Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method

Arya, Rajeewa R; Catalano, Anthony W

Title: Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method

Abstract

A multijunction photovoltaic device includes first and second amorphous silicon PIN photovoltaic cells in a stacked arrangement. An interface layer, composed of a doped silicon compound, is disposed between the two cells and has a lower bandgap than the respective n- and p-type adjacent layers of the first and second cells. The interface layer forms an ohmic contact with the one or the adjacent cell layers of the same conductivity type, and a tunnel junction with the other of the adjacent cell layers. The disclosed device is fabricated by a glow discharge process.

Inventors:

Arya, Rajeewa R ^[1]; Catalano, Anthony W ^[2]

Jamison, PA
Furlong, PA

Issue Date:: 1993-01-01

OSTI Identifier:: 868930

Patent Number(s):: 5246506

Application Number:: 07/730,177

Assignee:: Solarex Corporation (Rockville, MD)

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 Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

Show more

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/076 - Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
H01L31/03765 - {including AIVBIV compounds or alloys, e.g. SiGe, SiC}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
Y02P70/50 - Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

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
Y02E10/548 - Amorphous silicon PV cells

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
H01L31/204 - {including AIVBIV alloys, e.g. SiGe, SiC}

Show less

DOE Contract Number:: ZM-1-19033-3

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: multijunction; photovoltaic; device; fabrication; method; amorphous; silicon; cells; stacked; arrangement; interface; layer; composed; doped; compound; disposed; bandgap; respective; n-; p-type; adjacent; layers; forms; ohmic; contact; cell; conductivity; type; tunnel; junction; disclosed; fabricated; glow; discharge; process; silicon compound; multijunction photovoltaic; fabrication method; tunnel junction; photovoltaic cells; amorphous silicon; glow discharge; photovoltaic device; ohmic contact; photovoltaic cell; adjacent cell; doped silicon; conductivity type; adjacent layers; stacked arrangement; interface layer; cell layer; layer forms; discharge process; /136/438/

Citation Formats


                    Arya, Rajeewa R, and Catalano, Anthony W. Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method.  United States: N. p., 1993. 
        Web.

Copy to clipboard


                    Arya, Rajeewa R, & Catalano, Anthony W. Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method.  United States.

Copy to clipboard


                    Arya, Rajeewa R, and Catalano, Anthony W. Fri .  
        "Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868930.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_868930,

  title        = {Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method},

  author       = {Arya, Rajeewa R and Catalano, Anthony W},

  abstractNote = {A multijunction photovoltaic device includes first and second amorphous silicon PIN photovoltaic cells in a stacked arrangement. An interface layer, composed of a doped silicon compound, is disposed between the two cells and has a lower bandgap than the respective n- and p-type adjacent layers of the first and second cells. The interface layer forms an ohmic contact with the one or the adjacent cell layers of the same conductivity type, and a tunnel junction with the other of the adjacent cell layers. The disclosed device is fabricated by a glow discharge process.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1993},

  month        = {1}

}

Copy to clipboard

Patent:

View Patent

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Works referenced in this record:

Improving tunneling junction in amorphous silicon tandem solar cells
journal, May 1990

Shen, D. S.; Schropp, R. E. I.; Chatham, H.
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 56, Issue 19
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.103073

Stacked solar cells of amorphous silicon
journal, January 1980

Hanak, J. J.
Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Vol. 35-36
https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3093(80)90294-X

A stable 10% solar cell with a-Si/a-Si double junction structure
conference, January 1990

Ichikawa, Y.; Fujikake, S.; Yoshida, T.
IEEE Conference on Photovoltaic Specialists
https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.1990.111854

Similar Records in DOE Patents and OSTI.GOV collections:

Multijunction photovoltaic device and method of manufacture

Patent Arya, Rejeewa R [Jamison, PA]; Catalano, Anthony W [Boulder, CO]; Bennett, Murray [Longhorne, PA]

A multijunction photovoltaic device includes first, second, and third amorphous silicon p-i-n photovoltaic cells in a stacked arrangement. The intrinsic layers of the second and third cells are formed of a-SiGe alloys with differing ratios of Ge such that the bandgap of the intrinsic layers respectively decrease from the first uppermost cell to the third lowermost cell. An interface layer, composed of a doped silicon compound, is disposed between the two cells and has a lower bandgap than the respective n- and p-type adjacent layers of the first and second cells. The interface layer forms an ohmic contact with themore »« less
Full Text Available
Hetero-junction photovoltaic device and method of fabricating the device

Patent Aytug, Tolga; Christen, David K; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; ...

A hetero-junction device and fabrication method in which phase-separated n-type and p-type semiconductor pillars define vertically-oriented p-n junctions extending above a substrate. Semiconductor materials are selected for the p-type and n-type pillars that are thermodynamically stable and substantially insoluble in one another. An epitaxial deposition process is employed to form the pillars on a nucleation layer and the mutual insolubility drives phase separation of the materials. During the epitaxial deposition process, the orientation is such that the nucleation layer initiates propagation of vertical columns resulting in a substantially ordered, three-dimensional structure throughout the deposited material. An oxidation state of atmore »« less
Full Text Available
Photovoltaic device using single wall carbon nanotubes and method of fabricating the same

Patent Biris, Alexandru S.; Li, Zhongrui

A photovoltaic device and methods for forming the same. In one embodiment, the photovoltaic device has a silicon substrate, and a film comprising a plurality of single wall carbon nanotubes disposed on the silicon substrate, wherein the plurality of single wall carbon nanotubes forms a plurality of heterojunctions with the silicon in the substrate.
Full Text Available
Method for fabricating photovoltaic device having improved short wavelength photoresponse

Patent Catalano, Anthony W [P.O. Box 557, Rushland, PA 18956]

Amorphous p-i-n silicon photovoltaic cells with improved short wavelength photoresponse are fabricated with reduced p-dopant contamination at the p/i interface. Residual p-dopants are removed by flushing the deposition chamber with a gaseous mixture capable of reacting with excess doping contaminants prior to the deposition of the i-layer and subsequent to the deposition of the p-layer.
Full Text Available
Organic photovoltaic device with interfacial layer and method of fabricating same

Patent Marks, Tobin J.; Hains, Alexander W.

An organic photovoltaic device and method of forming same. In one embodiment, the organic photovoltaic device has an anode, a cathode, an active layer disposed between the anode and the cathode; and an interfacial layer disposed between the anode and the active layer, the interfacial layer comprising 5,5'-bis[(p-trichlorosilylpropylphenyl)phenylamino]-2,2'-bithiophene (PABTSi.sub.2).
Full Text Available

Similar Records

Title: Multijunction photovoltaic device and fabrication method

Abstract

Citation Formats

Improving tunneling junction in amorphous silicon tandem solar cells journal, May 1990

Stacked solar cells of amorphous silicon journal, January 1980

A stable 10% solar cell with a-Si/a-Si double junction structure conference, January 1990

Improving tunneling junction in amorphous silicon tandem solar cells
journal, May 1990

Stacked solar cells of amorphous silicon
journal, January 1980

A stable 10% solar cell with a-Si/a-Si double junction structure
conference, January 1990