partial scale-up of this process and has developed nearly imperceptible laser-scribed cell interconnects while retaining excellent module efficiencies with transparency suitable for windows. These breakthroughs open up the large potential for power-producing PV windows, skylights, and canopies that are truly“building-integrated” and uniformly transparent. These PV windows are uniformly transparent and do not need selective removal of portions of an opaque coating in order to achieve light transmission as some other PV coatings require. Our PV windows do not have distracting lines in the visual field like some other products.



Lucintech’s pioneering technology for the deposition of the semiconductor layers provides unique advantages for creating the uniform, ultrathin coatings needed to achieve transparency while retaining high solar-electric conversion efficiency. In addition, Lucintech’s sputter deposition adapts a process that is well-established in the glass coatings industry. It also allows these durable coatings to be made with a roll-to-roll process on flexible glass or a polymer web to achieve very light-weight and flexible PV modules. Lucintech also has proprietary technology to provide selectable color tint options to meet designer requirements whether for sunroof or BIPV applications.



PV coatings on rigid glass or on flexible ribbon ceramic are fabricated into monolithically integrated modules using laser scribing. The voltage of such a monolithically interconnected module is the sum of the voltages of individual cells and the current is the same as that of an individual cell. Lucintech’s scale-up of deposition size, its demonstration of monolithic interconnection, and its improvements in module efficiency and transparency have been supported with seed funding from investors and more than $3.3M in grants from the State of Ohio and federal SBIR programs.



PV for aerospace, portable power and the Internet of things



Transparent thin film modules on glass



In addition to using glass as the superstrate on which to build the PV coatings, Lucintech has developed the capability to fabricate cells and modules on a unique,flexible ribbon ceramic. This ribbon is produced by a collaborator, ENrG Inc, with thicknesses of 20-40microns.



The superstrate is translucent with excellent light transmission but still provides a hermetic barrier so no additional top-side encapsulation is required.This allows our cells and modules to have state-of-the-art power per unit mass(specific power). We have already achieved 700 W/kg and project 1500 W/kg in the near term. These thin-film coatings can be fabricated into modules using advanced,monolithic interconnects in a process illustrated in the figure. The ribbon ceramic uniformly coated with the first three PV layers is laser-scribed with P1 and P2 lines P1 is backfilled the back contact metal is deposited and finally the P3 scribe is cut. See the processing sketch in the adjacent flow diagram. This monolithically integrates typically nine cells into a mini-module with ~7V output.



An example of the finished minimodule is shown in the adjacent image. The total finished thickness is ~25 micron (0.025 mm).



Neutron detectors



Thin-film PV structures sensitized with Li-6 as neutron detectors



This R&D effort has been carried out in collaboration with Lithium Innovations Co, LLC with partial support from the Department of Homeland Security (DNDO). As charge-less particles, neutrons are extremely difficult to detect. However a very limited number of nuclear isotopes (e.g. He-3, Li-6, B-10) have very large reaction cross-sections to slow (“thermalized”) neutrons and these provide sensitivity to nuclear fission events. Lithium-6 is particularly well suited to match Lucntech’s thin-film CdTe technology. Our collaborator, Lithium Innovations, fabricates thin foils of isotopically enriched Lithium-6. The neutron reaction with a Li-6 nucleus yields the energetic charged particles, He-4 (alpha) and H-3 (triton) according to the reaction:



We fabricate a detector module with the structure sketched in the figure below. Two modified solar cells make a sandwich around the Li-6 foil and detect the charged particles resulting from the neutron capture reaction. Since lithium is very sensitive to moisture and oxygen, fabrication must be done in special glove boxes and the finished detector module must have a long-lasting hermetic seal.


The adjacent image shows one of a variety of prototype neutron detectors built by our collaborative team. The detector design is modular and readily scalable to larger sizes at low cost since it leverages large-area, thin-film deposition and metal foil technology.Further details of this innovative technology can be found on Lithium Innovations’ pages.


Lucintech’s IP is protected by four patents and two patent applications licensed from The University of Toledo exclusively to Lucintech. Three additional patent applications are owned by Lucintech.


Lucintech Inc


419.265.2641 | 1510 N. Westwood Ave, Toledo, OH, 43606