Photovoltaic device, method of producing the same and generating system using the same
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic device comprising a p-type semiconductor region, an i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region, and an n-type semiconductor region, wherein said i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region comprises a first i-type semiconductor region containing silicon and carbon atoms on the side of said n-type semiconductor region, said first region having a minimum energy band gap between the center thereof and said p-type region, and a second i-type semiconductor region containing silicon atoms and having a thickness of 30 nm or less on the side of said p-region.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide a photovoltaic device and a method of producing the photovoltaic device which can prevent recombination of photo-excited carriers and which permits increases in the open circuit voltage and the carrier range. The photovoltaic device of the present invention has a laminate structure composed of at least a p-type layer of a silicon non-single crystal semiconductor, a photoactive layer having a plurality of i-type layers, and an n-type layer. The photoactive layer has a laminate structure composed of a first i-type layer deposited on the side of the n-type layer by a microwave plasma CVD process, and a second i-type layer deposited on the side of said the p-type layer by an RF plasma CVD process. The first i-type layer deposited by the microwave plasma CVD process contains at least silicon and carbon atoms, and has a minimum band gap between the center thereof and the p-type layer, and the second i-type layer deposited by the RF plasma CVD process contains at least silicon atoms and has a thickness of 30 nm or less.
26 Citations
44 Claims
- 1. A photovoltaic device comprising a p-type semiconductor region, an i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region, and an n-type semiconductor region, wherein said i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region comprises a first i-type semiconductor region containing silicon and carbon atoms on the side of said n-type semiconductor region, said first region having a minimum energy band gap between the center thereof and said p-type region, and a second i-type semiconductor region containing silicon atoms and having a thickness of 30 nm or less on the side of said p-region.
- 9. A photovoltaic device comprising a laminate of at least a p-type layer comprising a silicon non-single crystal semiconductor, a photoactive layer comprising a plurality of i-type layers, and an n-type layer, wherein said photoactive layer has a laminate structure comprising at least a first i-type layer deposited on the side of said n-type layer by a microwave plasma CVD process, and a second i-type layer deposited on the side of said p-type layer by a RF plasma CVD process, said first i-type layer deposited by said microwave plasma CVD process contains at least silicon and carbon atoms, and has a minimum band gap between the center thereof and said p-type layer, and said second i-type layer deposited by said RF plasma CVD process contains at least silicon atoms and has a thickness of 30 nm or less.
-
17. A method of producing a photovoltaic device comprising a p-type layer comprising, in the recited order, at least a silicon non-single crystal semiconductor, a photoactive layer comprising a plurality of i-type layers, and an n-type layer, said method comprising:
-
depositing a first i-type layer of said photoactive layer on the side of said of said n-type layer by a microwave plasma CVD process in which microwave energy less than that required for 100% decomposition of raw material gases containing at least a silicon-containing gas and a carbon-containing gas, and RF energy greater than the microwave energy are simultaneously applied to said raw material gases under a pressure of 50 mTorr or less while varying the ratio of flow rates of said raw material gases so that a minimum band gap is formed at a position between the center of said first i-type layer and said p-type layer; and depositing a second i-type layer to a thickness of 30 nm or less on the side of said p-type layer by a RF plasma CVD process using raw material gases containing at least a silicon-containing gas at a deposition rate of 2 nm/sec or less. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
-
19. A generating system comprising:
-
a photovoltaic device comprising a p-type semiconductor region, an i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region, and an n-type semiconductor region, wherein said i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region comprises a first i-type semiconductor region containing silicon and carbon atoms on the side of said n-type region, said first region having a minimum energy band gap between the center thereof and said p-type region, and a second i-type semiconductor region containing at least silicon atoms and having a thickness of 30 nm or less; a storage battery for storing electric power supplied from said photovoltaic device and/or supplying electric power to an external load; and a control system for monitoring the voltage and/or current of said photovoltaic device to control the electric power supplied to said storage battery and/or said external load from said photovoltaic device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
- 27. A photovoltaic device comprising a p-type semiconductor region, an i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region, and an n-type semiconductor region, wherein said i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region comprises a first i-type semiconductor region containing silicon and carbon atoms on the side of said n-type semiconductor region, said first region having a minimum energy band gap between the center thereof and said p-type region, and a second i-type semiconductor region containing silicon atoms on the side of said p region.
-
36. A generating system comprising:
-
a photovoltaic device comprising a p-type semiconductor region, an i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region, and an n-type semiconductor region, wherein said i-type non-single crystal semiconductor region comprises a first i-type semiconductor region containing silicon and carbon atoms on the side of said n-type region, said first region having a minimum energy band gap between the center thereof and said p-type region, and a second i-type semiconductor region containing at least silicon atoms; a storage battery for storing electric power supplied from said photovoltaic device and/or supplying electric power to an external load; and a control system for monitoring the voltage and/or current of said photovoltaic device to control the electric power supplied to said storage battery and/or said external load from said photovoltaic device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
Specification