Photovoltaic products and processes
AssigneeSolar Voltaic, Inc.
InventorArthur J. Grolitzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photovoltaic cell and the method of manufacturing the same. The cell includes a substrate of, e.g., aluminum, having a layer of cesium fluoride-like material with the outer surface thereof containing a p+ boron doped outer layer. A substantially transparent electrically conductive coating is applied over the surface of said cesium fluoride-like material and appropriate electrical contacts are made to the conductive layer for protective purposes.
Claims45
A composition of matter comprising a solid photovoltaically active product of cesium, boron, and fluorine.
A photovoltaic cell which comprises:
- (A) an electrically conductive substrate;
- (B) a layer of cesium fluoride-like material on one surface of said substrate, said layer containing first and second portions, said first, lower portion adjacent said substrate being non-stoichiometric cesium fluoride-like material, and said second, upper portion being non-stoichiometric cesium fluoride-like material having a highly doped P+ doping, the transition between said first and second portions being graded with respect to said doping;
- and
- (C) an electrically conductive substantially transparent metallic layer over said supper portion of said cesium fluoride-like layer.
A photovoltaic cell comprising:
- (A) a electrically conductive substrate:
- (B) an overlying layer of photon-responsive electron emissive material comprising an alkali metal fluoride-type compound having a low work function and having a concentration of a P-type dopant at its upper surface;
- and
- (C) an electrically conductive substantially transparent metallic layer contiguous with the surface of said electron emissive layer.
In a solid state photon-activated electrical-energy generating device which has a voltage-generating interface, the improvement wherein the interface is between cesium fluoride-like material and positively-doped cesium fluoride-like material.
Apparatus for generating electricity from sunlight comprising:
- (A) an electrically conductive substrate;
- (B) an overlaying layer of photon-responsive electron emissive material comprising an alkali metal fluoride-type compound having a low work function and having a concentration of P-type dopant at its upper surface;
- and
- (C) an electrically conductive substantially transparent metallic layer contiguous with the surface of said electron emissive layer.
A process for generating electricity from sunlight, comprising providing a photovoltaic cell including an electrically conductive substrate having a layer of photon activated electron emissive material of an alkali metal fluoride-type compound having a low work function and including a heavily doped P+ outer surface layer with a layer of electrically conductive substantially transparent material thereover:
- exposing said cell to sunlight, and collecting the electrical energy generated by exposure of said cell to said sunlight.
In a photovoltaic cell comprised of the type including an electrically conductive substrate upon which a photo-responsive element is placed and an electrically conductive transparent superstrate under which said photo-responsive voltage-generating element is placed, and said superstrate and said substrate forming terminals from which photovoltaic energy generated by said photo-responsive element may be collected, the improvements wherein said element is formed of
- (A) P+ doped, cesium-fluoride-like material and
- (B) a thin layer of metal oxide forming electron-trapping means between said cesium-fluoride-like material and said superstrate.
A radiant-energy activated electrical storage battery comprising a cesium fluoride-like layer containing a glass-forming, P+ dopant and comprising means to permit electrons to flow into and out of said layer and an electron trap means in contact with said layer to assure that a quantity of energy is stored in said storage battery after activation by radiant energy.
A process for making a photovoltaic material comprising reacting cesium in a plasma environment with
- (A) a sequence of boron and fluorine or
- (B) a sequence of fluorine and boron.
A process for making a photovoltaic material comprising the steps of reacting cesium with boron and fluorine in a plasma environment.
The method of manufacturing a photovoltaic cell comprising:
- (A) providing an electrically conductive substrate;
- (B) depositing a layer of alkali metal material having a low work function on said substrate;
- (C) converting said layer of metallic material to an alkali metal fluoride-like material;
- (D) doping said layer with a P-type active impurity to provide a highly-doped P+ region at the outer surface thereof;
- and
- (E) evaporating a layer of electrically-conductive substantially light transparent material over the entire surface of said layer.
The method of making a photovoltaic cell comprising the steps of:
- (A) providing a substrate of electrically conductive aluminum;
- (B) electropolishing one surface of said substrate;
- (C) applying a mask to said electropolished surface except for a border which is continuous;
- (D) anodizing said electropolished surface;
- (E) removing said mask and cleaning said surface;
- (F) placing said substrate in a vacuum chamber;
- (G) providing a vacuum in said chamber of approximately 10.sup.-6 torr;
- (H) providing a source of cesium chloride and calcium in said chamber and heating the same to approximately 700.degree. C. to deposit a layer of metallic cesium of approximately 4000 angstroms to 10,000 angstroms in thickness on said polished surface of said substrate;
- (I) injecting a gas containing fluorine and having a trace of P-type dopant impurity therein with an inert carrier gas into said chamber;
- (J) establishing and maintaining radio frequency plasma conditions in said chamber;
- (K) increasing the amount of said P-type impurity while maintaining the flow amount of the remainder of said gaseous compound constant;
- (L) maintaining the pressure in said chamber during said maintenance of said radio frequency plasma conditions at approximately 5 microns;
- (M) reducing the pressure in said chamber to approximately 10.sup.-6 torr;
- and
- (N) evaporating a substantially transparent layer of electrically conductive titanium over the cesium fluoride-like layer containing a p-type dopant produced in steps H-M.
A photovoltaically active material comprising cesium, boron and fluorine in a sheet material and wherein crystallinity of said sheet material decreases as the quantity of boron increases through the thickness of said sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.