Back to results
US 9,865,754 B2Granted
Hole collectors for silicon photovoltaic cells
AssigneeTesla, Inc.
InventorsZhigang Xie, Jiunn Benjamin Heng, Wei Wang, Jianming Fu, Zheng Xu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a solar cell. The solar cell includes a base layer comprising crystalline Si (c-Si), a hole collector situated on a first side of the base layer, and an electron collector situated on a second side of the base layer, which is opposite the first side. The hole collector includes a quantum-tunneling-barrier (QTB) layer situated adjacent to the base layer and a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layer situated adjacent to the QTB layer. The TCO layer has a work function of at least 5.0 eV.
Claims13
A solar cell, comprising:
- a base layer comprising crystalline Si (c-Si), wherein the base layer is lightly doped in entirety with a doping concentration between 1×1015/cm3 and 1×1016/cm3;
- a hole collector positioned on a first surface of the base layer, wherein the hole collector includes a quantum-tunneling-barrier (QTB) layer and a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, wherein the QTB layer is in direct physical contact with and substantially covers in entirety the first surface of the base layer, wherein the TCO layer is in direct physical contact with and substantially covers in entirety a surface the QTB layer, wherein a doping concentration at an interface between the base layer and the QTB layer is less than 1×1016/cm3, and wherein the TCO layer has a work function of at least 5.0 eV;
- and
- an electron collector positioned on a second surface of the base layer, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.