Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Back contact buffer layer for thin-film solar cells

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1157082
A photovoltaic cell structure is disclosed that includes a buffer/passivation layer at a CdTe/Back contact interface. The buffer/passivation layer is formed from the same material that forms the n-type semiconductor active layer. In one embodiment, the buffer layer and the n-type semiconductor active layer are formed from cadmium sulfide (CdS). A method of forming a photovoltaic cell includes the step of forming the semiconductor active layers and the buffer/passivation layer within the same deposition chamber and using the same material source.
Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Assignee:
The University of Toledo (Toledo, OH)
Patent Number(s):
8,829,342
Application Number:
13/515,686
OSTI ID:
1157082
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (4)

High efficiency 1 micron thick sputtered CdTe solar cells conference January 2005
10% efficiency solar cells with 0.5 µm of CdTe conference June 2009
High efficiency ultra-thin sputtered CdTe solar cells journal September 2006
High efficiency, magnetron sputtered CdS/CdTe solar cells journal December 2004

Similar Records

Related Subjects