公开(公告)号：US20200343403A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-29

申请号：US16861464

申请日：2020-04-29

申请人： The University of Toledo

发明人： Michael J. Heben ,  Adam B. Phillips ,  Fadhil K. Alfadhili ,  Randall J. Ellingson ,  Ebin Bastola ,  Dipendra Pokhrel ,  Kamala Khanal Subedi

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/073

摘要： Methods for forming electrical contacts with CdTe layers, methods for forming photovoltaic devices, methods for passivating a CdTe surface, and photovoltaic devices are described.

公开(公告)号：US10784397B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-22

申请号：US16200423

申请日：2018-11-26

申请人： First Solar, Inc.

发明人： Holly Ann Blaydes ,  Kristian William Andreini ,  William Hullinger Huber ,  Eugene Thomas Hinners ,  Joseph John Shiang ,  Yong Liang ,  Jongwoo Choi ,  Adam Fraser Halverson

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/065 ,  H01L31/073

摘要： Embodiments of a photovoltaic device are provided herein. The photovoltaic device can include a layer stack and an absorber layer disposed on the layer stack. The absorber layer can include a first region and a second region. Each of the first region of the absorber layer and the second region of the absorber layer can include a compound comprising cadmium, selenium, and tellurium. An atomic concentration of selenium can vary across the absorber layer. The first region of the absorber layer can have a thickness between 100 nanometers to 3000 nanometers. The second region of the absorber layer can have a thickness between 100 nanometers to 3000 nanometers. A ratio of an average atomic concentration of selenium in the first region of the absorber layer to an average atomic concentration of selenium in the second region of the absorber layer can be greater than 10.

公开(公告)号：US10727364B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-28

申请号：US15615120

申请日：2017-06-06

申请人： LG ELECTRONICS INC.

发明人： Kangseok Moon

IPC分类号： H01L31/05 ,  H01L31/048 ,  H01L31/0735 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0749 ,  H01L31/056 ,  H01L31/054 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H02S40/22

摘要： A solar cell module includes a plurality of compound semiconductor solar cells each including a compound semiconductor substrate, a first electrode part on a front surface of the compound semiconductor substrate, an insulating substrate positioned at a back surface of the compound semiconductor substrate, a second electrode part positioned between the back surface of the compound semiconductor substrate and a front surface of the insulating substrate, and an insulating adhesive attaching the insulating substrate to the second electrode part; a conductive connection member electrically connecting two adjacent compound semiconductor solar cells to each other; a conductive adhesive attaching the conductive connection member to a corresponding electrode part of the compound semiconductor solar cell; a front substrate positioned on the compound semiconductor solar cells; and a back substrate positioned below the compound semiconductor solar cells.

公开(公告)号：US10529883B2

公开(公告)日：2020-01-07

申请号：US14531425

申请日：2014-11-03

申请人： First Solar, Inc.

发明人： Dan Damjanovic ,  Markus Gloeckler ,  Feng Liao ,  Andrei Los ,  Dan Mao ,  Benjamin Milliron ,  Gopal Mor ,  Rick Powell ,  Kenneth Ring ,  Aaron Roggelin ,  Jigish Trivedi ,  Zhibo Zhao

IPC分类号： H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/20

摘要： A photovoltaic device includes a substrate structure and at least one Se-containing layer, such as a CdSeTe layer. A process for manufacturing the photovoltaic device includes forming the CdSeTe layer over a substrate by at least one of sputtering, evaporation deposition, CVD, chemical bath deposition process, and vapor transport deposition process. The process can also include controlling a thickness range of the Se-containing layer.

公开(公告)号：US10396232B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-27

申请号：US16090033

申请日：2017-03-29

申请人： ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

发明人： Yong-Hang Zhang ,  Mathieu Boccard ,  Zachary Holman ,  Yuan Zhao

IPC分类号： H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/072 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0445 ,  H01L31/0224

摘要： Devices converting light to electricity (such as solar cells or photodetectors) including a heavily-doped p-type a-SiCy:H and an i-MgxCd1-xTe/n-CdTe/N—Mg0.24Cd0.76Te double heterostructure (DH), with power conversion efficiency of as high as 17%, Voc as high as 1.096 V, and all operational characteristics being substantially better than those of monocrystalline solar cells known to-date. The a-SiCy:H layer is configured to enable high built-in potential while, at the same time, allowing the doped absorber to maintain a very long carry lifetime. In comparison, similar undoped CdTe/MgxCd1-xTe DH designs reveal a long carrier lifetime of 3.6 μs and an interface recommendation velocity of 1.2 cm/s, which are lower than the record values reported for GaAs/Al0.5Ga0.5As (18 cm/s) and GaAs/Ga0.5In0.5P (1.5 cm/s) DHs.

公开(公告)号：US10319873B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-11

申请号：US14994830

申请日：2016-01-13

申请人： First Solar, Inc.

发明人： Rick C. Powell ,  Upali Jayamaha ,  Anke Abken ,  Markus Gloeckler ,  Akhlesh Gupta ,  Roger T. Green ,  Peter Meyers

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/0304

摘要： A photovoltaic cell can include a dopant in contact with a semiconductor layer.

公开(公告)号：US10176982B2

公开(公告)日：2019-01-08

申请号：US15541251

申请日：2015-12-15

申请人： CHINA TRIUMPH INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING CO., LTD. ,  CTF SOLAR GMBH

发明人： Velappan Krishnakumar ,  Harr Michael

IPC分类号： H01L21/02 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/18 ,  C23C22/76 ,  H01L31/0296

摘要： The present invention proposes a method to form a gradient thin film using a spray pyrolysis technique. The method comprises providing a base substrate, preparing a spray aqueous solution by mixing at least two precursor compounds comprising at least two different elements and spraying the spray aqueous solution onto the base substrate. According to the present invention, the ratio of the concentration of the at least two different elements within the spray aqueous solution is varied while performing the method. In this way, a thin film having a gradient of elemental composition over its layer thickness may be formed.

公开(公告)号：US10026861B2

公开(公告)日：2018-07-17

申请号：US13653051

申请日：2012-10-16

申请人： First Solar, Inc.

发明人： Igor Sankin ,  Markus Gloeckler ,  Benyamin Buller ,  Kieran Tracy

IPC分类号： H01L31/065 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L21/02

摘要： An improved photovoltaic device and methods of manufacturing the same that includes an interface layer adjacent to a semiconductor absorber layer, where the interface layer includes a material in the semiconductor layer which decreases in concentration from the side of the interface layer contacting the absorber layer to an opposite side of the interface layer.

公开(公告)号：US20170301810A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-19

申请号：US15588575

申请日：2017-05-05

申请人： Achyut Kumar Dutta

发明人： Achyut Kumar Dutta

IPC分类号： H01L31/0352 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L51/44 ,  H01L31/07 ,  H01L31/072 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0304 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01G9/20 ,  H01L51/42 ,  H01L31/0735

CPC分类号： H01L51/447 ,  H01G9/2031 ,  H01L31/02327 ,  H01L31/02366 ,  H01L31/03529 ,  H01L31/18 ,  Y02E10/543 ,  Y02E10/544 ,  Y02E10/549 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： This invention relates to a novel structure of photovoltaic devices (e.g. photovoltaic cells also called as solar cells) are provided. The cells are based on the micro or nano scaled structures which could not only increase the surface area but also have the capability of reducing the reflection and increasing the absorption of incident light. More specifically, the structures are based on 3D structure which are made of electric materials covering semiconductors, insulators, dielectric, polymer, and metallic type materials. By using such structures reflection loss of the light from the cell is significantly reduced, increasing the absorption, which results in increasing the conversion efficiency of the solar cell, and reducing the usage of material while increasing the flexibility of the solar cell. The structures can be also used in other optical devices wherein the reflection loss and absorption are required to enhance significantly improve the device performances.

公开(公告)号：US09722111B2

公开(公告)日：2017-08-01

申请号：US14615282

申请日：2015-02-05

申请人： Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

发明人： Matthew O. Reese ,  Craig L. Perkins ,  James M. Burst ,  Timothy A. Gessert ,  Teresa M. Barnes ,  Wyatt K. Metzger

IPC分类号： C30B1/02 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L31/073

CPC分类号： H01L31/0296 ,  H01L21/02562 ,  H01L21/02664 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/1828 ,  Y02E10/543

摘要： In one embodiment, a method for surface passivation for CdTe devices is provided. The method includes adjusting a stoichiometry of a surface of a CdTe material layer such that the surface becomes at least one of stoichiometric or Cd-rich; and reconstructing a crystalline lattice at the surface of the CdTe material layer by annealing the adjusted surface.