Combining silicon with another semiconductor selected to efficiently convert a part of the solar spectrum that silicon doesn’t convert will greatly increase the efficiency of silicon solar panels. Solar-Tectic LLC owns the intellectual property for depositing a semiconductor such as silicon on an inexpensive substrate such as soda-lime glass followed by the (hetero) epitaxial deposition of another semiconductor with distinct advantages (such as higher bandgap). Examples of higher bandgap top layers are CIGS (CGS), CZTS, Perovskites, SnS, etc.
