Front electrode having etched surface for use in photovoltaic device and method of making same
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
- a front glass substrate;
a front electrode provided between the front glass substrate and a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device, wherein the front electrode comprises a silver-based conductive layer and a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, the TCO layer being provided between the silver-based layer and the semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device;
wherein a major surface of the TCO layer closest to the semiconductor film is etched so as to be textured; and
wherein the TCO layer is graded with respect to density so that a first portion of the TCO layer closer to the silver-based layer has a higher density than does a second portion of the TCO layer farther from the silver-based layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to a photovoltaic (PV) device including an electrode such as a front electrode/contact, and a method of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the front electrode has a textured (e.g., etched) surface that faces the photovoltaic semiconductor film of the PV device. In certain example embodiments, the front electrode is formed on a flat or substantially flat (non-textured) surface of a glass substrate (e.g., via sputtering), and the surface of the front electrode is textured (e.g., via etching). In completing manufacture of the PV device, the etched surface of the front electrode faces the active semiconductor film of the PV device.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
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a front glass substrate; a front electrode provided between the front glass substrate and a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device, wherein the front electrode comprises a silver-based conductive layer and a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, the TCO layer being provided between the silver-based layer and the semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device; wherein a major surface of the TCO layer closest to the semiconductor film is etched so as to be textured; and wherein the TCO layer is graded with respect to density so that a first portion of the TCO layer closer to the silver-based layer has a higher density than does a second portion of the TCO layer farther from the silver-based layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A photovoltaic device comprising:
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a front glass substrate; a front electrode provided between the front glass substrate and a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device, wherein the front electrode comprises, in this order moving away from the front glass substrate, a silver-based conductive layer, a buffer layer comprising metal oxide, and a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, the TCO layer being provided between at least the silver-based layer and the semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device; wherein a major surface of the TCO layer closest to the semiconductor film is etched so as to be textured; and wherein the buffer layer is more resistant to etching than is the TCO layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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21. A method of making a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
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sputter-depositing a multilayer electrode on a glass substrate at approximately room temperature; heat treating the multilayer electrode at from about 50-400 degrees C. in order to densify at least a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer of the electrode; after the heat treating, etching a major exposed surface of the heat treated TCO layer of the electrode in order to form a textured surface; and arranging the textured surface of the TCO layer so as to face a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device.
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28. A method of making a photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
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sputter-depositing a multilayer electrode, including at least one TCO layer, on a glass substrate at approximately room temperature; etching a surface of the TCO layer to form a textured surface; arranging the textured surface of the TCO layer so as to face a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device; and adjusting at least one sputtering parameter when sputter-depositing the multilayer electrode so that the TCO layer is deposited so as to have portions of different density, wherein a first portion of the TCO layer closer to the glass substrate has a higher density than does a second portion of the TCO layer farther from the glass substrate. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A photovoltaic device comprising:
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a front glass substrate; a front electrode provided between the front glass substrate and a semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device, wherein the front electrode comprises a silver-based conductive layer and a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, the TCO layer being provided between the silver-based layer and the semiconductor film of the photovoltaic device; and wherein a major surface of the TCO layer closest to the semiconductor film is etched so as to be textured. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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Specification