Patent US4922218A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4922218A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Photovoltaic device
Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
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Filing: 1988-09-02
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Granted: 1990-05-01
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Expires: 2008-09-02
Abstract
Abstract A photovoltaic device comprises a photoactive layer for generating carriers when light is applied thereto, and a window layer containing at least silicon and hydrogen and provided on the light incidence side of the photoactive layer. Hydrogen concentration in the window layer is higher in the layer's light incidence side than in the side facing the photoactive layer. Thus, the light incidence side of the window layer has a rough surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Kaneo Watanabe
- 👤 Masayuki Iwamoto
- 👤 Koji Minami
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 05:27
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F71/00; H10F71/10; H10F71/103; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/17; H10F71/1035; H10F77/00; H10F77/40; H10F77/42; H10F77/48; H10F77/70; H10F77/703; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/52; Y02E10/548; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A photovoltaic device comprising a photoactive layer for generating optical carriers when light is applied thereto, and a window layer containing at least silicon and hydrogen and located on a light incidence side of said photoactive layer, wherein hydrogen concentration in said window layer is higher in a portion on a light incidence side than in a portion facing said photoactive layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A photovoltaic device comprising a photoactive layer for generating optical carriers when light is applied thereto, and a window layer containing at least silicon and hydrogen and located on a light incidence side of said photoactive layer, wherein hydrogen concentration in said window layer is higher in a portion on a light incidence side than in a portion facing said photoactive layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein conductivity of said window layer is higher in the portion facing said photoactive layer than in the portion on the light incidence side.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the conductivity of photoactive layer side portion of said window layer is 1×10 2 Ω -1 cm -1 or more.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said window layer is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, hydrogenated silicon carbide, hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride, hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon and hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon carbide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein hydrogen concentration in the light incidence side of said window layer is 20 at. % or more.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the hydrogen concentration in the light incidence side of said window layer is 25 at. % or more.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the hydrogen concentration in the light incidence side of said window layer is 30 at. % or more.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said window layer is formed of a p type semiconductor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
95 words
A photovoltaic device comprising: an opaque substrate having a flat surface, a photoactive layer formed on said flat surface to generate optical carriers when light is applied thereto, and a transparent semiconductor window layer formed on said photoactive layer, said window layer including a first sub-layer on the light incidence side of said window layer and a second sub-layer facing said photoactive layer, the light incidence surface of said first sub-layer being rougher than the light incidence surface of said second sub-layer, one said sub-layer serving as a conductor for current flow from the device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
95 words
A photovoltaic device comprising: an opaque substrate having a flat surface, a photoactive layer formed on said flat surface to generate optical carriers when light is applied thereto, and a transparent semiconductor window layer formed on said photoactive layer, said window layer including a first sub-layer on the light incidence side of said window layer and a second sub-layer facing said photoactive layer, the light incidence surface of said first sub-layer being rougher than the light incidence surface of said second sub-layer, one said sub-layer serving as a conductor for current flow from the device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 9, wherein conductivity of said second sub-layer is higher than that of said first sub-layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the conductivity of said second sub-layer is 1 ×10 2 Ω -1 cm -1 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said window layer is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, hydrogenated silicon carbide, hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride, hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon and hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon carbide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 9, wherein an averaged periodicity of unevenness on the light incidence side surface of said first sub-layer is 2000 Å or more.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the averaged periodicity of unevenness on the light incidence side surface of said first sub-layer is 2500 Å or more.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the averaged periodicity of unevenness on the light incidence side surface of said first sub-layer is 3000 Å or more.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said window layer is formed of a p type semiconductor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 9, wherein an antireflective film is provided on said first sub-layer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
93 words
A photovoltaic device comprising a transparent substrate having a flat surface, a transparent semiconductor window layer formed on said flat surface, and a photoactive layer formed on said window layer to generate optical carriers when light is applied thereto, said window layer including a first sub-layer facing said substrate and a second sub-layer facing said photoactive layer, the surface of said first sub-layer facing said second sub-layer being rougher than the other surface of said first sub-layer facing said substrate, one said sub-layer serving as a conductor for current flow from the device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
93 words
A photovoltaic device comprising a transparent substrate having a flat surface, a transparent semiconductor window layer formed on said flat surface, and a photoactive layer formed on said window layer to generate optical carriers when light is applied thereto, said window layer including a first sub-layer facing said substrate and a second sub-layer facing said photoactive layer, the surface of said first sub-layer facing said second sub-layer being rougher than the other surface of said first sub-layer facing said substrate, one said sub-layer serving as a conductor for current flow from the device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 18, wherein conductivity of said second sub-layer is higher than that of said first sub-layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 19, wherein the conductivity of said second sub-layer is 1 ×10 2 Ω -1 cm -1 or more.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said window layer is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, hydrogenated silicon carbide, hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride, hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon and hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon carbide.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 18, wherein an averaged periodicity of unevenness on the second sub-layer side surface of said first sub-layer is 2000 Å or more.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 22, wherein the averaged periodicity of unevenness on the second sub-layer side surface of said first sub-layer is 2500 Å or more.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 23, wherein the averaged periodicity of unevenness on the second sub-layer side surface of said first sub-layer is 3000 Å or more.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
A photovoltaic device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said window layer is formed of a p type semiconductor.
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-30 | 1993-10-30 | 1994-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-30 | 1997-10-30 | 1998-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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