Photoelectric transducer

• US 5,718,773 A
• Filed: 12/19/1996
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shiozaki, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US08/769,318
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 136/256, 136/258 AM, 136/258 PC, 136/259, 257/436, 257/437, 359/580, 359/585, 428/432, 428/469
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0236 Special surface textures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02366 of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A photoelectric transducer is provided which comprises a first electrode, a second electrode constituted of an antireflection layer, and a semiconductor layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The antireflection layer comprises a laminated member of a first tin oxide layer containing a first crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm, and a second thin oxide layer containing a second oxide of a second thin oxide layer containing a second crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm.

Claims

1. A photoelectric transducer comprising a first electrode, a second electrode constituted of an antireflection layer, and a photoelectric semiconductor layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein said antireflection layer comprises a laminated member of a first thin conductive oxide layer containing a first crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm and a second thin conductive oxide layer containing a second oxide of a second crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm, wherein the thickness d of the laminate is equal to the wavelength of light absorbed by the photoelectric semiconductor layer divided by 4n, where n is the composite refractive index of the layers of the antireflection laminate.

2. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the laminated member is formed by alternately laminating one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers.

3. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the first thin oxide layer comprises at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of cadmium, indium, and tin, and the second thin oxide layer comprises at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of zinc and titanium.

4. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers are alternately laminated.

5. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the first thin oxide layer comprises at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of cadmium, indium, and tin and has a thickness ranging from 10 to 20 nm, and the second thin oxide layer comprises at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of zinc and titanium and has a thickness ranging from 5 to 10 nm.

6. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 5, wherein one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers are alternately laminated.

7. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises amorphous silicon.

8. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises microcrystalline silicon.

9. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer has a pin junction or an nip junction.

10. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an electroconductive base member.

11. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 10, wherein the electroconductive base member is a stainless steel plate, a galvanized steel plate, an aluminum plate, or a copper plate.

12. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 10, wherein a reflective metal layer is provided on the electroconductive base member.

13. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 10, wherein a reflective metal layer and a transparent electroconductive layer are provided on the electroconductive base member.

14. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 13, wherein the transparent electroconductive layer is a zinc oxide layer having fine projections and recesses on the surface thereof.

15. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein a transparent electrode is provided between the antireflection layer and the semiconductor layer.

16. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein a transparent electrode is provided on a surface of the antireflection layer opposite to the semiconductor layer.

17. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein the antireflection layer is provided adjacently to a transparent base member and said semiconductor layer is provided on a surface of the antireflection layer.

18. The photoelectric transducer according to claim 1, wherein said second thin conductive oxide layer is thinner than said first thin conductive oxide layer.

19. An antireflection layer supported on a base member, adapted for use with a photoelectric semiconductor layer, comprising a laminated member of a first thin conductive oxide layer containing a first crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm, and a second thin conductive oxide layer containing a second crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm, wherein the thickness d of the laminate is equal to the wavelength of light absorbed by the photoelectric semiconductor layer divided by 4n, where n is the composite refractive index of the layers of the antireflection laminate.

20. The antireflection layer according to claim 19, wherein the laminated member is formed by alternately laminating one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the thin second oxide layer.

21. The antireflection layer according to claim 19, wherein the first thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of cadmium, indium, and tin, and the second thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of zinc and titanium.

22. The antireflection layer according to claim 21, wherein one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers are alternately laminated.

23. The antireflection layer according to claim 19, wherein the first thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of cadmium, indium, and tin and has a thickness ranging from 10 to 20 nm, and the second thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of zinc and titanium and has a thickness ranging from 5 to 10 nm.

24. The antireflection layer according to claim 23, wherein one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers are alternately laminated.

25. The antireflection layer according to claim 19, wherein said second thin conductive oxide layer is thinner than said first thin conductive oxide layer.

26. An electrode comprising a laminated member having a first thin conductive oxide layer containing a first crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm and a second thin conductive oxide layer containing a second crystalline oxide of grain size of not larger than 20 nm, and a base member supporting said laminated member.

27. The electrode according to claim 26, wherein the laminated member is formed by alternately laminating one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the thin second oxide layers.

28. The electrode according to claim 26, wherein the first thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of cadmium, indium, and tin, and the second thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of zinc and titanium.

29. The electrode according to claim 28, wherein one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers are alternately laminated.

30. The electrode according to claim 26, wherein the first thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of cadmium, indium, and tin and has a thickness ranging from 10 to 20 nm, and the second thin oxide layer contains at least one metal oxide selected from oxides of zinc and titanium and has a thickness ranging from 5 to 10 nm.

31. The electrode according to claim 30, wherein one or more of the first thin oxide layers and one or more of the second thin oxide layers are alternately laminated.

32. The electrode according to claim 26, wherein said second thin conductive oxide layer is thinner than said first thin conductive oxide layer.