Thin-film photovoltaic devices

• US 8,110,428 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunlight Aerospace Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sunlight Photonics Incorporated
• Inventors: Frolov, Sergey, Bruce, Allan James, Cyrus, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): WILCZEWSKI, MARY A
• Application Number:
  US12/323,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20100129957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 438/57, 438/84, 438/85, 438/86, 438/95, 136/252, 136/256, 136/260, 136/262, 136/264, 136/265, 257/184, 257/E31.007, 257/E31.008, 257/E31.027, 427/76
• US Class Current: 438/95
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0322 comprising only AIBIIICVI chalcopyrite compounds, e.g. Cu In Se2, Cu Ga Se2, Cu In Ga Se2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0749 including a AIBIIICVI compound, e.g. CdS/CulnSe2 [CIS] heterojunction solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/541 CuInSe2 material PV cells

Abstract

A method is provided for producing a thin-film photovoltaic device. The method includes forming on a substrate a first thin-film absorber layer using a first deposition process. A second thin-film absorber layer is formed on the first thin-film absorber layer using a second deposition process different from the first deposition process. The first and second thin-film absorber layers are each photovoltaically active regions and the second thin-film absorber layer has a smaller concentration of defects than the first thin-film absorber layer.

Claims

1. A method of producing a thin-film photovoltaic device, comprising:

forming on a substrate a first thin-film absorber layer using a first deposition process; and

forming on the first thin-film absorber layer a second thin-film absorber layer using a second deposition process different from the first deposition process, wherein said second thin-film absorber layer has a smaller concentration of defects than the first thin-film absorber layer, and wherein the first and second thin-film absorber layers are each photovoltaically active regions, one of the first or second deposition processes being selected from the group consisting of a reacted particle deposition process, a reacted target deposition process and a co-evaporation deposition process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second deposition processes comprises deposition of CIGS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first deposition process is a reacted particle deposition process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second deposition process is a reacted target physical deposition process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second deposition is a co-evaporation deposition process.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one surface treatment step following said first deposition process.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising chemically doping the second thin-film absorber layer step following said second deposition process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second thin-film absorber layer has a slower recombination rate than the first thin-film absorber layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second thin-film absorber layers have essentially the same chemical composition and optical bandgap.

10. A method of producing a thin-film photovoltaic device, comprising:

forming on a substrate a first thin-film absorber layer using a first deposition process; and

forming on the first thin-film absorber layer a second thin-film absorber layer using a second deposition process different from the first deposition process, wherein said second thin-film absorber layer has a slower recombination rate than the first thin-film absorber layer, and wherein the first and second thin-film absorber layers are each photovoltaically active regions, wherein said second deposition process is a reacted target physical deposition process.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first deposition process is a reacted particle deposition process.

12. A method of producing a thin-film photovoltaic device, comprising:

forming on a substrate a first thin-film absorber layer using a first deposition process; and

forming on the first thin-film absorber layer a second thin-film absorber layer using a second deposition process different from the first deposition process, wherein said first and second thin-film absorber layers have essentially the same chemical composition and optical bandgap, and wherein the first and second thin-film absorber layers are each photovoltaically active regions, wherein said second deposition process is a reacted target physical deposition process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first deposition process is a reacted particle deposition process.