# US 2013/0153014 A1 · Photoelectric converter and method of manufacturing photoelectric converter

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- Number: US 2013/0153014 A1
- Document ID: US20130153014A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/810,788
- Filed: 2011-09-26
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-28
- Assignees: KYOCERA Corporation
- Inventors: Ryo Matsuoka; Manabu Kyuzo; Nobuyuki Horiuchi; Rui Kamada; Daisuke Toyota; Yoshihide Okawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153014A1

## CPC

- H10F 10/13: Photovoltaic cells having absorbing layers comprising graded bandgaps
- H10F 10/167: comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells
- H10F 19/31: having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate
- H10F 19/35: Structures for the connecting of adjacent photovoltaic cells, e.g. interconnections or insulating spacers
- Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A photoelectric converter is disclosed. The photoelectric converter includes an electrode layer and a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is on the electrode layer. The semiconductor layer contains a chalcopyrite compound semiconductor. The semiconductor layer comprises a plurality of sub-layers. The plurality of sub-layers comprises a first sub-layer. The first sub-layer is located closest to the electrode layer. The first sub-layer has a first thickness smaller than an average thickness of the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-9. (canceled)

### Claim 10

A photoelectric converter comprising:
an electrode layer; and
a semiconductor layer on the electrode layer, containing a chalcopyrite compound semiconductor, and comprising a plurality of sub-layers, the sub-layers comprising:
a first sub-layer located closest to the electrode layer, and having a first thickness smaller than an average thickness of the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 10, wherein the first thickness is smaller than a thickness of each of the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 10, wherein the chalcopyrite compound semiconductor contains Ga, and the first sub-layer has a first average molar concentration of Ga lower than an average molar concentration of Ga in the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 12, wherein the first average molar concentration of Ga is lower than an average molar concentration of Ga in each of the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 10, wherein the chalcopyrite compound semiconductor contains Ga, and the first sub-layer has a first average molar concentration of Ga higher than an average molar concentration of Ga in the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 14, wherein the first average molar concentration of Ga is higher than an average molar concentration of Ga in each of the rest of the plurality of sub-layers.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 10, wherein the rest of the plurality of sub-layers comprises a second sub-layer, the second sub-layer located closest to the first sub-layer,
wherein a plurality of voids are located at a boundary between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 16, wherein a contact area between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer is less than a contact area between the electrode layer and the first sub-layer.

### Claim 18

A method of manufacturing a photoelectric converter, comprising:
forming a first precursor layer on an electrode layer, the first precursor layer containing a constituent element of a chalcopyrite compound semiconductor;
forming a second precursor layer on the first precursor layer, wherein the second precursor layer contains a constituent element of a chalcopyrite compound semiconductor, and is thicker than the first precursor layer; and
heating the first precursor layer and the second precursor layer to form a semiconductor layer containing the chalcopyrite compound semiconductor.

### Claim 19

A photoelectric converter comprising:
an electrode layer; and
a semiconductor layer on the electrode layer, containing a chalcopyrite compound semiconductor, and comprising a plurality of sub-layers, the sub-layers:
a first sub-layer located closest to the electrode layer; and
a second sub-layer located on the first sub-layer,
wherein the first sub-layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second sub-layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 19, wherein the first sub-layer has an average molar concentration of Ga lower than an average molar concentration of Ga in the second sub-layer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 19, wherein the first sub-layer has an average molar concentration of Ga higher than an average molar concentration of Ga in the second sub-layer.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 19, wherein a plurality of voids are located at a boundary between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The photoelectric converter according to claim 19, wherein a contact area between the first sub-layer and the second sub-layer is less than a contact area between the electrode layer and the first sub-layer.