Solar cell collector

• US 4,082,569 A
• Filed: 02/22/1977
• Issued: 04/04/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Evans, John C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US05/770,869
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 136/89 CC, 250/211 R, 250/211 J, 250/212, 357/30, 357/65, 357/67
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0521 using a gaseous or a liquid coolant, e.g. air flow ventilation, water circulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

A transparent, conductive collector layer containing conductive metal channels is formed as a layer on a photovoltaic substrate by coating a photovoltaic substrate with a conductive mixed metal layer; attaching a heat sink having portions protruding from one of its surfaces which define a continuous pattern in combination with recessed regions among said protruding portions to said substrate such that said protruding portions of said heat sink are in contact with the conductive layer of said substrate; and

Heating said substrate while simultaneously oxidizing the portions of the conductive layer exposed to a gaseous oxidizing substance forced into said recessed regions of said heat sink, thereby creating a transparent metal oxide layer on said substrate containing a continuous pattern of highly conductive metal channels in said layer.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic device having a transparent collector layer thereon, which comprises:

a photovoltaic substrate coated with a transparent, conductive mixed metal oxide collector layer containing a continuous pattern of higher conductivity metal channels therein, the metallic elements of said mixed metal oxide collector layer being the same as the metallic elements of said conductive channels.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said mixed metal oxide collector layer is 500A to 10 μ

m thick.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said photovoltaic substrate is a film of gallium arsenide or cadmium sulfide, a heterojunction device, a Schottky barrier device or an n/p or p/n photovoltaic diode.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said continuous pattern of higher conductivity metal channels is of a honeycomb pattern in the conductive mixed metal oxide layer.

5. A photovoltaic device having a transparent collector layer thereon comprising,

a photovoltaic substrate,

a transparent, conductive mixed metal oxide collector layer on said substrate, and

a plurality of higher conductivity metal channels contained in said collector layer, the metallic elements in said collector layer and conductive channels comprising mixtures of indium and tin, indium and arsenic, and indium and antemony.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the thickness of said mixed metal oxide collector layer ranges from 500A to 10 μ

m.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein said photovoltaic substrate is a film of gallium arsenide or cadmium sulfide, a heterojunction device, a Schottky barrier device or an n/p or p/n photovoltaic diode.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the higher conductivity metal channels form a continuous honeycomb pattern.