Patent ID: 8106289

Claim:
A hybrid photovoltaic device comprising: a plurality of layers including: a substrate having a bottom and a top surface; a first conducting layer overlying the top surface of the substrate, wherein the first conducting layer forms a first electrode; a first layer overlying the first conducting layer; a plurality of nanostructures arranged in a two dimensional array, wherein the plurality of nanostructures is supported on the first layer, and wherein each one of the nanostructures project vertically upwards from a surface of the first layer; a matrix including: a second layer overlying the first layer, wherein the second layer surrounds the plurality of nanostructures, and substantially fills the space between portions of the nanostructures proximate to the first layer, such that the plurality of nanostructures is partially embedded in the second layer, and a third layer overlying the second layer, wherein the third layer surrounds the plurality of nanostructures, and substantially fills the remaining space between each one of the nanostructures to the top of the nanostructures, wherein the first, second and third layers collectively form a planar charge separation region, such that the plurality of nanostructures is embedded in the matrix including the charge separation region; and a second conducting layer overlying the third layer, wherein the second conducting layer forms a second electrode having an opposite polarity from that of the first electrode; such that in response to an incident photon flux, the plurality of nanostructures and the matrix absorb photons having different energies according to their respective band-gaps, wherein a plurality of photo-carriers is generated within the nanostructures and the matrix, respectively, of the hybrid photovoltaic device, wherein each one of the photo-carriers has an electric charge, positive or negative, but not both, and said photo-carriers are collected according to their respective charges at the first and second electrodes, respectively, thereby generating an electric current.