| 摘要 |
A single monolithic integrated circuit (10) containing a solar cell (or cells) with a DC-DC converter includes: a substrate (120, 220); the solar cell (101) or a solar cell array (100, 100′) on the substrate for generating an output voltage; and the DC-DC converter (102) integrated on the substrate for receiving the output voltage to generate a converted voltage, which may be higher or lower than the solar generated voltage. The substrate may be a silicon <111>, silicon carbide, or sapphire substrate. A GaN RF power amplifier and a CMOS controller including PWM modulator may also be monolithically integrated with an InGaN solar cell array and a GaN DC-DC converter. GaN switches (113, 115, 117, 119) may be used to couple InGaN solar cells (101) in series or parallel within the solar cell array (100, 100′) to yield improved or optimal voltage and current levels as required by the load. |
| 主权项 |
1. A single monolithic integrated circuit (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) containing solar cells with a voltage converter, comprising:
a substrate (120, 220); two or more solar cells (101, 301, 371) on the substrate and configured to generate an output voltage, wherein the two or more solar cells (101, 301, 371) comprises indium gallium nitride (InGaN) solar cells (101, 101′, 301, 371) or silicon solar cells; the voltage converter (102, 390) integrally formed on the substrate (120, 220) with the two or more solar cells, the voltage converter (102, 390) comprising gallium nitride (GaN) and being configured to receive the output voltage and to generate a converted voltage,
wherein the voltage converter is controllable to boost or reduce the output voltage received from the two or more solar cells in accordance with a voltage requirement and a current requirement of a load; a plurality of field-effect transistor (FET) switches; and a controller (109) integrated on the substrate with the solar cells and the voltage converter, wherein the controller is a CMOS controller, and the controller is configured to couple the two or more solar cells in parallel or series configuration by controlling the plurality of field-effect transistor (FET) switches in accordance with the voltage requirement and the current requirement of the load, and wherein respective bottom surfaces of the controller, the voltage converter, and at least one of the two or more solar cells are each positioned on the same surface of the substrate. |
