Method for making graded I-III-VI/sub 2/ semiconductors and solar cell obtained thereby

Patent · Tue Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6149941

Devaney, W E

A solar cell is described having a conversion efficiency of at least about 10.4% AMO, comprising: (a) a substrate; (b) a base contact on the substrate; (c) a polycrystalline, thin film CuInSe/sub 2/ semiconductor deposited on the contact and including a near-contact region rich in selenium, a p-type bulk region, and a near-junction region defining a p-n type transient homojunction in the semiconductor; (d) a (Zn/sub 0.2/Cd/sub 0.8/)S thin film deposited atop the CuInse/sub 2/ semiconductor to define a heterojunction, the film including sufficient indium doping in the region away from the heterojunction to provide a sheet resistance of the film of between about 20-25 ohm/square; (e) aluminium grid metalization atop the (Zn/sub 0.2/Cd/sub 0.8/)S thin film, the metalization sufficiently thick to eliminate grid resistance losses; (f) a SiO/sub x/ antireflection coating atop the (Zn/sub 0.2/Cd/sub 0.8/)S thin film and metalization, the SiO/sub x/ having an optical index of refraction of about 1.73; and (g) a MgF/sub 2/ antireflection coating atop the SiO/sub x/.

• Assignee: Boeing Co., Seattle, WA
• Patent Number(s): US 4684761
• OSTI ID: 6149941
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 9 Apr 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
CADMIUM SULFIDES
COPPER SELENIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
HETEROJUNCTIONS
HOMOJUNCTIONS
INDIUM SELENIDES
P-N JUNCTIONS
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
POLYCRYSTALS
POWER LOSSES
SELENIUM
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
ZINC SULFIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
CRYSTALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LOSSES
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
JUNCTIONS
LOSSES
MATERIALS
PHOSPHORS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMIMETALS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion