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US 9,178,082 B2Granted
Methods of forming thin-film photovoltaic devices with discontinuous passivation layers
AssigneeSiva Power, Inc.
InventorsMarkus Eberhard Beck, Timothy J. Nagle, Sourav Roger Basu
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Abstract
In various embodiments, photovoltaic devices incorporate discontinuous passivation layers (i) disposed between a thin-film absorber layer and a partner layer, (ii) disposed between the partner layer and a front contact layer, and/or (iii) disposed between a back contact layer and the thin-film absorber layer.
Claims39
A method for forming a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- forming a thin-film absorber layer over and in electrical contact with a back contact layer, the back contact layer comprising a conductive material and the thin-film absorber layer having a doping polarity;
- forming a partner layer over and in electrical contact with the thin-film absorber layer, the partner layer having a doping polarity opposite that of the thin-film absorber layer, the partner layer and thin-film absorber layer thereby forming a p-n junction;
- forming a front contact layer disposed over and in electrical contact with the partner layer;
- and
- forming a first discontinuous passivation layer disposed between the thin-film absorber layer and the partner layer, the partner layer making electrical contact with the thin-film absorber layer only through discontinuities in the first discontinuous passivation layer.
2 more elements
A method for forming a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
- providing an electrically insulating substrate;
- depositing a back contact layer over the substrate, the back contact material comprising a conductive material;
- thereafter, forming a thin-film absorber layer over and in electrical contact with the back contact layer, the thin-film absorber layer having a doping polarity;
- thereafter, forming a first discontinuous passivation layer over the thin-film absorber layer;
- thereafter, forming a partner layer over the thin-film absorber layer and the first discontinuous passivation layer, wherein (i) the partner layer has a doping polarity opposite that of the thin-film absorber layer, the partner layer and the thin-film absorber layer thereby forming a p-n junction, and (ii) the partner layer makes electrical contact with the thin-film absorber layer only through discontinuities in the first discontinuous passivation layer;
- and
- thereafter, forming a front contact layer disposed over and in electrical contact with the partner layer, the front contact layer being disposed over an entirety of the partner layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.