Photovoltaic element

• US 6,566,594 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd., TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Nishi, Kazuo, Morooka, Hisao, Sano, Tatsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mutschler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US09/824,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 136/255, 136/258, 136/261, 136/252, 438/57, 438/85, 438/96, 438/513
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

In a photovoltaic element according to the present invention, a first transparent conductive film, a second transparent conductive film, a p-type semiconductor film, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, a n-type semiconductor layer and a backside electrode are stacked in turn on a transparent substrate. Then, an intermediate layer is provided between the second transparent conductive film and the p-type semiconductor layer so as to cover the first transparent conductive film and the second transparent conductive film.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic element, comprising:

a substrate;

a transparent conductive film provided on the substrate;

an intermediate layer, provided so as to cover the transparent conductive film, is made in a hydrogen gas atmosphere of 15 volume % or below hydrogen concentration to repress degradation of an open circuit voltage;

a first conduction-type semiconductor layer provided on the intermediate layer;

an intrinsic semiconductor layer provided on the first conduction-type semiconductor layer; and

a second conduction-type, different from the first conduction-type, semiconductor layer provided on the intrinsic semiconductor layer.

2. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made in the hydrogen gas atmosphere of 6 volume % or below hydrogen concentration.

3. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made by a plasma CVD method.

4. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made of the same material as that of any one of the first conduction-type semiconductor layer, the intrinsic semiconductor layer and the second conduction-type semiconductor layer.

5. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is made of the same material as that of the first conduction-type semiconductor layer.

6. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 4, wherein the intermediate layer is made of a silicon material, and the thickness of the intermediate layer is set to be within 0.5-15 nm.

7. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein a surface of the intermediate layer is plasma-treated in a hydrogen-reduction atmosphere.

8. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, further comprising an interfacial layer between the first conduction-type semiconductor layer and the intrinsic semiconductor layer.

9. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 8, wherein the interfacial layer is made of the same material as that of any one of the first conduction-type semiconductor layer, the intrinsic semiconductor layer and the second conduction-type semiconductor layer.

10. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 9, wherein the interfacial layer is made of the same material as that of the first conduction-type semiconductor layer.

11. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 9, wherein the interfacial layer is made of a silicon material, and the thickness of the interfacial layer is set to be within 0.5-8 nm.

12. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive film is composed of a first transparent conductive film and a second transparent conductive film.

13. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive film has an amorphous structure.

14. A photovoltaic element as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of a polymer film.