CuInSe.sub.2 thin film solar cell with thin CdS and transparent window layer

• US 4,611,091 A
• Filed: 12/06/1984
• Issued: 09/09/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Solar Industries L.P. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Ermer, James H., Kapur, Vijay K., Shing, Yuh-Han, Choudary, Uppala V., Potter, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US06/678,854
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 136/260, 136/264, 136/265, 357/16, 357/30
• US Class Current: 136/260
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022483 composed of zinc oxide [ZnO]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03365 comprising only Cu2X / CdX heterojunctions, X being an element of Group VI of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0749 including a AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CdS/CulnSe2 [CIS] heterojunction solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/543 Solar cells from Group II-VI materials

Abstract

A thin film photovoltaic device having first layer of copper indium selenide, a second layer of cadmium sulfide having a thickness less than 2500 angstroms, and a third layer of conducting wide bandgap semiconductor such as zinc oxide. The transparent third layer allows good transmission of blue light to the junction region while fully depleting the junction area to improve device voltage.

Claims

1. A thin film photovoltaic device comprising a first layer of copper indium diselenide p-type semiconductor, a second layer in overlying contact with said first layer and formed of n-type cadmium sulfide semiconductor having a thickness of less than 2500Å

, and a third layer in overlying contact with said second layer and formed of a substantially transparent degenerate wide bandgap n-type semiconductor.

2. A photovoltaic device according to claim 1 wherein said second layer has a thickness of from about 100Å

to about 1500Å

.

3. A photovoltaic device according to claim 1 wherein said third layer comprises primarily zinc oxide.

4. A photovoltaic device according to claim 1 wherein said third layer has sufficient conductivity to fully deplete said second layer.

5. A thin film photovoltaic device comprising a first layer of p-type copper indium diselenide, a second layer in overlying contact with said first layer and formed of an n-type group II-VI semiconductor which forms a junction with the first layer and having a thickness less than 2500 angstroms, and a third layer in overlying contact with said second layer and formed of a substantially conducting wide bandgap n-type semiconductor.