Cermet layer for amorphous silicon solar cells

Claim 2

In an amorphous silicon solar cell which comprises a body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon with a means for ohmically contacting said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon incident to solar radiation and a metal layer ohmically contacting said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon opposite to said incident surface, the improvement which comprises: a transparent high work function metal cermet layer disposed between and contacting said means for forming an ohmic contact and said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Claim 3

In an amorphous silicon solar cell which comprises a body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon with a metal layer contacting said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon incident to solar radiation forming a Schottky barrier thereto, means for ohmically contacting said Schottky barrier and a metal layer ohmically contacting said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon opposite to said incident surface, the improvement which comprises: utilizing a transparent high work function metal cermet layer as said metal Schottky barrier.

Claim 4

In an amorphous silicon solar cell which comprises a body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon with a metal layer contacting said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon incident to solar radiation forming a Schottky barrier thereto, means for ohmically contacting said Schottky barrier and a metal layer ohmically contacting said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon opposite to said incident surface, the improvement which comprises: utilizing a transparent high work function metal cermet layer as said metal Schottky barrier.

Claim 5

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said cermet has the formula: M.sub.x I.sub.(l-x) wherein M is a high work function metal, I is an insulator, and x varies from about 0.10 to about 0.85.

Claim 6

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 3 wherein said high work function metal is selected from the group consisting of platinum, iridium, palladium, rhenium, and rhodium.

Claim 7

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 4 wherein the insulator is selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Si 3 N 4 , BN, MgO, TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , silicon oxynitride, and ceramics which have bandgaps higher than about 4.0 eV.

Claim 8

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 5 wherein said cermet is about 20 to about 200 angstroms thick.

Claim 9

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 5 wherein x varies from about 0.25 to about 0.40.

Claim 10

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 7 wherein said cermet is about 100 angstroms thick.

Claim 11

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said cermet is Pt x SiO 2 (l-x) and x varies from about 0.10 to about 0.85.

Claim 12

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 9 wherein said cermet is about 20 to about 200 angstroms.

Claim 13

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 9 wherein x varies from about 0.25 to about 0.40.

Claim 14

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 11 wherein said cermet is about 100 angstroms thick.

Claim 15

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 3 wherein said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon is fabricated by a glow discharge of a silicon-containing compound.

Claim 16

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said silicon-containing compound is silane.

Claim 17

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 5 wherein said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon is fabricated by a glow discharge in silane.

Claim 18

An amorphous silicon solar cell according to claim 9 wherein said body of hydrogenated amorphous silicon is fabricated by a glow discharge in silane.