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US 7,582,515 B2Granted
Multi-junction solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsSoo-Young Choi, Yong-Kee Chae, Shuran Sheng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to thin film multi-junction solar cells and methods and apparatuses for forming the same.
Claims23
A method of forming a thin film multi-junction solar cell over a substrate, comprising:
- forming a first p-i-n junction, comprising:
- forming a p-type amorphous silicon layer;
- forming an intrinsic type amorphous silicon layer over the p-type amorphous silicon layer;
- and
- forming an n-type microcrystalline silicon layer over the intrinsic type amorphous silicon layer;
- and
- forming a second p-i-n junction over the first p-i-n junction, comprising:
- forming a p-type microcrystalline silicon layer;
- forming an intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer over the p-type microcrystalline silicon layer;
- and
- forming an n-type amorphous silicon layer over the intrinsic type microcrystalline layer.
8 more elements
A method of forming a thin film multi-junction solar cell over a substrate, comprising:
- providing silane gas at a flow rate between about 1 sccm/L and about 10 sccm/L, hydrogen gas at a flow rate between about 5 sccm/L and about 60 sccm/L, p-type dopant between about 0.005 sccm/L and about 0.05 sccm/L, and RF power between 15 milliWatts/cm2 and about 200 milliWatts/cm2 to form a p-type amorphous silicon layer;
- providing silane gas at a flow rate between about 0.5 sccm/L and about 7 sccm/L, hydrogen gas at a flow rate between about 5 sccm/L and about 60 sccm/L, and RF power between 15 milliWatts/cm2 and about 250 milliWatts/cm2 to form an intrinsic type amorphous silicon layer;
- providing silane gas at a flow rate between about 0.1 sccm/L and about 0.8 sccm/L, hydrogen gas at a flow rate between about 30 sccm/L and about 250 sccm/L, n-type dopant between about 0.0005 sccm/L and about 0.004 sccm/L, and RF power between about 100 milliWatts/cm2 and about 900 milliWatts/cm2 to form an n-type microcrystalline silicon layer;
- providing silane gas at a flow rate between 0.1 sccm/L and about 0.8 sccm/L, hydrogen gas at a flow rate between 60 sccm/L and about 500 sccm/L, p-type dopant at a flow rate between 0.0002 sccm/L and about 0.0016 sccm/L, RF power between 50 milliWatts/cm2 and about 700 milliWatts/cm2 to form a p-type microcrystalline silicon layer;
- providing silane gas at a flow rate between 0.5 sccm/L and about 5 sccm/L, hydrogen gas at a flow rate between 40 sccm/L and about 400 sccm, and RF power between about 300 milliWatts/cm2 or greater to form an intrinsic type microcrystalline silicon layer;
- and
- providing silane gas at a flow rate between about 0.1 sccm/L and about 1 sccm/L, hydrogen gas between about 1 sccm/L and about 10 sccm/L, n-type dopant between 0.01 sccm/L and about 0.075 sccm/L to form a n-type amorphous silicon layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.