Photovoltaic device, manufacturing method of photovoltaic device, photovoltaic device integrated with building material and power-generating apparatus
First Claim
1. A photovoltaic device comprising joined semiconductor layers on a substrate,wherein the substrate has a substantially planar surface with (a) concavities and convexities, (b) a highest point, and (c) a lowest point, such that (i) a substrate center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (ii) a total, TAsub-above, of projected areas of regions of the substrate surface that lie at or above the substrate center value can be determined, each said projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (iii) a total, TAsub-entire, of the projected area of the entire substrate surface can be determined;
- and the joined semiconductor layers have a substantially planar surface with (d) concavities and convexities, (e) a highest point, and (f) a lowest point, such that (iv) a semiconductor center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (v) a total, TAsemi-above, of projected areas of regions of the surface of the joined semiconductor layers that lie at or above the semiconductor center value can be determined, each projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (vi) a total, TAsemi-entire, of the projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers can be determined; and
wherein the ratio of TAsub-above to TAsub-entire is greater than the ratio of TAsub-above to TAsub-entire.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a photovoltaic device being capable of generating a large amount of current even with thin joined semiconductor layers, has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency and can be manufactured inexpensively at a low temperature together with a manufacturing method of the same, a photovoltaic device integrated with a building material and a power-generating apparatus. The photovoltaic device is formed by depositing joined semiconductor layers on a substrate, wherein a ratio of projected areas of regions on a surface of the joined semiconductor layers that have heights not smaller than a center value of concavities and convexities to a projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers is higher than a ratio of projected areas of regions on the surface of the substrate that have heights not smaller than the center value of concavities and convexities on a surface of the substrate to a projected area of the entire surface of the substrate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A photovoltaic device comprising joined semiconductor layers on a substrate,
wherein the substrate has a substantially planar surface with (a) concavities and convexities, (b) a highest point, and (c) a lowest point, such that (i) a substrate center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (ii) a total, TAsub-above, of projected areas of regions of the substrate surface that lie at or above the substrate center value can be determined, each said projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (iii) a total, TAsub-entire, of the projected area of the entire substrate surface can be determined; -
and the joined semiconductor layers have a substantially planar surface with (d) concavities and convexities, (e) a highest point, and (f) a lowest point, such that (iv) a semiconductor center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (v) a total, TAsemi-above, of projected areas of regions of the surface of the joined semiconductor layers that lie at or above the semiconductor center value can be determined, each projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (vi) a total, TAsemi-entire, of the projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers can be determined; and
wherein the ratio of TAsub-above to TAsub-entire is greater than the ratio of TAsub-above to TAsub-entire. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A photovoltaic device integrated with a building material comprising:
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a photovoltaic device comprising joined semiconductor layers on a substrate;
a back surface reinforcing member; and
a sealing member which integrally seals the photovoltaic device and the back surface reinforcing member, wherein the substrate has a substantially planar surface with (a) concavities and convexities, (b) a highest point, and (c) a lowest point, such that (i) a substrate center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (ii) a total, TAsub-above, of projected areas of regions of the substrate surface that lie at or above the substrate center value can be determined, each said projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (iii) a total, TAsub-entire, of the projected area of the entire substrate surface can be determined;
and the joined semiconductor layers have a substantially planar surface with (d) concavities and convexities, (e) a highest point, and (f) a lowest point, such that (iv) a semiconductor center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (v) a total, TAsemi-above, of projected areas of regions of the surface of the joined semiconductor layers that lie at or above the semiconductor center value can be determined, each projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (vi) a total, TAsemi-entire, of the projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers can be determined; and
wherein the ratio of TAsemi-above to TAsemi-entire is greater than the ratio of TAsub-above to TAsub-entire.
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16. A power-generating apparatus comprising:
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a photovoltaic device comprising joined semiconductor layers on a substrate;
a power converter into which electric power from the photovoltaic device is input;
detecting means which detects an output voltage and output current from the photovoltaic device;
output setting means into which signals are input from the detecting means; and
a control circuit which controls the power converter on the basis of the signals input into the output setting means, wherein the substrate has a substantially planar surface with (a) concavities and convexities, (b) a highest point, and (c) a lowest point, such that (i) a substrate center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (ii) a total, TAsub-above, of projected areas of regions of the substrate surface that lie at or above the substrate center value can be determined, each said projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (iii) a total, TAsub-entire, of the projected area of the entire substrate surface can be determined;
and the joined semiconductor layers have a substantially planar surface with (d) concavities and convexities, (e) a highest point, and (f) a lowest point, such that (iv) a semiconductor center value that is the mean elevation between said highest point and said lowest point can be determined, (v) a total, TAsemi-above, of projected areas of regions of the surface of the joined semiconductor layers that lie at or above the semiconductor center value can be determined, each projected area being the cross-sectional area of a columnar projection extending perpendicular from the region, and (vi) a total, TAsemi-entire, of the projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers can be determined; and
wherein the ratio of TAsemi-above to TAsemi-entire is greater than the ratio of TAsub-above to TAsub-entire. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification