SINGLE CRYSTALLINE CZTSSe PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE

• US 20160268468A1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Jeehwan, Lee, Yun Seog, Gershon, Talia S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,453,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/028 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0326 comprising AIBIICIVDVI kesterite compounds, e.g. Cu2ZnSnSe4, Cu2ZnSnS4
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1892 methods involving the use of temporary, removable substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes forming a two dimensional material on a first monocrystalline substrate. A single crystal absorber layer including Cu—Zn—Sn—S(Se) (CZTSSe) is grown over the first monocrystalline substrate. The single crystal absorber layer is exfoliated from the two dimensional material. The single crystal absorber layer is transferred to a second substrate, and the single crystal absorber layer is placed on a conductive layer formed on the second substrate. Additional layers are formed on the single crystal absorber layer to complete the photovoltaic device.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising:

forming a two dimensional material on a first monocrystalline substrate;

growing a single crystal absorber layer including Cu—

Zn—

Sn—

S(Se) (CZTSSe) over the first monocrystalline substrate;

exfoliating the single crystal absorber layer from the two dimensional material;

transferring the single crystal absorber layer to a second substrate and placing the single crystal absorber layer on a conductive layer formed on the second substrate; and

forming additional layers on the single crystal absorber layer to complete the photovoltaic device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes SiC and forming a two dimensional material on a first monocrystalline substrate includes graphenizating the first substrate to form the two dimensional material from graphene.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the two dimensional material includes a single sheet.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein growing a single crystal absorber layer includes epitaxially growing the absorber layer on the two dimensional material.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein exfoliating the single crystal absorber layer includes mechanically splitting the single crystal absorber layer from the two dimensional material.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein forming additional layers on the single crystal absorber layer includes:

forming a buffer layer on the absorber layer; and

forming a transparent conductor over the semiconductor layer.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein forming the buffer layer includes forming a single crystal semiconductor layer on the absorber layer.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second substrate includes glass and the conductive layer includes Mo.

9. A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising:

forming a single sheet layer of graphene on a monocrystalline SiC substrate;

growing a single crystal absorber layer including Cu—

Zn—

Sn—

S(Se) (CZTSSe) over the monocrystalline SiC substrate;

exfoliating the single crystal absorber layer from the graphene;

transferring the single crystal absorber layer to a glass substrate and placing the single crystal absorber layer on a conductive layer formed on the glass substrate;

forming a buffer layer on the absorber layer; and

forming a transparent conductor over the buffer layer.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein forming a single sheet of graphene includes graphenizating the SiC substrate to form graphene.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein growing a single crystal absorber layer includes epitaxially growing the absorber layer on the graphene.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein exfoliating the single crystal absorber layer includes mechanically splitting the single crystal absorber layer from the graphene.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising forming a buffer layer between the absorber layer and the transparent conductor.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein forming the buffer layer includes forming a single crystal buffer layer on the absorber layer.