Solar cell substrate, thin-film solar cell, and multi-junction thin-film solar cell
First Claim
1. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the side of the irregularities, wherein:
- a height of the irregularities is set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 15 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ
is in a range of 0.10 to 0.30, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solar cell substrate of the present invention has irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, and light is incident on the side of the irregularities. The height of the irregularities is set so that the root mean square height is in a range of 15 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ is in a range of 0.10 to 0.30, where θ is the angle of incline of the surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities. According to this arrangement, the light incident on the irregularities is scattered at the interface. This increases the optical path length and thus the quantity of light absorbed in the photo-electric conversion layer. As a result, photo-electric conversion efficiency can be improved and the photo-electric conversion layer can be made thinner, thereby greatly reducing deposit time and manufacturing cost required for the photo-electric conversion layer. Further, by the foregoing ranges of the height of the irregularities, and tan θ, it is ensured that collision of crystals is not incurred. It is therefore possible to surely prevent deterioration of photo-electric conversion efficiency which is caused by defects.
78 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the side of the irregularities,
wherein: a height of the irregularities is set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 15 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ
is in a range of 0.10 to 0.30, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer,
wherein: the irregularities partially have indentations substantially in the form of a hemisphere or circular cone with a diameter in a range of 200 nm to 2000 nm. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A thin-film solar cell, comprising:
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a solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the side of the irregularities, a height of the irregularities being set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 15 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ
in a range of 0.10 to 0.30, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities,said solar cell substrate having the photo-electric conversion layer which is made up of at least one photo-electric conversion element. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the other side of the irregularities,
wherein: a height of the irregularities is set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 25 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ
is in a range of 0.07 to 0.20, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28)
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14. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer,
wherein: the irregularities partially have indentations substantially in the form of a hemisphere or circular cone with a diameter in a range of 200 nm to 2000 nm.
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16. A thin-film solar cell, comprising:
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a solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the side of a surface opposite the surface with the irregularities, a height of the irregularities being set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 25 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ
in a range of 0.07 to 0.20, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities,said solar cell substrate having the photo-electric conversion layer which is made up of at least one photo-electric conversion element.
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19. A multi-junction thin-film solar cell, comprising:
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a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements on the opposite side of a side of a substrate on which light is incident; and
an intermediate layer, having irregular surfaces, provided on at least one of the photo-electric conversion elements adjacent to one another, a height of the irregularities of the intermediate layer being set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 25 nm to 600 nm, and tan θ
in a range of 0.07 to 0.20, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.
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26. A multi-junction thin-film solar cell, comprising:
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a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements on the opposite side of a side of a substrate on which light is incident; and
an intermediate layer, having irregular surfaces, provided on at least one of the photo-electric conversion elements adjacent to one another, the irregularities of the intermediate layer partially having indentations substantially in the form of a hemisphere or circular cone with a diameter in a range of 200 nm to 2000 nm.
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29. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the side of the irregularities,
wherein: a height of the irregularities is set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 20 nm to 400 nm, and tan θ
is in a range of 0.15 to 0.25, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.
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30. A solar cell substrate having irregularities on a surface which is in contact with a photo-electric conversion layer, light being incident on the solar cell substrate on the other side of the irregularities,
wherein: a height of the irregularities is set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 25 nm to 400 nm, and tan θ
is in a range of 0.07 to 0.15, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.
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31. A multi-junction thin-film solar cell, comprising:
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a plurality of photo-electric conversion elements on the opposite side of a side of a substrate on which light is incident; and
an intermediate layer, having irregular surfaces, provided on at least one of the photo-electric conversion elements adjacent to one another, a height of the irregularities of the intermediate layer being set so that a root mean square height is in a range of 25 nm to 400 nm, and tan θ
in a range of 0.07 to 0.15, where θ
is an angle of incline of a surface of the irregularities with respect to an average line of the irregularities.
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Specification