Method of making photovoltaic cell
OwnerDavid M. Schwartzinventor
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Abstract
A photovoltaic cell is made by coating a metal foil substrate with cadmium telluride powder, moving the powder coated foil across a cold plate or series of cooled rollers to prevent the substrate from melting, while melting the cadmium telluride powder by passing the powder coated foil under a microwave energy source. This forms a thin film of cadmium telluride on the foil. The cadmium telluride coated foil is then coated with cadmium sulfide powder, which is melted by passing the powder coated foil under a microwave energy source, thereby creating a P-N junction, and the cadmium sulfide layer is coated with indium, which is fused to the cadmium sulfide layer by microwave heating.
Claims5
A method of making photovoltaic cell, said method comprising steps of
- coating a metal foil substrate with cadmium telluride powder,
- moving the metal foil coated with the cadmium telluride powder across a cold plate or series of cooled rollers, while
- melting the cadmium telluride powder by passing the metal foil coated with the cadmium telluride powder under a first microwave energy source, thereby forming a thin film of cadmium telluride on the metal foil,
- coating the cadmium telluride thin film with a layer of cadmium sulfide powder,
- melting the layer of cadmium sulfide powder by passing the thin film coated with the cadmium sulfide powder under a second microwave energy source, thereby creating a P-N junction,
- coating the cadmium sulfide layer with a layer of indium and
- fusing the indium to the cadmium sulfide layer by microwave heating to produce an indium coated assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.