Silicon thin film deposition for photovoltaic device applications
AssigneesAgc Flat Glass North America, Inc., Asahi Glass Company, Limited
InventorsChristopher R. Cording, Matthew Spencer, Kunio Masumo
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Abstract
The present invention provides for cost-efficient methods for on-line deposition of semi-conducting metallic layers. More specifically, the present invention provides on-line pyrolytic deposition methods for deposition of p-type, n-type and i-type semi-conducting metallic layers in the float glass production process. Furthermore, the present invention provides for on-line pyrolytic deposition methods for production of single-, double-, triple- and multi-junction p-(i-)n and n-(i-)p type semi-conducting metal layers. Such p-type, n-type and i-type semi-conducting metal layers are useful in the photovoltaic industry and attractive to manufacturers of photovoltaic modules as “value-added” products.
Claims62
A method of producing a coated glass substrate on either a float-line or a casted glass line with one or more coaters positioned on-line comprising:
- a) melting batch materials in a furnace to form molten glass;
- b) selecting one of:
- 1) floating a continuous stream of molten glass onto a bath of molten tin of a float line to form a glass sheet or 2) casting a continuous stream of molten glass through casting rolls or casting molds of a casting glass line to form a sheet of glass;
- and
- c) depositing, from a first coater positioned on-line, a semi-conducting metal layer on a portion of the sheet of glass.
A method of producing a coated glass substrate on either a float-line or a casted glass line with one or more coaters positioned on-line, comprising:
- a) melting batch materials in a furnace to form molten glass;
- b) selecting one of:
- 1) floating a continuous stream of molten glass onto a bath of molten tin of a float line to form a sheet of glass or 2) casting a continuous stream of molten glass through casting rolls or casting molds of a casting glass line to form a sheet of glass;
- c) depositing, a first coater positioned on-line, a semi-conducting metal layer on a portion of the sheet of glass, wherein the semi-conducting metal layer is selected from the group consisting of n-type silicon and p-type silicon;
- d) optionally, depositing, from a second coater positioned on-line and downstream from the first coater of step c), a semi-conducting metal layer comprising i-type silicon on the metal layer of step c);
- e) depositing, from a third coater positioned on-line and downstream from the first coater of step c) and/or the second coater of step d), a semi-conducting metal layer on the metal layer of step c) or d), wherein the metal layer comprising silicon is selected from the group consisting of n-type silicon and p-type silicon;
- and
- f) optionally, repeating steps c)-e) to form additional p-(i-)n or n-(i-)p silicon layers on the glass substrate.
A method of producing a coated glass substrate on either a float-line or a casted glass line with one or more coaters positioned on-line, comprising:
- a) melting batch materials in a furnace to form molten glass;
- b) selecting one of:
- 1) floating a continuous stream of molten glass onto a bath of molten tin to form a sheet of glass or 2) casting a continuous stream of molten glass through casting rolls or casting molds of a casting glass line to form a sheet of glass;
- c) depositing, from a first coater positioned on-line, an undercoating disposed on the glass substrate;
- d) depositing, from a second coater positioned on-line and downstream of the first coater of step c), a transparent conductive oxide layer disposed on the undercoating;
- e) depositing, from a third coater positioned on-line and downstream from the second coater of step d), a semi-conducting metal layer on the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the semi-conducting metal layer is selected from the group consisting of n-type silicon and p-type silicon;
- f) optionally, depositing, from a fourth coater positioned on-line and downstream from the third coater of step e), a semi-conducting metal layer comprising i-type silicon on the metal layer of step c);
- g) depositing, from a coater positioned on-line and downstream from the third coater of step e) or the fourth coater of step f), a semi-conducting metal layer on the metal layer of step e) or f), wherein the semi-conducting metal layer is selected from the group consisting of n-type silicon and p-type silicon;
- and
- h) optionally, repeating steps e)-g) to form additional p-(i-)n or n-(i-)p silicon layers on the glass substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.