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US 2008/0163928 A1Published application
Photovoltaic Cell Containing a Semiconductor Photovoltaically Active Material
OwnerHans-Josef Sterzelinventor
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Abstract
The invention relates to a photovoltaic cell and to a process for producing a photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaically active semiconductor material of the formula (I) or (II): ZnTe (I) Zn1-xMnxTe (II) where x is from 0.01 to 0.7, wherein the photovoltaically active semiconductor material comprises a metal halide comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of germanium, tin, antimony, bismuth and copper and a halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine
Claims10
1:
- A photovoltaic cell comprising a photovoltaically active semiconductor material of the formula (I) or (II):
- ZnTe (I)
- Zn1-xMnxTe (II)
- where x is from 0.01 to 0.7, wherein the photovoltaically active semiconductor material comprises a metal halide comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of germanium, tin, antimony, bismuth and copper and a halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.
1 more element
2:
- The photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, wherein the metal halide comprises ions of at least one metal halide selected from the group consisting of CuF2, BiF3, BiCl3, BiBr3, BiI3, SbF3, SbCl3, SbBr3, GeI4, SnBr2, SnF4, SnCl2 and SnI2.
3:
- The photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, wherein the metal halide is present in the photovoltaically active semiconductor material in a concentration of from 0.001 to 0.1 mol per mole of telluride.
4:
- The photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, wherein a p-conducting absorbent layer comprising the semiconductor material comprising the metal halide is present.
5:
- The photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, wherein a p-conducting contact layer comprising the semiconductor material comprising the metal halide is present.
6:
- The photovoltaic cell according to claim 5, wherein the p-conducting contact layer is located on an n-conducting absorber comprising a germanium-doped bismuth sulfide.
7:
- A process for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, which comprises the production of a layer of the semiconductor material of the formula (I) or (II) and introduction of a metal halide comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, bismuth, germanium and tin and a halogen selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine into the layer.
8:
- The process according to claim 7, wherein a layer of the semiconductor material of the formula (I) or (II) having a thickness of from 0.1 to 20 μm is produced.
9:
- The process according to claim 7, wherein the layer is produced by means of at least one deposition process selected from the group consisting of sputtering, electrochemical deposition and electroless deposition.
10:
- The process according to claim 7, wherein the introduction of the metal halide is effected by bringing the layer into contact with a vapor of the metal halide at a temperature of from 200° C. to 1000° C.