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US 10,319,873 B2Granted
Photovoltaic devices including doped semiconductor films
AssigneeFirst Solar, Inc.
InventorsRick C. Powell, Upali Jayamaha, Anke Abken, Markus Gloeckler, Akhlesh Gupta, Roger T. Green, Peter Meyers
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Abstract
A photovoltaic cell can include a dopant in contact with a semiconductor layer.
Claims20
A method for forming an absorber layer of a photovoltaic cell comprising:
- vaporizing a source material to form a semiconductor vapor with a vapor transport deposition system having a distributor;
- distributing the semiconductor vapor via the distributor to a deposition chamber, wherein the semiconductor vapor comprises Cd and Te;
- applying excess Cd or Te to the semiconductor vapor, whereby:
- the vapor is off-stoichiometric compared to CdTe, and
- a vapor phase overpressure of Cd or Te is introduced to the semiconductor vapor;
- controlling vacancy concentration in the absorber layer using the vapor phase overpressure;
- and
- introducing a P-type dopant into the absorber layer at a concentration greater than 0.5 ppma.
5 more elements
A method for forming an absorber layer of a photovoltaic cell comprising:
- depositing the absorber layer, wherein the absorber layer comprises a mixture of CdTe and at least one semiconductor selected from the group consisting of ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdO, CdS, CdSe, MgO, MgS, MgSe, MgTe, HgO, HgS, HgSe, HgTe, MnO, MnS, MnTe, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb, TlN, TlP, TlAs, and TlSb;
- applying a flux solution to a surface of the absorber layer, wherein the flux solution comprises CdCl2 and a chloride compound, and wherein the chloride compound comprises a Group I element, a Group V element, or both;
- heat treating the absorber layer with the flux solution;
- and
- introducing a P-type dopant into the absorber layer at a concentration greater than 0.5 ppma.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.