TRANSPARENT CONDUCTING LAYER FOR SOLAR CELL APPLICATIONS

• US 20130164882A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Egypt Nanotechnology Center, International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Afzali-Ardakani, Ali, Bol, Ageeth A., Kasry, Amal, Maarouf, Ahmed, Martyna, Glenn J., Newns, Dennis M., Nistor, Razvan, Tulevski, George S., EI-Ashry, Mostafa M.
• Application Number:
  US13/337,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20130164882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/87
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• 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: H10K 30/821 comprising carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Disclosed is a method which includes forming a bottom metallic electrode on an insulating substrate; forming a semiconductor junction on the metallic electrode; forming a transparent conducting overlayer in contact with the semiconductor junction; and forming a metallic layer in contact with the transparent conducting overlayer, wherein the metallic layer is formed by a plating process. The plating process may be an electroplating process or an electroless plating process. The transparent conducting overlayer may be carbon nanotubes or graphene. The semiconductor junction may be a p-i-n semiconductor junction, a p-n semiconductor junction, an n-p semiconductor junction or an n-i-p semiconductor junction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a bottom metallic electrode;

forming a semiconductor junction on the metallic electrode;

forming a transparent conducting overlayer in contact with the semiconductor junction; and

forming a metallic layer in contact with the transparent conducting overlayer, wherein the metallic layer is formed by a plating process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metallic layer is interposed between the semiconductor junction and the transparent conducting overlayer so that the metallic layer makes direct contact with the semiconductor junction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transparent conducting overlayer is interposed between the semiconductor junction and the metallic layer so that the transparent conducting overlayer makes direct contact with the semiconductor junction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plating process is selected from the group consisting of electroplating and electroless plating.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the metallic layer is a busbar having a plurality of fingers extending from a main portion of the busbar.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transparent conducting overlayer is selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes and graphene.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor junction is a p-i-n semiconductor junction or a p-n semiconductor junction having a p-type surface and an n-type surface with the n-type surface being in direct contact with the bottom metallic electrode.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor junction is an n-p semiconductor junction or an n-i-p semiconductor junction having a p-type surface and an n-type surface with the p-type surface being in direct contact with the bottom metallic electrode.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a solar cell is produced by the method.

10. A method comprising:

forming a bottom metallic electrode;

forming a semiconductor junction on the metallic electrode , the semiconductor junction being in direct contact with the bottom metallic electrode;

forming a transparent conducting overlayer over and in direct contact with the semiconductor junction; and

forming a metallic layer over and in direct contact with the transparent conducting overlayer, wherein the metallic layer is formed by a plating process.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the plating process is selected from the group consisting of electroplating and electroless plating.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the metallic layer is a busbar having a plurality of fingers extending from a main portion of the busbar.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the transparent conducting overlayer is selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes and graphene.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein a solar cell is produced by the method.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the semiconductor junction is a p-i-n semiconductor junction, a p-n semiconductor junction, an n-p semiconductor junction or an n-i-p semiconductor junction.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the semiconductor junction is a p-i-n semiconductor junction or a p-n semiconductor junction having a p-type surface and n-type surface and the p-type surface being in direct contact with the transparent conducting overlayer.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the semiconductor junction is an n-p semiconductor junction or an n-i-p semiconductor junction having an n-type surface and a p-type surface and the n-type surface being in direct contact with the transparent conducting overlayer.

18. A method comprising:

forming a bottom metallic electrode;

forming a semiconductor junction on the metallic electrode , the semiconductor junction being in direct contact with the bottom metallic electrode;

forming a metallic layer over and in direct contact with the semiconductor junction, wherein the metallic layer is formed by a plating process; and

forming a transparent conducting overlayer over and in direct contact with the metallic layer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the plating process is selected from the group consisting of electroplating and electroless plating.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the metallic layer is a busbar having a plurality of fingers extending from a main portion of the busbar.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the transparent conducting overlayer is selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes and graphene.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein a solar cell is produced by the method.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the semiconductor junction is a p-i-n semiconductor junction, a p-n semiconductor junction, an n-p semiconductor junction or an n-i-p semiconductor junction.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the semiconductor junction is a p-i-n semiconductor junction or a p-n semiconductor junction having a p-type surface and n-type surface and the p-type surface being in direct contact with the metallic layer.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the semiconductor junction is an n-p semiconductor junction or an n-i-p semiconductor junction having an n-type surface and a p-type surface and the n-type surface being in direct contact with the metallic layer.