NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed a high-efficiency multi-junction solar cell that uses a thin interlayer of selenium as the bonding material between wafers. Selenium is a unique semiconductor in that it’s transparent to light at photon energies below the band gap (infrared), enabling light to pass from the multi-junction top cell to the silicon-based bottom cell. The innovation allows a multi-junction solar cell to be developed without the constraint of lattice matching, and with a low-cost, robust silicon wafer as the supporting bottom substrate and bottom cell. This approach enables a cell that is simultaneously lower in cost, more rugged, and more efficient than existing space-based photovoltaic cells. This high-efficiency solar technology takes advantage of inexpensive silicon wafers and provides a more robust design for next-generation solar cells in space. For terrestrial applications, it can provide unprecedented efficiencies for auxiliary power units in vehicles, solar roof tiles, power plants, and smart grid systems. To express interest in this opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LEW-TOPS-50 If you have any questions, please contact NASA Glenn’s Technology Transfer Office at
[email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this beta.SAM.gov and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.