Photoelectric conversion device and substrate for photoelectric conversion device

• US 6,380,480 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kaneka Corporation, Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kaneka Corporation, Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Otani, Tsuyoshi, Fujisawa, Akira, Sueyoshi, Yukio, Hirata, Masahiro, Norimatsu, Hodaka
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/573,516
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 136/256, 136/251, 136/249, 136/255, 257/432, 257/437, 257/436, 257/434, 428/426, 428/428, 428/432, 428/220
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02162 for filtering or shielding light, e.g. multicolour filters for photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/076 Multiple junction or tandem solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

A transparent substrate, a transparent conductive film, photoelectric conversion units, and a back electrode are stacked sequentially from a side on which light is incident. Further, intermediate films are formed between the transparent substrate and the transparent conductive film. The intermediate films are formed so that the relationship of R₁<R₂×0.8 is satisfied, wherein R₁ represents an average reflectance in a wavelength region between (λ−50) nm and (λ+50) nm, where λ (nm) represents a wavelength of the light allowing the photoelectric conversion units to have an optimal spectral sensitivity characteristic, and R₂ denotes an average reflectance, in the wavelength region, of the photoelectric conversion device that does not include the intermediate film. In a tandem-type device including plural photoelectric conversion units, intermediate films are formed so that the average reflectance in the wavelength range is decreased in each photoelectric conversion unit. Thus, the conversion efficiency of the photoelectric conversion device is improved.

Claims

1. A photoelectric conversion device, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a transparent conductive film;

a photoelectric conversion unit including a photoelectric conversion layer; and

a back electrode,

the transparent substrate, the transparent conductive film, the photoelectric conversion unit, and the back electrode being stacked sequentially from a side on which light is incident,

wherein the photoelectric conversion device further comprises an intermediate film between the transparent substrate and the transparent conductive film, and

the photoelectric conversion device satisfies a relationship of R₁<

R₂×

0.8, wherein R₁ represents an average reflectance of the photoelectric conversion device in a wavelength region between (λ

−

50) nm and (λ

+50) nm, where λ

(nm) indicates a wavelength of the light allowing the photoelectric conversion layer to have an optimal spectral sensitivity characteristic, and R₂ denotes an average reflectance, in the wavelength region, of the photoelectric conversion device that does not include the intermediate film.

2. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate film is formed of two layers of a first film with a relatively high refractive index and a second film with a relatively low refractive index sequentially from a side of the transparent substrate.

3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the first film has a refractive index in a range between 1.7 and 2.7, and the second film has a refractive index in a range between 1.4 and 1.8.

4. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the first film has a thickness of at least 20 nm.

5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate film comprises a layer containing silicon oxide as a main component.

6. A photoelectric conversion device, comprising

a transparent substrate;

a transparent conductive film;

at least two photoelectric conversion units; and

a back electrode,

the transparent substrate, the transparent conductive film, the at least two photoelectric conversion units, and the back electrode being stacked sequentially from a side on which light is incident, and the at least two photoelectric conversion units including two photoelectric conversion layers in which wavelengths λ

of the light allowing optimal spectral sensitivity characteristics to be obtained are different from each other,

wherein the photoelectric conversion device further comprises an intermediate film formed between the transparent substrate and the transparent conductive film, and

the photoelectric conversion device satisfies relationships of;

R₁₁<

R₁₂, wherein R₁₁ represents an average reflectance of the photoelectric conversion device in a first wavelength region between (λ

₁−

50) nm and (λ

₁+50) nm, where λ

₁ (nm) represents one of the wavelengths λ

in one of the two photoelectric conversion layers, and R₁₂ denotes an average reflectance, in the first wavelength region, of the photoelectric conversion device that does not include the intermediate film; and

R₂₁<

R₂₂, wherein R₂₁ represents an average reflectance of the photoelectric conversion device in a second wavelength region between (λ

₂−

50) nm and (λ

₂+50) nm, where λ

₂ (nm) represents the other of the wavelengths λ

in the other of the two photoelectric conversion layers, and R₂₂ denotes an average reflectance, in the second wavelength region, of the photoelectric conversion device that does not include the intermediate film.

7. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 6, wherein the two photoelectric conversion layers in which wavelengths λ

of the light allowing optimal spectral sensitivity characteristics to be obtained are different from each other comprise at least one selected from an amorphous silicon-based photoelectric conversion layer and a crystalline silicon-based photoelectric conversion layer.

8. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate film is formed of two layers of a first film with a relatively high refractive index and a second film with a relatively low refractive index sequentially from a side of the transparent substrate.

9. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 8, wherein the first film has a refractive index in a range between 1.7 and 2.7, and the second film has a refractive index in a range between 1.4 and 1.8.

10. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 9, wherein the first film has a thickness of at least 20 nm.

11. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate film comprises a film containing silicon oxide as a main component.