Patent ID: 8288646

Claim:
A method comprising: depositing a resistive layer directly on top of a surface of a solar cell; depositing a stack of transparent pyroelectric films directly on top of a surface of the resistive layer; depositing a stack of opaque pyroelectric films directly on another surface of the solar cell such that the solar cell is bookended by the stack of opaque pyroelectric films and a combination of the stack of transparent pyroelectric films and the resistive layer; depositing another resistive layer directly below a surface of the stack of opaque pyroelectric films; channeling solar heat into the stack of transparent pyroelectric films and the stack of opaque pyroelectric films to generate an electromotive force; depositing a first semiconductor diode layer in combination with the stack of opaque pyroelectric films and the another resistive layer and a second semiconductor diode layer in combination with the stack of transparent pyroelectric films and the resistive layer such that current flow through the first semiconductor diode layer and the second semiconductor diode layer due to heat produced in the another resistive layer and the resistive layer leads to an increased total current through the solar cell; creating a sustained temperature variation in the solar cell in accordance with an increased current through the stack of transparent pyroelectric films and the stack of opaque pyroelectric films based on the channeling; creating, through varying at least one of a specific heat and a conductivity across at least one of the stack of opaque pyroelectric films and the stack of transparent pyroelectric films, a constant temperature gradient in the at least one of the stack of opaque pyroelectric films and the stack of transparent pyroelectric films to increase the current therethrough with an increase in temperature; and biasing a p-n junction of the solar cell with the electromotive force generated.