Consumable adhesive layer for thin film photovoltaic material
AssigneeStion Corporation
InventorMiljon T. Buquing
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device may include providing a transparent substrate and forming a multi layered structure including at least a thin layer of indium material, copper material, and another layer of indium. A heat treatment may be performed that consumes substantially all of the thin layer of indium material into a portion of a copper indium disulfide alloy material. The method causes formation of a copper sulfide material overlying the copper indium disulfide alloy material during at least the thermal treatment process.
Claims20
A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate at a first station, the substrate comprising a surface region;
- forming a first electrode layer on the surface region;
- moving the substrate to a second station;
- forming an adhesive layer over the first electrode layer at the second station;
- forming a copper layer overlying the adhesive layer;
- forming an indium layer over the copper layer to form a multilayered structure, the multilayered structure comprising the adhesive layer, the copper layer and the indium layer;
- exposing the multilayered structure to an environment comprising sulfur bearing species;
- forming a copper indium disulphide alloy material;
- forming a cap layer comprising copper sulphide material overlying the copper indium disulphide alloy material;
- removing a portion of the cap layer;
- and
- forming a window layer overlying at least a portion of the copper indium disulphide alloy material.
A method comprising:
- providing a substrate at a first station, the substrate comprising a surface region;
- forming a first electrode layer on the surface region;
- moving the substrate to a second station;
- forming a first indium layer over the first electrode layer at the second station;
- forming a copper layer overlying the adhesive layer;
- forming a second indium layer over the copper layer to form a multilayered structure, the multilayered structure comprising the first indium layer, the copper layer and the second indium layer;
- exposing the multilayered structure to an environment comprising sulfur bearing species;
- consuming the first indium layer;
- forming a copper indium disulphide alloy material;
- forming a cap layer overlying the copper indium disulphide alloy material;
- removing a portion of the cap layer;
- and
- forming a window layer overlying at least a portion of the copper indium disulphide alloy material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.