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US 9,520,515 B2Granted
Emitter structure based on silicon components to be used in a photovoltaic converter and a method for production of the photovoltaic device
AssigneeSegton Adt SAS
InventorsZbigniew Kuznicki, Patrick Meyrueis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention aims to reduce and preferably to cancel the carrier collection limit effect in order to considerably increase the conversion efficiency. This improvement is achieved by a suitable modification of the amorphized layer thickness or even by discontinuities separating amorphizing beams or amorphized nanopellets.
Claims30
A photovoltaic device, comprising:
- a crystalline silicon base member;
- a rear electrode operatively connected to said crystalline silicon base member;
- a crystalline silicon emitter member formed from a crystalline silicon mass and having a front face;
- a front grid electrode operatively connected to said front face of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- a PN junction between said crystalline silicon base member and said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- at least one continuous layer of amorphized silicon material comprising a plurality of substantially separate amorphized silicon regions and disposed within said crystalline silicon mass of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- and
- at least one pair of nanolayers of crystalline silicon metamaterial, wherein each one of said at least one pair of nanolayers of crystalline silicon metamaterial has an undulating configuration comprising a plurality of trough and crest portions wherein said plurality of trough portions of a first nanolayer of said at least one pair of nanolayers are respectively disposed opposite said plurality of crest portions of a second nanolayer of said at least one pair of nanolayers such that said plurality of trough portions and said plurality of crest portions of said at least one pair of nanolayers substantially surround said plurality of substantially separate amorphized silicon regions so as to separate said at least one layer of amorphized silicon material from said crystalline silicon mass.
5 more elements
A method of making a photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of:
- providing a crystalline silicon base member;
- operatively connecting a rear electrode to said crystalline silicon base member;
- providing a crystalline silicon emitter member formed from a crystalline silicon mass and having a front face;
- operatively connecting a front grid electrode to said front face of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- forming a PN junction between said crystalline silicon base member and said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- forming at least one continuous layer of amorphized silicon material comprising a plurality of substantially separate amorphized silicon regions by an ion implantation or electron beam irradiation amorphization process and disposed within said crystalline silicon mass of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- and
- forming at least one pair of nanolayers of crystalline silicon metamaterial, wherein each one of said at least one pair of nanolayers of crystalline silicon metamaterial has an undulating configuration comprising a plurality of trough and crest portions wherein said plurality of trough portions of a first nanolayer of said at least one pair of nanolayers are respectively disposed opposite said plurality of crest portions of a second nanolayer of said at least one pair of nanolayers such that said plurality of trough portions and said plurality of crest portions of said at least one pair of nanolayers substantially surround said plurality of substantially separate amorphized silicon regions so as to separate said at least one layer of amorphized silicon material from said crystalline silicon mass.
5 more elements
A photovoltaic device, comprising:
- a crystalline silicon base member;
- a rear electrode operatively connected to said crystalline silicon base member;
- a crystalline silicon emitter member formed from a crystalline silicon mass and having a front face;
- a front grid electrode operatively connected to said front face of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- a PN junction between said crystalline silicon base member and said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- at least one discontinuous layer of amorphized silicon material comprising a plurality of separate amorphized silicon regions and disposed within said crystalline silicon mass of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- and
- a plurality of nanolayers of crystalline silicon metamaterial respectively entirely surrounding said plurality of separate amorphized silicon regions on all sides so as to separate and isolate said plurality of separate amorphized silicon regions from each other and from said crystalline silicon mass of said crystalline silicon emitter member.
5 more elements
A method of making a photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of:
- providing a crystalline silicon base member;
- operatively connecting a rear electrode to said crystalline silicon base member;
- providing a crystalline silicon emitter member formed from a crystalline silicon mass and having a front face;
- operatively connecting a front grid electrode to said front face of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- forming a PN junction between said crystalline silicon base member and said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- forming at least one discontinuous layer of amorphized silicon material comprising a plurality of separate amorphized silicon regions disposed within said crystalline silicon mass of said crystalline silicon emitter member;
- and
- forming a plurality of nanolayers of crystalline silicon metamaterial respectively entirely surrounding said plurality of separate amorphized silicon regions on all sides so as to separate and isolate said plurality of separate amorphized silicon regions from each other and from said crystalline silicon mass of said crystalline silicon emitter member.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.