Front electrode for use in photovoltaic device and method of making same
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic device including a front electrode structure, the front electrode structure comprising:
- a front substantially transparent glass substrate;
a dielectric layer comprising titanium oxide;
a dielectric layer comprising silicon oxynitride, wherein the layer comprising titanium oxide is located between the glass substrate and the layer comprising silicon nitride;
a conductive layer comprising indium tin oxide, wherein the layer comprising silicon oxynitride is located between at least the layer comprising indium tin oxide and the layer comprising titanium oxide;
a conductive layer comprising zinc oxide and/or zinc aluminum oxide;
wherein the front electrode structure comprising said layer comprising titanium oxide, said layer comprising silicon oxynitride, said conductive layer comprising indium tin oxide, and said conductive layer comprising zinc oxide and/or zinc aluminum oxide is provided on an interior surface of the front glass substrate facing a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to a front electrode/contact for use in an electronic device such as a photovoltaic device. In certain example embodiments, the front electrode of a photovoltaic device or the like includes a multilayer coating including at least one transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (e.g., of or including a material such as tin oxide, ITO, zinc oxide, or the like) and/or at least one conductive substantially metallic IR reflecting layer (e.g., based on silver, gold, or the like). In certain example instances, the multilayer front electrode coating may include one or more conductive metal(s) oxide layer(s) and/or one or more conductive substantially metallic IR reflecting layer(s) in order to provide for reduced visible light reflection, increased conductivity, cheaper manufacturability, and/or increased infrared (IR) reflection capability.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic device including a front electrode structure, the front electrode structure comprising:
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a front substantially transparent glass substrate; a dielectric layer comprising titanium oxide; a dielectric layer comprising silicon oxynitride, wherein the layer comprising titanium oxide is located between the glass substrate and the layer comprising silicon nitride; a conductive layer comprising indium tin oxide, wherein the layer comprising silicon oxynitride is located between at least the layer comprising indium tin oxide and the layer comprising titanium oxide; a conductive layer comprising zinc oxide and/or zinc aluminum oxide; wherein the front electrode structure comprising said layer comprising titanium oxide, said layer comprising silicon oxynitride, said conductive layer comprising indium tin oxide, and said conductive layer comprising zinc oxide and/or zinc aluminum oxide is provided on an interior surface of the front glass substrate facing a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A photovoltaic device including a front electrode structure, the front electrode structure comprising:
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a front substantially transparent glass substrate; a dielectric layer comprising silicon oxynitride, a dielectric layer comprising titanium oxide, wherein the layer comprising silicon oxynitride is located between the glass substrate and the layer comprising titanium oxide; a conductive film comprising indium tin oxide and/or silver, wherein the layer comprising titanium oxide is located between the layer comprising indium tin oxide and/or silver and the layer comprising silicon oxynitride; wherein the front electrode structure comprising said layer comprising silicon oxynitride, the layer comprising titanium oxide, and said film comprising indium tin oxide and/or silver is provided on an interior surface of the front glass substrate facing a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A photovoltaic device including a front electrode structure, the front electrode structure comprising:
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a front substantially transparent glass substrate; a first layer comprising silicon nitride; a second layer comprising titanium oxide, wherein at least the first layer is located between the front substrate and the second layer; a third layer comprising zinc oxide and/or zinc aluminum oxide; a conductive layer comprising silver, wherein at least the third layer is provided between the conductive layer comprising silver and the second layer; a layer comprising Ni and/or Cr; a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film located between the layer comprising Ni and/or Cr and a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device; and wherein a layer stack comprising said first layer, said second layer, said third layer, said conductive layer comprising silver, and said layer comprising Ni and/or Cr is provided on an interior surface of the front glass substrate facing the semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification