EP0102204A1
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EP
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An optically enhanced photovoltaic device
Assignee: ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Co
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Filing: 1983-08-04
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-08-04
Abstract
Abstract An optically enhanced thin film photovoltaic device, for example, a solar cell, includes a layer of transparent conductor (2), for example sputter deposited indium-tin-oxide, metallurgically fixed to an active semiconductor layer (6), for example of amorphous silicon. To layer (6) is affixed a layer (8) of reflective material, for example, silver or copper. The surface of at least one of the layers (2, 6, 8) is textured to include randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of selected dimensions approximating to the wave-length of visible light in the photovoltaic material. The texturing may suitably be achieved by a lithographic technique. Preferably a transparent substrate layer (4), suitably of glass or quartz, supports the transparent conductor (2). Preferably, too, the interface surfaces of the substrate (4) and conductor layer (2) are also textured.
Inventors
- 👤 Harry William Deckman
- 👤 Horst Witzke
- 👤 Christopher Roman Wronski
- 👤 Eli Yablonovitch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:12
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24S; F24S70/00; F24S70/20; F24S70/225; F24S70/25; H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/17; H10F77/00; H10F77/40; H10F77/42; H10F77/48; H10F77/70; H10F77/703; H10F77/707; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/68; H10P14/683; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/52; Y02E10/548
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
An optically enhanced photovoltaic device which is characterised in that it comprises: (a) a layer of transparent conductor having an upper and lower surface; (b) a layer of reflecting material having an upper and lower surface; (c) a layer of active semiconductor material having an upper and lower surface, which active layer is interposed between and metallurgically fixed to or in connection with said layers of transparent conductor and reflecting material; and is further characterised in that at least one of the surfaces is textured such that a said surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in the semiconductor material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
An optically enhanced photovoltaic device which is characterised in that it comprises: (a) a layer of transparent conductor having an upper and lower surface; (b) a layer of reflecting material having an upper and lower surface; (c) a layer of active semiconductor material having an upper and lower surface, which active layer is interposed between and metallurgically fixed to or in connection with said layers of transparent conductor and reflecting material; and is further characterised in that at least one of the surfaces is textured such that a said surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in the semiconductor material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a substrate layer having an upper and lower surface, wherein said upper surface is fixed to said lower surface of said transparent conductor on the side thereof away from said semiconductor layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the surfaces forming the interface between the substrate and the transparent conductor are substantially flat, and the upper surface of the transparent conductor and the lower surface of said active material are both textured.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upper surface of the substrate is textured and the lower surface of said transparent conductor is conformed thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the surfaces of successive layers of substrate, transparent conductor, semiconductor layer and reflecting material each substantially conform to the shape of the layer to which it is fixed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
A device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the layer of reflecting material is a tuned reflector comprising (a) a layer of metal having an upper and lower surface and having low optical absorption; and (b) a layer of transparent conductor having an upper and lower surface wherein said lower surface is fixed to the upper surface of the active semiconductor material and said upper surface is fixed to the lower surface of the metal layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a ubstrate layer having an upper and lower surface wherein the upper surface of the substrate is fixed to the lower surface of said reflecting material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the surfaces forming the interface between the substrate and the reflecting material are substantially flat and the upper surface of the reflecting material is textured.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the upper surface of said substrate is textured and all the surfaces of each of the interfaces between all successive layers substantially conform to the shape of the textured surface of the substrate.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
85 words
A device as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said layer of reflecting-material is a tuned reflector comprising (a) a layer of metal having an upper and lower surface and having low optical absorption and (b) a layer or diffusion barrier of transparent conductor having an upper and lower surface wherein said upper surface is fixed to said lower surface of said active semi- . conductor material and said lower surface is fixed to said upper surface of said metal layer.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for producing an optically enhanced photovoltaic device characterised by the steps of: a. producing an active layer of semiconductor material wherein the surface of at least one side of said active layer is textured such that said surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of.predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in said semiconductor material; and b. attaching a reflecting surface directly to one side of said semiconductor material and making an ohmic contact to said material.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for producing an optically enhanced photovoltaic device characterised by the steps of: a. producing an active layer of semiconductor material wherein the surface of at least one side of said active layer is textured such that said surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of.predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in said semiconductor material; and b. attaching a reflecting surface directly to one side of said semiconductor material and making an ohmic contact to said material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of producing an active layer of semiconductor material comprises: a. producing a textured surface transparent conductor, wherein said textured surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in said semi- conductor material; and b. attaching said active layer of semiconductor material on said transparent conductor forming an ohmic contact, said material conforming to the shape of said textured transparent conductor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
1 3 . A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step (a) comprises: (i) depositing a transparent conductor on a flat light-transparent substrate; and (ii) texturing said transparent conductor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said step (a) comprises: (i) texturing one side of a transparent substrate; and (ii) attaching a transparent conductor on said textured surface of said transparent substrate, said transparent conductor -conforming to the shape of said textured surface.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for producing an optically enhanced photovoltaic device characterised by the stages of: a. producing a textured surface on a substrate, wherein said textured surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in the semiconductor material of said device; b. attaching a reflecting surface on said substrate, said reflecting surface conforming to the shape of said textured substrate; c. attaching a conducting transparent diffusion barrier to said reflecting surface, said diffusion barrier conforming to the shape of said reflecting surface; d. depositing semiconductor material on said diffusion barrier forming an ohmic contact, said semiconductor material conforming to the shape of said diffusion barrier; and e. attaching a transparent ohmic contact to said semiconductor material on the side away from said substrate.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for producing an optically enhanced photovoltaic device characterised by the stages of: a. producing a textured surface on a substrate, wherein said textured surface includes randomly spaced, densely packed microstructures of predetermined dimensions in the order of the wavelength of visible light in the semiconductor material of said device; b. attaching a reflecting surface on said substrate, said reflecting surface conforming to the shape of said textured substrate; c. attaching a conducting transparent diffusion barrier to said reflecting surface, said diffusion barrier conforming to the shape of said reflecting surface; d. depositing semiconductor material on said diffusion barrier forming an ohmic contact, said semiconductor material conforming to the shape of said diffusion barrier; and e. attaching a transparent ohmic contact to said semiconductor material on the side away from said substrate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 11 or claim 15, wherein said texturing step is performed by a lithographic technique, preferably including lithographic mask composed of colloidal particles with sizes ranging from 2,000 A to 10,000 A.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein said semiconductor material is amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon or amorphous silicon hydride.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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