Method for producing textured substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

Patent · 31 December 1995

OSTI ID:870360

Lauf, Robert J ^[1]

---

1. Oak Ridge, TN

The invention pertains to the production of ceramic substrates used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells used for directly converting solar energy to electrical energy. Elongated ribbon-like sheets of substrate precursor containing a mixture of ceramic particulates, a binder, and a plasticizer are formed and then while green provided with a mechanically textured surface region used for supporting the thin film semiconductor of the photovoltaic cell when the sheets of the substrate precursor are subsequently cut into substrate-sized shapes and then sintered. The textured surface pattern on the substrate provides enhanced light trapping and collection for substantially increasing the, solar energy conversion efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic cells.

• Research Organization: LOCKHEED MARTIN ENRGY SYST INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Oak Ridge, TN)
• Patent Number(s): US 5503898
• OSTI ID: 870360
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/428/136/
binder
cell
cells
ceramic
ceramic particulate
ceramic particulates
ceramic substrate
ceramic substrates
collection
containing
conversion
conversion efficiency
converting
converting solar
cut
directly
directly converting
efficiency
electrical
electrical energy
elongated
energy
energy conversion
enhanced
enhanced light
film
film photovoltaic
film semiconductor
formed
green
increasing
light
manufacture
mechanically
method
mixture
particulates
pattern
pertains
photovoltaic
photovoltaic cell
photovoltaic cells
plasticizer
precursor
precursor containing
producing
producing textured
production
provided
provides
provides enhanced
region
ribbon-like
semiconductor
shapes
sheets
sintered
solar
solar energy
subsequently
substantially
substantially increasing
substrate
substrate provides
substrate-sized
substrates
supporting
surface
surface pattern
surface region
textured
textured substrate
textured substrates
textured surface
thin-film
thin-film photovoltaic
trapping