# US 2009/0260680 A1 · Photovoltaic Devices and Associated Methods

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- Number: US 2009/0260680 A1
- Document ID: US20090260680A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/390,060
- Filed: 2009-02-20
- Published: 2009-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2008-02-26
- Inventors: Chien-Min Sung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090260680A1

## CPC

- H10F 10/164: comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells
- H10F 71/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00)
- H10F 77/169: Thin semiconductor films on metallic or insulating substrates
- H10F 77/1696: {the films including Group II-VI materials, e.g. CdTe or CdS}
- H10D 62/8303: {Diamond}
- H10D 64/0114: {to diamond, semiconducting diamond-like carbon or graphene}
- H10F 10/161: comprising multiple PN heterojunctions, e.g. tandem cells
- H10F 77/126: {comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS]}
- H10F 77/1662: {including only Group IV materials}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Materials, devices, and methods for enhancing performance of electronic devices such as solar cells, thermoelectric conversion devices and other electronic devices are provided. In one aspect, for example, an electronic device is provided. Such a device may include a charge carrier separation layer further including a layer of a P-type material comprising copper, gallium, indium and at least one member selected from the group consisting of selenide and sulfide, and a layer of an N-type material adjacent to the P-type material, where the N-type material includes diamond-like carbon doped with an N dopant. The electronic device may further include a first electrode adjacent to the layer of P-type material of the charge carrier separation layer opposite to the N-type material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a charge carrier separation layer including:
a layer of a P-type material comprising copper, gallium, indium and at least one member selected from the group consisting of selenide and sulfide;
a layer of an N-type material adjacent to the P-type material, the N-type material including diamond-like carbon doped with an N dopant; and
a first electrode adjacent to the layer of P-type material of the charge carrier separation layer opposite to the N-type material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the diamond-like carbon is conductive diamond-like carbon.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the conductive diamond-like carbon has an sp3 bonded carbon content from about 30 atom % to about 90 atom %, a hydrogen content from O atom % to about 30 atom %, and an sp2 bonded carbon content from about 10 atom % to about 70 atom %.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the sp2 bonded carbon content is sufficient to provide the conductive diamond-like carbon material with a visible light transmissivity of greater than about 0.70.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the sp2 bonded carbon content is from about 35 atom % to about 60 atom %.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the hydrogen content is from about 15 atom % to about 25 atom %.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the conductive diamond-like carbon material is conductive amorphous diamond.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further including a second electrode adjacent to the layer of N-type material of the charge carrier separation layer opposite to the P-type material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the second electrode is a member selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide, doped zinc oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the N dopant is a member selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorous, lithium, arsenic, bismuth, antimony, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible electronic device is a solar cell.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the solar cell is a multi-junction solar cell.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the charge carrier separation layer has a thickness from about 1 μm to about 50 μm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the charge carrier separation layer has a thickness from about 1 μm to about 5 μm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the charge carrier separation layer has a thickness that is less than about 3 μm.

### Claim 16

A charge carrier separation layer, comprising:
a layer of a P-type material comprising copper, gallium, indium and at least one of selenide or sulfide; and
a layer of an N-type material adjacent to the P-type material, the N-type material including diamond-like carbon doped with an N dopant.

### Claim 17

A method of forming an electronic device, comprising:
coating a layer of diamond-like carbon onto substrate;
doping the layer of diamond-like carbon with an N dopant to form an N-type material layer;
applying a layer of a P-type material to the diamond-like carbon layer, wherein the P-type material includes copper, gallium, indium and at least one member selected from the group consisting of selenide and sulfide; and
applying a first electrode to the layer of P-type material layer opposite to the N-type material layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the substrate from the diamond-like carbon layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the substrate is a transparent second electrode.

### Claim 20

An electronic device, comprising:
a charge carrier separation layer including:
a layer of a P-type material comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of at least one of copper, gold, and silver, a second component selected from the group consisting of at least one of aluminum, gallium, and indium, and a third component selected from the group consisting of at least one of sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and oxygen, wherein the P-type material is tetrahedrally bonded;
a layer of an N-type material adjacent to the P-type material, the N-type material including diamond-like carbon doped with an N dopant; and
a first electrode adjacent to the layer of P-type material of the charge carrier separation layer opposite to the N-type material.