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Title: Process for fabricating polycrystalline semiconductor thin-film solar cells, and cells produced thereby

Abstract

A novel, simplified method for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor heterojunction photovoltaic device includes initial steps of depositing a layer of cadmium stannate and a layer of zinc stannate on a transparent substrate, both by radio frequency sputtering at ambient temperature, followed by the depositing of dissimilar layers of semiconductors such as cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride, and heat treatment to convert the cadmium stannate to a substantially single-phase material of a spinel crystal structure. Preferably, the cadmium sulfide layer is also deposited by radio frequency sputtering at ambient temperature, and the cadmium telluride layer is deposited by close space sublimation at an elevated temperature effective to convert the amorphous cadmium stannate to the polycrystalline cadmium stannate with single-phase spinel structure.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
+ Show Inventor Affiliations
  1. Golden, CO
  2. Lakewood, CO
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
873335
Patent Number(s):
6137048
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
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DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-98GO10337
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
process; fabricating; polycrystalline; semiconductor; thin-film; solar; cells; produced; novel; simplified; method; heterojunction; photovoltaic; device; initial; steps; depositing; layer; cadmium; stannate; zinc; transparent; substrate; radio; frequency; sputtering; ambient; temperature; followed; dissimilar; layers; semiconductors; sulfide; telluride; heat; treatment; convert; substantially; single-phase; material; spinel; crystal; structure; preferably; deposited; close; space; sublimation; elevated; effective; amorphous; transparent substrate; cadmium stannate; film solar; temperature effective; radio frequency; solar cell; elevated temperature; solar cells; ambient temperature; photovoltaic device; heat treatment; crystal structure; cadmium telluride; cadmium sulfide; crystalline semiconductor; phase material; zinc stannate; cells produced; thin-film semiconductor; sulfide layer; film semiconductor; heterojunction photovoltaic; simplified method; substantially single; dissimilar layers; initial step; fabricating polycrystalline; parent substrate; polycrystalline semiconductor; /136/438/

Citation Formats

Wu, Xuanzhi, and Sheldon, Peter. Process for fabricating polycrystalline semiconductor thin-film solar cells, and cells produced thereby. United States: N. p., 2000. Web.
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Wu, Xuanzhi, & Sheldon, Peter. Process for fabricating polycrystalline semiconductor thin-film solar cells, and cells produced thereby. United States.
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Wu, Xuanzhi, and Sheldon, Peter. Sat . "Process for fabricating polycrystalline semiconductor thin-film solar cells, and cells produced thereby". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873335.
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@article{osti_873335,
title = {Process for fabricating polycrystalline semiconductor thin-film solar cells, and cells produced thereby},
author = {Wu, Xuanzhi and Sheldon, Peter},
abstractNote = {A novel, simplified method for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor heterojunction photovoltaic device includes initial steps of depositing a layer of cadmium stannate and a layer of zinc stannate on a transparent substrate, both by radio frequency sputtering at ambient temperature, followed by the depositing of dissimilar layers of semiconductors such as cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride, and heat treatment to convert the cadmium stannate to a substantially single-phase material of a spinel crystal structure. Preferably, the cadmium sulfide layer is also deposited by radio frequency sputtering at ambient temperature, and the cadmium telluride layer is deposited by close space sublimation at an elevated temperature effective to convert the amorphous cadmium stannate to the polycrystalline cadmium stannate with single-phase spinel structure.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000}
}
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Works referenced in this record:

CdS/CdTe thin-film devices using a Cd[sub 2]SnO[sub 4] transparent conducting oxide
conference, January 1997

  • Wu, X.; Sheldon, P.; Coutts, T. J.
  • National renewable energy laboratory and sandia national laboratories photovoltaics program review meeting, AIP Conference Proceedings
  • https://doi.org/10.1063/1.52871

CdS/CdTe thin-film solar cell with a zinc stannate buffer layer
conference, January 1999

  • Wu, X.; Sheldon, P.; Mahathongdy, Y.
  • National center for photovoltaics (NCPV) 15th program review meeting, AIP Conference Proceedings
  • https://doi.org/10.1063/1.57910
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