Patent ID: 8067303

Claim:
A solid state photovoltaic device, comprising: an indirect bandgap wide bandgap semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, diamond, diamond like carbon, boron nitride and gallium phosphide; said wide bandgap semiconductor material having a first doped region; a second doped region formed in situ within a portion of said first doped region by directing a thermal energy beam onto said first doped region in the presence of a doping medium selected from the group consisting of Bis (ethyl benzene)-chromium; Eurpoium 2,2,6,6, Tetramethyl 3,5, heptanedionate and diethyl selenium; said doping medium including large diameter donor atoms having an atomic diameter greater than the largest diameter atom of the indirect wide bandgap semiconductor material to strain the first doped region of the indirect wide bandgap semiconductor material for converting a portion of said first doped region into a second doped region having direct bandgap properties; and a first and a second Ohmic contact connected to said first and the second doped regions of said wide bandgap semiconductor material.