Photovoltaic cell and manufacturing method thereof

• US 6,150,605 A
• Filed: 09/21/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Han, Liyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/400,862
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 136/263, 136/255, 136/256, 136/249 TS, 257/440, 257/461, 257/432, 257/40, 438/74, 438/70, 438/82, 438/67, 438/99
• US Class Current: 136/263
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 5/62 Cyclic imides or amidines of peri-dicarboxylic acids of the anthracene, benzanthrene, or perylene series
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 57/10 Metal complexes of organic compounds not being dyes in uncomplexed form
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 67/0033 Blends of pigments; Mixtured crystals; Solid solutions
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2027 comprising an oxide semiconductor electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2031 comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 H01G9/2036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/30 Coordination compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/311 Phthalocyanine
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/621 Aromatic anhydride or imide compounds, e.g. perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride or perylene tetracarboxylic di-imide
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar 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

A photovoltaic cell has a structure including a first electrode layer, a first photovoltaic layer, an electrically conductive layer, a second photovoltaic layer and a second electrode layer that are successively laminated, wherein the first photovoltaic layer is a semiconductor film containing a first colorant, the second photovoltaic layer is a semiconductor film containing a second colorant, the first colorant and the second colorant being different from each other, so that the first photovoltaic layer and the second photovoltaic layer have different photocurrent action spectra.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic cell having a structure including a first electrode layer, a first photovoltaic layer, an electrically conductive layer, a second photovoltaic layer and a second electrode layer that are successively laminated

wherein the first photovoltaic layer is a semiconductor film containing a first colorant, the second photovoltaic layer is a semiconductor film containing a second colorant, the first colorant and the second colorant being different from each other, so that the first photovoltaic layer and the second photovoltaic layer have different photocurrent action spectra, and

wherein one of the semiconductor film of the first photovoltaic layer and the semiconductor film of the second photovoltaic layer is a p-type semiconductor film, and the other one is an n-type semiconductor film.

2. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the maximum absorption wavelength of the first colorant and the maximum absorption wavelength of the second colorant are different from each other.

3. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film of the first photovoltaic layer and/or the semiconductor film of the second photovoltaic layer is(are) a porous semiconductor film(s).

4. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive layer is an ion conductive layer.

5. The photovoltaic cell of claim 4, wherein the ion conductive layer contains a redox species.

6. The photovoltaic cell of claim 2, wherein the electrode adjacent the photovoltaic layer containing the colorant having the shorter maximum absorption wavelength is transparent and constitutes a light-receiving surface of the photovoltaic cell.

7. The photovoltaic cell of claim 2, wherein one of the first and second colorants is a colorant having a maximum absorption wavelength of 650 nm to 900 nm, and the other colorant is a colorant having a maximum absorption wavelength of 400 nm to 650 nm.

8. The photovoltaic cell of claim 2, wherein one of the first and second colorants is a phthalocyanine colorant having a maximum absorption wavelength range of 630 nm to 800 nm, and the other colorant is a perylene colorant having a maximum absorption wavelength range of 450 nm to 600 nm.

9. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1, wherein the colorants have a carboxyl group, alkoxy group, hydroxyalkyl group, hydroxy group, sulfonic acid group, mercapto group, phosphonyl group, phosphono group or an ester group.

12. A solar cell comprising the photovoltaic cell according to claim 1.

10. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic cell, comprising the steps of:

forming a first electrode layer on a first substrate;

forming a first semiconductor film on the first substrate having the first electrode layer formed thereon;

providing a first colorant to the first semiconductor film to form a first photovoltaic layer;

forming a second electrode layer on a second substrate;

forming a second semiconductor film on the second substrate having the second electrode layer formed thereon;

providing a second colorant to the second semiconductor film to form a second photovoltaic layer;

placing the first and second substrates so that the first photovoltaic layer and the second photovoltaic layer are faced to each other; and

forming an electrically conductive layer between the first and second photovoltaic layers,

wherein on of the semiconductor film of the first photovoltaic layer and the semiconductor film of the second photovoltaic layer is a p-type semiconductor film, and the other one is an n-type semiconductor film.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electrically conductive layer formed between the first and second photovoltaic layers comprises a liquid electrolyte.