Amorphous silicon PV panels. Amorphous silicon solar cell * KYOKUSHO.COM

US6307146B1. Amorphous silicon solar cell. Google Patents

Publication number US6307146B1 US6307146B1 US09/404,409 US40440999A US6307146B1 US 6307146 B1 US6307146 B1 US 6307146B1 US 40440999 A US40440999 A US 40440999A US 6307146 B1 US6307146 B1 US 6307146B1 Authority US United States Prior art keywords amorphous silicon layer power type solar cell Prior art date 1999-01-18 Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.) Expired. Fee Related Application number US09/404,409 Inventor Yoshiaki Takeuchi Masayoshi Murata Akemi Takano Tatsuyuki Nishimiya Syouji Morita Tatsufumi Aoi Tatsuji Horioka Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd Original Assignee Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.) 1999-01-18 Filing date 1999-09-23 Publication date 2001-10-23 Family has litigation Priority claimed from JP11-009377 external-priority First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=26344073utm_source=google_patentutm_medium=platform_linkutm_campaign=public_patent_searchpatent=US6307146(B1) Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 1999-09-23 Application filed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd filed Critical Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd 1999-09-23 Assigned to MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD. reassignment MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: AOI, TATSUFUMI, MURATA, MASAYOSHI, NISHIMIYA, TATSUYUKI, TAKANO, AKEMI, TAKEUCHI, YOSHIAKI, HORIOKA, TATSUJI, MORITA, SYOUJI 2001-10-23 Application granted granted Critical 2001-10-23 Publication of US6307146B1 publication Critical patent/US6307146B1/en 2019-09-23 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical Status Expired. Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01L — SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
H01L31/00 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
H01L31/0248 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
H01L31/0256 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by the material
H01L31/0264 — Inorganic materials
H01L31/028 — Inorganic materials including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System

H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01L — SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
H01L31/00 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
H01L31/0248 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
H01L31/036 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
H01L31/0376 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including amorphous semiconductors
H01L31/03762 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including amorphous semiconductors including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System

H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01L — SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
H01L31/00 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
H01L31/04 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
H01L31/06 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier
H01L31/075 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the potential barriers being only of the PIN type

H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01L — SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
H01L31/00 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
H01L31/18 — Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
H01L31/20 — Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof such devices or parts thereof comprising amorphous semiconductor materials
H01L31/202 — Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof such devices or parts thereof comprising amorphous semiconductor materials including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System

Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y02 — TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Y02E — REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/00 — Energy generation through renewable energy sources
Y02E10/50 — Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Y02E10/547 — Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y02 — TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Y02E — REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/00 — Energy generation through renewable energy sources
Y02E10/50 — Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Y02E10/548 — Amorphous silicon PV cells

Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y02 — TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Y02P — CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
Y02P70/00 — Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
Y02P70/50 — Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An amorphous silicon solar cell includes a substrate, a transparent electrode formed on this substrate, a power-generating film formed on this transparent electrode, and a back-side electrode formed on this power-generating film. The power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking p-type/i-type/n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers. The defect density of the i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc.

Description

The present invention relates to an amorphous silicon solar cell used in a solar cell power generation system.

A transparent electrode 2, a power-generating film 3, and a metal electrode 4 are formed in this order on a glass substrate (or transparent film) 1. The power-generating film 3 is constructed of a p-type a-SixC1−x:H layer (p layer) 5, an i-type a-SiH layer (i layer) 6, and an n-type a-Si:H layer (n layer) 7. The p layer 5 as a window layer is made of amorphous silicon carbide to increase its optical forbidden Band width. Also, to control the valence electron of the p layer 5, diborane (B2H6) is added as a doping gas to the source gas in the formation of the p layer 5. In the solar cell with this construction, light enters from the glass substrate 1, passes through the transparent electrode 2 and the p layer 5, and reaches the i layer 6 where the optical energy is converted into electrical energy.

Since the i layer 6 is a light-absorbing/power-generating layer in the solar cell shown in FIG. 3, the film properties of this i layer 6 have a direct influence on the characteristics of the solar cell. Also, the output current of the solar cell is determined by the light absorption characteristic and film thickness of the solar cell material. That is, if the absorption coefficient is small, the film thickness must be increased; if the absorption coefficient is large, the film thickness can be small. In the amorphous silicon solar cell, the absorption coefficient to light of 500 to 700 nm having the greatest influence on the output current increases as the number of defects in the amorphous silicon film forming the i layer 6 decreases, i.e., as the number of unbonded hands of Si decreases. For example, when a film having a defect density of 3×10 15 defects/cc is applied to the i layer of a single type amorphous silicon solar cell, the film thickness of the i layer 6 must be 400 nm or more to increase the initial efficiency as shown in FIG. 4. However, if the film thickness of the i layer 6 is thus increased, a long time is required to form this i layer 6, lowering the productivity.

Additionally, if the film thickness of the i layer 6 is increased to raise the initial efficiency, the stabilization efficiency declines because the rate of optical degradation increases. On the other hand, if the film thickness of the i layer 6 is decreased, the degradation rate decreases. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the stabilization efficiency does not increase because the initial efficiency is small.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an amorphous silicon solar cell in which the defect density of an i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer forming a power-generating layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc and which thereby can raise the initial efficiency without lowering the productivity and achieve high stabilization efficiency compared to conventional solar cells.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an amorphous silicon solar cell in which the thickness of an i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is 300 nm or less and which thereby can improve the productivity compared to conventional solar cells.

According to the present invention, there is provided an amorphous silicon solar cell comprising a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode formed on the transparent substrate, a power-generating film formed on the transparent electrode, and a back-side electrode formed on the power-generating film, characterized in that the power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking p-type/i-type/n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers, and a defect density in the i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc.

Also, according to the present invention, there is provided an amorphous silicon solar cell comprising a substrate, a transparent electrode formed on the substrate, a power-generating film formed on the transparent electrode, and a back-side electrode formed on the power-generating film, characterized in that the power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking n-type/i-type/p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers, and a defect density in the i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an amorphous silicon solar cell according to Example 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an amorphous silicon solar cell according to Example 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the i layer film thickness and the initial efficiency in solar cells according to prior art and the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the i layer film thickness and the stabilization efficiency in the solar cells according to the prior art and the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the light irradiation time and the i layer defect density in the solar cells according to the prior art and the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the i layer film thickness and the short-circuit current in the solar cells according to the prior art and the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the main components of a plasma CVD apparatus according to the present invention.

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to the first invention of the application concerned comprises a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode formed on the transparent substrate, a power-generating film formed on the transparent electrode, and a back-side electrode formed on the power-generating film, characterized in that the power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking p-type/i-type/n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers, and a defect density in the i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc.

Also, an amorphous silicon solar cell according to the second invention of the application concerned comprises a substrate, a transparent electrode formed on the substrate, a power-generating film formed on the transparent electrode, and a back-side electrode formed on the power-generating film, characterized in that the power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking n-type/i-type/p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers, and a defect density in the i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc.

In the present invention, the defect density in the i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer (i layer) is prescribed to be less than 10 15 defects/cc because if the defect density has a larger value, the stabilization defect density after light irradiation increases, so no high stabilization efficiency can be obtained when this layer is applied to the cell. “Stabilization” means 20 to 100 hr.

In the present invention, the i layer thickness is preferably 300 nm or less because when the thickness is 300 nm or less, the optical degradation rate decreases, and this increases the efficiency (FIGS. 4 and 5). This optical degradation rate is defined by (initial efficiency−stabilization efficiency)÷initial efficiency. Comparing FIG. 4 with FIG. 5 shows that the optical degradation rate declines as the i layer film thickness decreases. FIG. 4 also indicates that a film having large defect density (10 15 defects/cc or more) produces a large reduction in the initial efficiency when the i layer film thickness decreases. However, this reduction is small in the film of the present invention. As a result, the aforementioned condition is derived.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the major parts of a plasma CVD apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 31 denotes a plasma chamber. A substrate holder 33 supporting a substrate 32 is placed in this chamber 31. The substrate holder 33 contains a substrate heater 34 for heating the substrate 32 and a thermocouple 35 for controlling the temperature of the substrate heater 34. This substrate heater 34 controls the temperature of the substrate 32. A water-cooling mechanism (not shown) for cooling the substrate heater 34 is built into the substrate heater 34. A mesh like second heater 36 is positioned above the substrate holder 33 in the chamber 31. An RF electrode 37 is placed on the side of the second heater 36 away from the side opposite to the substrate holder 33 with the heater 34 sandwiched between them. This RF electrode 37 has a gas supply pipe 38. A gas supply hole 39 for supplying a gas into the plasma chamber 31 is formed in the surface of the RF electrode 32 that faces the second heater 36. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 40 denotes a plasma.

The plasma CVD apparatus with this construction is generally used by using a monosilane (SiH4) gas as a gas at a flow rate of 20 to 100 sccm, a pressure of 50 to 200 mTorr, an RF power of 5 to 60W, and a substrate temperature of 160 to 200° C.

Amorphous silicon solar cells according to examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A tin oxide transparent electrode 12 is formed on a glass substrate 11 as a transparent substrate. A power-generating film 16 constructed of a p layer 13, an i layer 14, and an n layer 15 is formed on the transparent electrode 12. Each of these p, i, and n layers 13, 14, and 15 is a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer. The thickness of the i layer 13 is 300 nm or less, e.g., 290 nm, and its defect density is less than 10 15 defects/cc. An Al back-side electrode 17 is formed on the power-generating film 16.

The amorphous silicon solar cell with this construction is manufactured as follows by using the abovementioned apparatus shown in FIG. 8.

First, a glass substrate 11 on which a transparent electrode 12 was formed was ultrasonically cleaned with a neutral detergent and ultra pure water in this order to remove contamination adhered to the surfaces. Subsequently, a power-generating film 16 constructed of a p layer 13, an i layer 14, and an n layer 15 was formed on this transparent electrode 12 by plasma CVD. Before the formation of each layer, the apparatus was evacuated by a turbo molecular pump until the internal pressure of the apparatus decreased to 5×10 −7 Torr or less, and the substrate temperature was raised to and maintained at a predetermined temperature (150° C. to 180° C.). The p layer was formed by using SiH4, CH4, and H2 as source gases and B2H6 as a doping gas. The i layer was formed by using SiH4 as source gas. The n layer was formed by using SiH4 and H2 as source gases and PH3 as a doping gas. The film thicknesses of these p, i, and n layers were 9.5 nm, 290 nm, and 30 nm, respectively. The back-side electrode 17 was formed on this power-generating film 16 by vacuum vapor deposition, thereby manufacturing an amorphous silicon solar cell.

The i layer 14 forming the power-generating film 17 is a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer having a defect density of less than 10 15 defects/cc. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the stabilization defect density after light irradiation is smaller than that of a conventional film. Hence, a high stabilization coefficient can be obtained when this layer is applied to the cell. Also, this low-defect-density film has a large absorption coefficient to long-wavelength light (500 to 700 nm). Accordingly, even when the thickness of the i layer 14 is decreased (290 nm in the present invention, while the conventional film thickness is about 400 to 500 nm), a reduction of the output current is small, so high efficiency can be obtained (FIGS. 3 and 6).

Additionally, when the thickness of the i layer 14 is decreased, the field intensity in this i layer increases. As a consequence, it is possible to further suppress optical degradation and obtain high stabilization efficiency as shown in FIG. 5. The productivity can also be increased. In effect, when the thickness of the i layer 14 was 300 nm, which was about ¾ the conventional film thickness (400 to 500 nm), the productivity improved by about 20%.

An Ag transparent electrode 22 is formed on a stainless substrate 21. A power-generating film 26 constructed of an n layer 23, an i layer 24, and a p layer 25 is formed on this transparent electrode 22. Each of these n, i, and p layers 23, 24, and 25 is a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer. The thickness of the i layer 24 is 300 nm or less, e.g., 290 nm, and its defect density is less than 10 15 defects/cc. An ITO transparent back-side electrode 27 is formed on the power-generating film 26.

According to the present invention as has been described in detail above, it is possible to provide an amorphous silicon solar cell in which the defect density of an i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer forming a power-generating layer is less than 10 15 defects/cc and which thereby can raise the initial efficiency without lowering the productivity and achieve high stabilization efficiency compared to conventional solar cells.

The present invention can also provide an amorphous silicon solar cell in which the thickness of an i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is 300 nm or less and which thereby can improve the productivity compared to conventional solar cells.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims ( 2 )

An amorphous silicon solar cell comprising a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode formed on said transparent substrate, a power-generating film formed on said transparent electrode and a back-side electrode formed on said power-generating film,

characterized in that said power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking p-type/i-type/n-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers, and a defect density in said i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 1×10 15 defects/cc and wherein a thickness of said i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is not more than 300 nm.

An amorphous silicon solare cell comprising a substrate, a transparent electrode formed on said substrate, a power-generating film formed on said transparent electrode, and a back-side electrode formed on said power-generating film,

characterized in that said power-generating film is formed by sequentially stacking n-type/i-type/p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers, and a defect density in said i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is less than 1×10 15 defects/cc and wherein a thickness of said i-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is not more than 300 nm.

US09/404,409 1999-01-18 1999-09-23 Amorphous silicon solar cell Expired. Fee Related US6307146B1 ( en )

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

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JP11-009377	1999-01-18
JP937799	1999-01-18
JP11-235509	1999-08-23
JP23550999A JP3364180B2 ( en )	1999-01-18	1999-08-23	Amorphous silicon solar cell

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Amorphous silicon solar cell

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1999-08-23 JP JP23550999A patent/JP3364180B2/en not_active Expired. Fee Related
1999-09-15 EP EP05001765A patent/EP1548848A1/en not_active Withdrawn
1999-09-15 AU AU48723/99A patent/AU732181B2/en not_active Ceased
1999-09-15 EP EP99118281A patent/EP1020931A1/en not_active Ceased
1999-09-23 US US09/404,409 patent/US6307146B1/en not_active Expired. Fee Related

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US20070298590A1 ( en )	2006-06-23	2007-12-27	Soo Young Choi	Methods and apparatus for depositing a microcrystalline silicon film for photovoltaic device
US20100003780A1 ( en )	2006-06-23	2010-01-07	Soo Young Choi	Methods and apparatus for depositing a microcrystalline silicon film for photovoltaic device
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US8895842B2 ( en )	2008-08-29	2014-11-25	Applied Materials, Inc.	High quality TCO-silicon interface contact structure for high efficiency thin film silicon solar cells
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JP3364180B2 ( en )	2003-01-08
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Amorphous silicon PV panels

is an ideal solution to realize photovoltaic system on flat roofing or doomed with a waterproof mantle membrane. It can be anchored to ballast or to omega thanks to side wing flap or directly glued to.

thin-film PV panel PVL68T-PLATE-INT 68 W

FIRST SOLUTION WITH HIGHEST OUTPUT IN KWP PER SQ.MT Integral-Plate is an industrial system, Sunerg Solar patent, planned for photovoltaic system, roofing and green houses. This solution.

thin-film PV panel PVL68T. RF2_87 136 W

By Roof system it is possible to create special photovoltaic roofing and allowing total integration architecture. It consists of flexible UNISOLAR laminates. Sunerg glues it on a sheet of corrugated.

thin-film PV panel SUNONE® SA SERIES

frameless laminate SUNone® SA is especially designed for large scale, grid-connected solar power plants. The yield per year is at least comparable to that of crystalline silicon, especially in hot environment.

thin-film PV panel XLD44 288W

of lightweight and mechanically flexible photovoltaic modules. The products are specifically designed for rooftop installations. These products all use the bandgap-tuned triple-junction thin-film silicon.

thin-film PV panel LANDFILL

Ohio, adjacent to the overpass where Central crosses I-280, between the prison and the elegant suspended causeway lies the solar array that provides the electricity that compensates for the lights that beautify the bridge

thin-film PV panel XR-36 264 W

roofs) and XRN series (for 12″ standing seam roofs). These products all use the bandgap-tuned triple-junction thin-film silicon solar cells, manufactured by Xunlight at its Toledo, Ohio, USA factory

thin-film PV panel XR-12 100 W

thin-film PV panel XR36 300 W

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8V 16μA Thin film Solar Cell
12V 7W Solar Panel
6V 2W Solar Panel
3.5V 12μA indoor Amorphous Solar Cell

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What is an Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell? Amorphous Solar Panels Advantages and Disadvantages

Amorphous silicon solar cells are thin-film solar cells based on amorphous silicon compounds. According to different materials, current silicon solar cells can be divided into three categories: monocrystalline silicon solar cells, polycrystalline silicon thin film solar cells and amorphous silicon thin film solar cells.

Advantages of amorphous solar cells 1. Low production cost: Due to the low reaction temperature, it can be manufactured at a temperature of about 200 °C, so films can be deposited on glass, stainless steel plates, ceramic plates, and flexible plastic sheets, which are easy to produce in large areas and have low costs.

Short energy return period: Amorphous silicon solar cells with a conversion efficiency of 6% use about 1.9 kWh/W of electricity for production, and the time to return the above energy after generating electricity is only 1.5-2 years.

Suitable for mass production: Amorphous silicon material is formed by vapor deposition, and the commonly used method is plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. This manufacturing process can be continuously completed in multiple vacuum deposition chambers, thereby realizing mass production. The main process (PECVD) of amorphous silicon solar cells using glass substrates is similar to that of TFT-LCD array production, and the production methods have the characteristics of high degree of automation and high production efficiency.

In terms of manufacturing methods, there are electron cyclotron resonance method, photochemical vapor deposition method, DC glow discharge method, radio frequency glow discharge method, sputtering method and hot wire method. In particular, the radio frequency glow discharge method has become an internationally recognized mature technology because of its low temperature process (~200 °C), which is easy to achieve large-scale and large-scale continuous production.

Good high temperature performance: when the working temperature of the solar cell is higher than the standard test temperature of 25 °C, its optimal output power will decrease; the temperature of the amorphous silicon solar cell is much less affected by the temperature than the crystalline silicon solar cell.

Good response to weak light and high charging efficiency: The absorption coefficient of amorphous silicon material is in the entire visible light range, and it has a good adaptability to low light and strong light in actual use.

The above-mentioned unique technical advantages make thin-film silicon cells have broad application prospects in the civilian field, such as photovoltaic building integration, large-scale low-cost power stations, and solar lighting sources.

Disadvantages of amorphous silicon solar cells The industry has had doubts about amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells before, mainly because of their low cell conversion efficiency (5%-9%), and extremely fast decay, with a limited service life of only 2-3 years.

With the advancement of technology, the current mainstream amorphous silicon thin film solar cells have a service life of more than 10 years. This makes amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells one of the most promising thin-film cell technologies at present.

WSL Solar has been a quality and professional manufacturer of custom solar panels, solar mini panels and solar solution provider in China since 2006.

Thin-Film Solar Panels

If you are looking for a more budget-friendly solar module, then Thin-Film solar panels are specially made for you.

Thin-Film is the future of the solar industry. They are very economical, require less material, contain no toxic components, generate less waste, and very easy to manufacture.

In this article, we will go through all you need to know about thin-film solar cells including:

What are the types of thin-film solar cells?
How are they made?
What do they look like?
How efficient are they?
How do they react to heat?
How long do they last?
How expensive are they?

So without further ado, let’s jump right into what are the different types of thin-film solar panels.

A. Types of Thin-Film Solar Cells

What differs Thin-Film solar cells from monocrystalline and polycrystalline is that Thin-Film can be made using different materials.

There are 3 types of solar Thin-Film cells:

This type of Thin-Film is made from amorphous silicon (a-Si), which is a non-crystalline silicon making them much easier to produce than mono or polycrystalline solar cells.

This is the second most used solar cell type in the world after crystalline cells.

Unlike a-Si solar cells, this type is made from a special chemical compound called Cadmium Telluride, which is very good at capturing sunlight and converting it to energy.

However, CdTe solar cells have some drawbacks such as:

Rarity: Tellurium is very rare to find, which makes it difficult to mass produce
Toxicity: Cadmium is one of the most toxic elements in the world, so it requires special precautions to deal with this toxic component

Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS)

Finally, the last type of thin-film cells is the CIGS solar panels.

These cells are made by placing layers of Copper, Indium, Gallium, and Selenide on top of each other to create a powerful semiconductor that can efficiently convert sunlight into energy.

B. How Thin-Film Solar Cells are Made?

Thin-Film solar cells are by far the easiest and fastest solar panel type to manufacture.

Each thin-film solar panel is made of 3 main parts:

Photovoltaic Material: This is the main semiconducting material and it’s the one responsible for converting sunlight into energy such as CdTe, a-Si, or CGIS.
Conductive Sheet: A layer of conductive material such as aluminum is needed to prevent electricity loss and improve conductivity
Protective Layer: To prolong the lifespan of the solar module, a thin layer of high-quality glass of plastic is added to the top of the system to improve durability and protect it from the environment

It doesn’t matter what type of thin-film solar cell you are making as they are all made the same way.

All you need to do is to place the main PV material (a-Si, CdTe, or CGIS) between a sheet of conductive material and a layer of glass or plastic and Voila! You are ready to generate electricity.

C. What Do Solar Thin-Film Panels Look Like?

You can easily recognize this solar cell type by their thin appearance.they are named “Thin-Film” for a reason-.

These panels are very thin that each layer is only 1 micron thick (one millionth of a meter), which is thinner than a human hair.

Don’t get me wrong, the solar module isn’t 1 micron thick, each solar system is made of multiple layers of Thin-Film.

And although solar Thin-Film are approximately 350 times thinner than mono or polycrystalline panels, the complete thin-film panel can be as thick as silicon-based panels.

Further, being thin isn’t their only unique feature. They are more flexible and lightweight than the other types making them perfect to be used in portable devices.

When it comes to color, PV Thin-Film can be black or blue depending on the PV material used to make them.

D. How Efficient Are Solar Thin-Film Cells?

Thin-Film solar panels are less efficient and have lower power capacities than mono and polycrystalline solar cell types.

The efficiency of the Thin-Film system varies depending on the type of PV material used in the cells but in general they tend to have efficiencies around 7% and up to 18%.

It’s important to mention that while thin-film cells have less efficiency than the crystalline ones, Thin-Film, in fact, have a higher theoretical efficiency than silicon.

For this reason, many people expect thin-film cells to be even more efficient than silicon in the future.

E. How Do They React To Elevated Temperatures?

Thin-Film solar panels have a better temperature coefficient than silicon based panels.

Meaning that they are less affected by high temperatures and will lose only a small portion of their performance when it gets too hot.

For this reason, it’s recommended to use Thin-Film cells in deserts where there is plenty of sun and space.

Further, they are protected with high-quality glass layers that are very robust against moisture making them perfect to use in tropical climates where it’s not only hot, but also humid.

F. How Long Do They Last?

Among the 3 types of solar panels, Thin-Film cells have the shortest lifespan of 10 to 20 years.

Although Thin-Film panels have a short lifespan, they have the fastest payback time.

Meaning that the system will save you a lot of electricity money that it’ll pay back for its cost within 8 years.

G. How Expensive Are They?

Thin-Film PV cells are by far the cheapest type of all solar panels.

This is because they need less material, generate less waste, and are much easier to manufacture.

Further, because of their lightweight and flexibility, Thin-Film panels are easier to install than mono or polycrystalline cells, which decreases the installation cost making them even cheaper than they actually are.

Conclusion

Thin-film solar panels are the hope of the solar energy industry.

Because of their cost, ease of manufacture, lightweight, flexibility, and variety of applications.

And according to Solar Energy Hackers, Thin-Film technology is expected to surpass all the silicon-based solar panels in a few years.

US4389534A. Amorphous silicon solar cell having improved antireflection coating. Google Patents

Publication number US4389534A US4389534A US06/329,999 US32999981A US4389534A US 4389534 A US4389534 A US 4389534A US 32999981 A US32999981 A US 32999981A US 4389534 A US4389534 A US 4389534A Authority US United States Prior art keywords layer amorphous silicon reflection poly solar cell Prior art date 1980-12-22 Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.) Expired. Lifetime Application number US06/329,999 Inventor Gerhard Winterling Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.) TOTAL ENERGIE DEVELOPPEMENT and MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM Co GmbH Original Assignee Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm AG Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.) 1980-12-22 Filing date 1981-12-11 Publication date 1983-06-21 Priority claimed from DE3048381 external-priority 1981-12-11 Application filed by Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm AG filed Critical Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm AG 1981-12-11 Assigned to MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG reassignment MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: WINTERLING, GERHARD 1983-06-21 Application granted granted Critical 1983-06-21 Publication of US4389534A publication Critical patent/US4389534A/en 1990-04-23 Assigned to TOTAL ENERGIE DEVELOPPEMENT MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM GMBH CO. reassignment TOTAL ENERGIE DEVELOPPEMENT MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM GMBH CO. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM GMBH 2001-12-11 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical Status Expired. Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01L — SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
H01L31/00 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
H01L31/0248 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
H01L31/036 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
H01L31/0392 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate
H01L31/03921 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System

H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01L — SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
H01L31/00 — Semiconductor devices sensitive to infra-red radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
H01L31/02 — Details
H01L31/0216 — Coatings
H01L31/02161 — Coatings for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
H01L31/02167 — Coatings for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells
H01L31/02168 — Coatings for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells

Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y02 — TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Y02E — REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/00 — Energy generation through renewable energy sources
Y02E10/50 — Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A semiconductor solar cell for the conversion of light to electric energy comprises at least one layer of amorphous silicon, a cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon and an anti-reflection layer of semiconducting transparent oxide of a refractive index of less than 2.8. The cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon has an optical density ##EQU1## or it may be ##EQU2## The cover layer is arranged between the anti-friction layer and the layer of amorphous silicon.

Description

The invention relates in general to semiconductors and in particular to a new and useful semiconductor component for the conversion of light to electric energy having at least one layer of amorphous silicon and a cover layer of polycrystalline silicon and an anti-reflection layer.

In German patent application No. P 29 38 260.3; U.S. application Ser. No. 188,725 filed Sept. 19, 1980, and now abandoned, it is described how, by the use of a cover layer of polycrystalline silicon on the semiconductor layer of amorphous silicon, the blue yield of solar cells of p-i-n structure and hence the efficiency can be substantially improved. It was pointed out in this patent application that a thin poly-crystalline silicon layer is useful in an a-Si cell to help eliminate the light absorption in the highly doped silicon contact layer on the light incidence side.

In optimizing the efficiency of solar cells, it is important, besides improving the internal collector efficiency, i.e. of the electric charge carriers produced by light absorption, to find ways to let the incident light penetrate into the active cell material without reflection losses.

According to the prior art, see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,521 column 3, lines 38 ff, the reflection losses are minimized by applying (transparent) anti-reflection layers, (see FIG. 1) in which 1 denotes a cover plate, 2 the anti-reflection layer, and 3 the layer of a-Silicon (Si).

In the simplest case, when the reflecting extinction is to take place only in a limited spectral region and economically, the anti-reflection layer 2 has the optical layer thickness of a quarter wavelength (λ/4), where for extinction the refractive index nAR of the anti-reflection layer depends on the refractive indices of the adjacent media 1 and 2 according to the equation nAR =√n1 n2.

For semiconductor components of crystalline Si (with nx-Si approx. 4 at 6000 A one uses as the material for the anti-reflection layer SiO, TiOx (n=2.3), Ta2 O5 (n=2.05), tin oxide (n approx. 2), and indium tin oxide (n approx. 2).

For semiconductor components based on amorphous silicon (a-Si), which have become of great interest recently because of the possibility of cheap manufacture, usually indium tin oxide (ITO) has been used as an anti-reflection layer. Just as SnO2, ITO offers the further advantage that due to its high electric conductivity (transparent semiconductor) it contributes greatly to the reduction of the electric layer resistance on the light incidence side in a-Si cells. Therefor, electrode grid structures of greater inter grid spacing become possible.

Now both indium tin oxide and tin oxide are suitable for reduction of the reflection loss on crystalline Si; however, when used on a-Si there remains a residual reflection R=10% in the green region of the spectrum (FIG. 1), as the refractive index of a-Si with ≃5 is substantially higher than that of crystalline Si. For minimized the residual reflection on a-Si, an anti-reflection layer with refractive index nAR=√nglass xna-Si ≃2.8 would be necessary, for which one could use for example TiOx with x≃2. TiO2 and also other transparent materials of comparably high refractive index have, however, a low electric conductivity and therefore cannot make the desired contribution to the reduction of the layer resistance.

The present invention provides a semiconductor device where the reflection losses are minimized and the high layer resistance of the a-Si layer is reduced.

This problem is solved in that the cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon has the optical density ##EQU3## and that the cover layer is arranged between the anti-reflection layer of semiconducting transparent oxide with a refractive index

The reflection losses are reduced almost by a factor of 7. The poly-crystalline Si layer has the further advantage that, unlike the doped a-Si layer, the charge carriers produced in it by the residual light absorption have the chance to contribute to the photo-electric current and hence to an improvement of the efficiency.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a semiconductor component for the conversion of light to electric energy which has at least one layer of amorphous silicon, a cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon and an anti-reflection layer of semiconducting transparent oxide of refractive index less than 2.8 which is characterized in that the cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon has an optical density of ##EQU4## and is arranged between the anti-reflection layer and the layer of amorphous silicon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor component which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the invention of a semiconductor component for the conversion of light to electrical energy.

Referring to FIG. 2 in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises a semiconductor component for the conversion of light to electric energy which comprises at least one layer of amorphous silicon, for example the layer 3′ with a cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon designated 4. An anti-reflection layer of semiconducting transparent oxide of a refractive index less that 2.8 is designated 2′ and the numeral 1′ designates a cover plate.

The reflection losses are minimized by interposition of a cover layer 4 of poly-crystalline Si between the anti-reflection layer 2 and the layer 3′ of a-Si. The optical thickness of the cover layer 4 is λ/4, as shown in FIG. 2 in an example with ITO. The geometric thickness of a λ/4poly-crystalline Si layer is ##EQU5## if the reflection extinction is selected as to center of gravity at the light wavelength 5000 A.

The reflection loss can easily be calculated by substituting in the following formula: ##EQU6## wherein

The reflection loss is found to be R≃1.4% and thus is considerably lower than R=9.5% without employing the invention (see FIG. 1), that is, when operating in the conventional way, without the additional poly-crystalline Si layer.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

Claims ( 1 )

A semiconductor component for the conversion of light to electric energy, comprising at least one layer of amorphous silicon, a cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon, and an anti-reflection layer of semiconducting transparent oxide of a refractive index less that 2.8, said cover layer of poly-crystalline silicon having an optical density of ##EQU7## and being arranged between said anti-reflection layer and said layer of amorphous silicon.

US06/329,999 1980-12-22 1981-12-11 Amorphous silicon solar cell having improved antireflection coating Expired. Lifetime US4389534A ( en )

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DE3048381	1980-12-22
DE3048381A DE3048381C2 ( en )	1980-12-22	1980-12-22	Thin film solar cell

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Amorphous silicon solar cell having improved antireflection coating

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US4528418A ( en )	1984-02-24	1985-07-09	Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.	Photoresponsive semiconductor device having a double layer anti-reflective coating
US4966437A ( en )	1988-04-19	1990-10-30	Litton Systems, Inc.	Fault-tolerant anti-reflective coatings
US5101253A ( en )	1984-09-01	1992-03-31	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha	Photo sensor with monolithic differential amplifier
US5115124A ( en )	1986-02-08	1992-05-19	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha	Semiconductor photosensor having unitary construction
US5179430A ( en )	1988-05-24	1993-01-12	Nec Corporation	Planar type heterojunction avalanche photodiode
US5268309A ( en )	1984-09-01	1993-12-07	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha	Method for manufacturing a photosensor
US5804841A ( en )	1995-05-17	1998-09-08	Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha	Optical trigger thyristor and fabrication method
US5907766A ( en )	1996-10-21	1999-05-25	Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.	Method of making a solar cell having improved anti-reflection passivation layer
US6107564A ( en )	1997-11-18	2000-08-22	Deposition Sciences, Inc.	Solar cell cover and coating
US6144109A ( en )	1997-07-03	2000-11-07	Micron Technology, Inc.	Method for improving a stepper signal in a planarized surface over alignment topography
US20060213550A1 ( en )	1995-03-27	2006-09-28	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.	Thin-film photoelectric conversion device and a method of manufacturing the same
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US20100269901A1 ( en )	2007-03-09	2010-10-28	Guardian Industries Corp.	Method of making a photovoltaic device with scratch-resistant coating and resulting product
US20130240031A1 ( en )	2012-03-19	2013-09-19	LG Electronics Inc.	Solar cell
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US5101253A ( en )	1984-09-01	1992-03-31	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha	Photo sensor with monolithic differential amplifier
US5268309A ( en )	1984-09-01	1993-12-07	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha	Method for manufacturing a photosensor
US5115124A ( en )	1986-02-08	1992-05-19	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha	Semiconductor photosensor having unitary construction
US4966437A ( en )	1988-04-19	1990-10-30	Litton Systems, Inc.	Fault-tolerant anti-reflective coatings
US5179430A ( en )	1988-05-24	1993-01-12	Nec Corporation	Planar type heterojunction avalanche photodiode
US20060213550A1 ( en )	1995-03-27	2006-09-28	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.	Thin-film photoelectric conversion device and a method of manufacturing the same
US5804841A ( en )	1995-05-17	1998-09-08	Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha	Optical trigger thyristor and fabrication method
US5907766A ( en )	1996-10-21	1999-05-25	Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.	Method of making a solar cell having improved anti-reflection passivation layer
US6242816B1 ( en )	1997-07-03	2001-06-05	Micron Technology, Inc.	Method for improving a stepper signal in a planarized surface over alignment topography
US6144109A ( en )	1997-07-03	2000-11-07	Micron Technology, Inc.	Method for improving a stepper signal in a planarized surface over alignment topography
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US20080047603A1 ( en )	2006-08-24	2008-02-28	Guardian Industries Corp.	Front contact with intermediate layer(s) adjacent thereto for use in photovoltaic device and method of making same
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US10141457B2 ( en )	2012-03-19	2018-11-27	LG Electronics Inc.	Solar cell

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JPS57130481A ( en )	1982-08-12
AT19445T ( en )	1986-05-15
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Sources:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6307146
https://www.archiexpo.com/architecture-design-manufacturer/amorphous-silicon-pv-panel-68573.html
https://www.wsl-solar.com/Product_News/2022/0121/amorphous-solar-panels-advantages-and-di.html
https://ases.org/thin-film-solar-panels/
https://www.google.com/patents/US4389534

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Amorphous silicon PV panels. Amorphous silicon solar cell

US6307146B1. Amorphous silicon solar cell. Google Patents

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