THIN-FILM PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE

• US 20100243058A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
• Inventors: Sezaki, Fumiyasu, Yamamoto, Kenji, Ichikawa, Mitsuru, Meguro, Tomomi, Kuchiyama, Takashi, Yoshikawa, Kunta
• Granted Patent: US 8,410,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/261
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/056 the light-reflecting means being of the back surface reflector [BSR] type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/076 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/077 the devices comprising monocrystalline or polycrystalline materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/078 including different types of potential barriers provided for in two or more of groups H01L31/062 - H01L31/075
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/202 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

This invention intends to develop a technique for forming an interlayer with excellent optical characteristics and to provide a photoelectric conversion device having high conversion efficiency. To realize this purpose, a series connection through an intermediate layer is formed in the thin-film photoelectric conversion device of the invention, and the interlayer is a transparent oxide layer in its front surface and n pairs of layers stacked therebehind (n is an integer of 1 or more), wherein each of the pair of layers is a carbon layer and a transparent oxide layer stacked in this order. Film thicknesses of each layer are optimized to improve wavelength selectivity and stress resistance while keeping the series resistance.

An embodiment of the photoelectric conversion device is characterized in that; a transparent insulating substrate is located on the light incidence side, and a transparent conductive layer, at least one photoelectric conversion unit, a transparent electrode layer having electrical conductivity as typified by zinc oxide, a hard carbon layer having electrical conductivity as typified by diamond-like carbon, and a high reflecting electrode layer are stacked in this order on an opposite surface from a light incidence side of the transparent insulating substrate.

Claims

1. A thin-film photoelectric conversion device comprising a plurality of silicon-based photoelectric conversion units connected in series through an interlayer, wherein

the interlayer is a transparent oxide layer and n pairs of layers stacked therebehind (n is an integer of 1 or more), wherein each pair of layers is a carbon layer and a transparent oxide layer stacked in this order, such that the carbon layer is connected to the photoelectric conversion units through the transparent oxide layers.

3. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the carbon layers contains hydrogen.

4. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a refractive index of one or more of the carbon layers is 1.25 or more and 1.90 or less against a light with a wavelength of 600 nm.

5. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the transparent oxide layers is formed out of zinc oxide.

6. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the transparent oxide layers is formed out of conductive oxygenated silicon.

7. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a film thickness of one or more of the transparent oxide layers is 10 Å

or more and 2000 Å

or less.

8. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a film thickness of one or more of the carbon layers is 100 Å

or more and 2000 Å

or less.

9. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a total film thickness of the transparent oxide layer is 40 Å

or more and 4000 Å

or less.

10. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a total film thickness of the carbon layer is 200 Å

or more and 4000 Å

or less.

11. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a transparent insulating substrate is located on the light incidence side, and a first transparent electrode layer the photoelectric conversion units connected in series, a second transparent electrode layer having electrical conductivity, a hard carbon layer having electrical conductivity, and a high reflecting electrode layer are stacked in this order on an opposite surface from a light incidence side of the transparent insulating substrate.

12. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the hard carbon layer having electrical conductivity comprises diamond-like carbon.

13. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 11, wherein the second transparent electrode layer is made of zinc oxide.

14. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 11, wherein a film thickness of the second transparent electrode layer is 50 Å

or more and 5000 Å

or less.

15. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 11, wherein a film thickness of the hard carbon layer having electrical conductivity is 5 Å

or more and 2000 Å

or less.

17. The thin-film photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein any one of the carbon layers comprises diamond-like carbon.

2. (canceled)

16. (canceled)