Photovoltaic device

• US 7,705,235 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fern Universitar Hagen, Interumiversitair Microelektronica Centrum
• Original Assignee: Fernuniversitã¤T In Hagen, IMEC International
• Inventors: Ulyashin, Alexander, Bilyalov, Renat, Fahrner, Wolfgang, Poortmans, Jef
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley; Basia
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, THANH TRUC
• Application Number:
  US10/658,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,423 Days
• Field of Search: 136/244, 136/246, 136/255, 136/258, 136/259, 136/261, 257 1-798
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0284 comprising porous silicon as part of the active layer(s) porous silicon as antireflective layer for photodiodes H01L31/0216; for solar cells H01L31/02168
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/04 adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices testing thereof during manufacture H01L22/00; testing thereof after manufacture H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0745 comprising a AIVBIV heterojunction, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0747 comprising a heterojunction of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/077 the devices comprising monocrystalline or polycrystalline materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells

Abstract

The present invention is related to a photovoltaic device, the device comprising a first layer of a first semiconductor material of a first conductivity type, a second layer of a second semiconductor material of the opposite conductivity type of the first layer, and a third layer of a third porous semiconductor material situated between the first layer and the second layer. The present invention also provides a method for producing the photovoltaic device.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic device, the device comprising:

a first layer comprising an amorphous silicon semiconductor material of n-type conductivity;

a second layer comprising a crystalline silicon semiconductor material of p-type conductivity; and

a third layer comprising a non-doped semiconductor material, wherein the third layer is situated between and contacts the first layer and the second layer, and wherein the third layer is a translucent porous layer and diffusion barrier having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 50 nm,

a fourth layer, wherein the second layer is attached to the fourth layer, wherein the fourth layer comprises a porous layer comprising a fourth semiconductor material, and wherein the fourth semiconductor material comprises non-doped crystalline silicon semiconductor material,

a fifth layer, wherein the fourth layer is attached to the fifth layer, wherein the fourth layer and the fifth layer comprise a same conductivity type, and wherein the fifth layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon semiconductor material, nanocrystalline semiconductor material, and microcrystalline silicon semiconductor material.

2. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a photodiode, a photoresistor, and a solar cell.

3. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third semiconductor material comprises a crystalline semiconductor material.

4. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a multicrystalline semiconductor material and a monocrystalline semiconductor material.

5. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a monocrystalline semiconductor material.

6. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a multicrystalline semiconductor material.

7. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the first layer has a thickness of from about 3 nm to about 100 nm.

8. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, further comprising an amorphous silicon layer, wherein the amorphous silicon layer is situated between the first layer and the third layer.

9. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of macro etch pits comprising a diameter of greater than about one micron, and wherein a portion of the macro etch pits comprise a plurality of fine etch pits comprising a diameter of less than about one micron.

10. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer comprises a porous semiconductor material comprising a semiconductor material and voids, wherein a percentage of a total volume occupied by voids is from 10% to 85%.

11. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a porous non-doped monocrystalline silicon semiconductor material.

12. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a porous non-doped multicrystalline silicon semiconductor material.

13. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a porous layer.

14. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a translucent layer.

15. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a porous translucent layer that acts as a diffusion barrier.

16. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer comprises a porous layer of high transparency.

17. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a transparent porous layer.

18. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of silicon.

19. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of germanium.

20. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of carbon.

21. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer is a single translucent porous layer.

22. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer consists of a single semiconductor element.

23. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer comprises silicon.

24. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer comprises germanium.

25. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer together constitute a heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer cell.

26. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the first layer consists of an amorphous silicon semiconductor material of n-type conductivity, wherein the second layer consists of a crystalline silicon semiconductor material of p-type conductivity;

and wherein the third layer consists of a porous, translucent semiconductor material.

27. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein the third layer has a porosity of from 15% to 20% and a thickness of from 5 nm to 10 nm as measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry.