THIN-FILM SOLAR BATTERY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20110226337A1
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Miura, Hiroshi, Tsuji, Kazuaki, Deguchi, Hiroshi, Yuzurihara, Hajime
• Application Number:
  US13/049,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20110226337A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/262
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/032 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only compounds not provided for in groups H01L31/0272 - H01L31/0312
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0336 in different semiconductor regions, e.g. Cu2X/CdX hetero- junctions, X being an element of Group VI of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells

Abstract

To provide a thin-film solar battery including a substrate, a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second electrode, the first electrode, the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode being placed over the substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer has a laminated layer structure which includes at least a p-type layer and an n-type layer, and wherein the n-type layer is formed of a compound containing elements of Group 13, Group 16 and at least one of Groups 2, 7 and 12, the Group 13 includes at least indium, and the Group 16 includes at least sulfur.

Claims

1. A thin-film solar battery comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode;

a photoelectric conversion layer; and

a second electrode,

the first electrode, the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode being placed over the substrate,

wherein the photoelectric conversion layer has a laminated layer structure which includes at least a p-type layer and an n-type layer, and

wherein the n-type layer is formed of a compound containing elements of Group 13, Group 16 and at least one of Groups 2, 7 and 12, the Group 13 includes at least indium, and the Group 16 includes at least sulfur.

2. The thin-film solar battery according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the Groups 2, 7 and 12 includes at least one element selected from magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, cadmium and manganese, the Group 13 includes indium and at least one element selected from gallium, aluminum and boron, and the Group 16 includes sulfur and at least one element selected from tellurium, selenium and oxygen.

3. The thin-film solar battery according to claim 1, wherein the n-type layer contains zinc, indium and sulfur.

4. The thin-film solar battery according to claim 1, wherein the n-type layer contains zinc, strontium, indium and sulfur.

5. The thin-film solar battery according to claim 1, wherein the n-type layer contains zinc, indium, sulfur and oxygen.

6. The thin-film solar battery according to claim 1, wherein the n-type layer is in an amorphous state as a structural state.

7. A method for producing a thin-film solar battery, comprising:

producing a thin-film solar battery,

wherein the thin-film solar battery comprises a substrate, a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode, the first electrode, the photoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode being placed over the substrate,

wherein the photoelectric conversion layer has a laminated layer structure which includes at least a p-type layer and an n-type layer,

wherein the n-type layer is formed of a compound containing elements of Group 13, Group 16 and at least one of Groups 2, 7 and 12, the Group 13 includes at least indium, and the Group 16 includes at least sulfur, and

wherein the n-type layer is formed by sputtering.