US4926229A
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Pin junction photovoltaic element with P or N-type semiconductor layer comprising non-single crystal material containing Zn, Se, H in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic % and a dopant and I-type semiconductor layer comprising non-single crystal Si(H,F) material
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1988-11-18
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Granted: 1990-05-15
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Expires: 2008-11-18
Abstract
Abstract An improved pin junction photovoltaic element which causes photoelectromotive force by the junction of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer, characterized in that at least one of said p-type semiconductor layer and said n-type semiconductor layer comprises a p-typed or n-typed ZnSe:H:M film, where M is a dopant of p-type or n-type: the amount of the H is in the range of from 1 to 4 atomic %: and said film contains crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 vol % per unit volume; and said i-type semiconductor layer comprises a non-single crystal Si(H,F) film or a non-single crystal Si(C,Ge)(H,F) film.
Inventors
- 👤 Katsumi Nakagawa
- 👤 Shunichi Ishihara
- 👤 Masahiro Kanai
- 👤 Kozo Arao
- 👤 Yasushi Fujioka
- 👤 Akira Sakai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:37
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F10/00; H10F10/10; H10F10/17; H10F10/172; H10F71/00; H10F71/10; H10F71/103; H10F71/1035; H10F71/125; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/12; H10F77/123; H10F77/1233; H10F77/16; H10F77/169; H10F77/1696; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/543; Y02E10/548; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
An improved pin junction photvoltaic element comprising, in sequence, a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer characterized in that at least one of said p-type semiconductor layer and said n-type semiconductor layer is formed of a non-single crystal p-type or n-type semiconductor film comprising (a) zinc atoms and selenium atoms in a stoichiometric composition ratio of about 1:1; (b) hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic %; (c) crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 volume percent per unit volume; and (d) atoms of a dopant capable of imparting p-type or n-type conductivity, and wherein said i-type semiconductor layer is a non-single crystal film containing silicon atoms as the matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected form the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
An improved pin junction photvoltaic element comprising, in sequence, a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer characterized in that at least one of said p-type semiconductor layer and said n-type semiconductor layer is formed of a non-single crystal p-type or n-type semiconductor film comprising (a) zinc atoms and selenium atoms in a stoichiometric composition ratio of about 1:1; (b) hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic %; (c) crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 volume percent per unit volume; and (d) atoms of a dopant capable of imparting p-type or n-type conductivity, and wherein said i-type semiconductor layer is a non-single crystal film containing silicon atoms as the matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected form the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 1, wherein said atoms of a dopant capable of imparting p-type conductivity are atoms of an element selected from the group consisting of Group IA elements and Group VA elements of the Periodic Table.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 2, wherein said atoms of a dopant capable of imparting p-type conductivity are lithium atoms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the atoms of a dopant capable of imparting p-type conductivity is in the range from 50 to 1×10 4 atomic ppm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim I, wherein said atoms of a dopant capable of imparting n-type conductivity are atoms of an element selected from the group consisting of Group IIIB elements and Group IVB elements of the Periodic Table.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 5, wherein said atoms of a dopant capable of imparting n-type conductivity are selected from the group consisting of aluminum or gallium atoms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 5, wherein the amount of the atoms of a dopant capable of imparting n-type conductivity is in the range from 50 to 1×10 4 atomic ppm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 1, wherein said non-single crystal film constituting the i-type semiconductor layer further contains at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of carbon atoms or germanium atoms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
304 words
An improved pin junction photovoltaic element comprising, in sequence, a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer characterized in that said p-type semiconductor layer is formed characterized in that said p-type semiconductor layer is formed of a p-type non-single crystal semiconductor film comprising (a) zinc atoms and selenium atoms in a stoichiometric composition ratio of about 1:1; (b) hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic %; (c) crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 volume percent per ;unit volume; and (d) atoms of an element (m) selected form the group consisting of Group IA and Group VA elements of the Periodic Table in an amount of 50 to 1×10 4 atomic ppm; said i-type semiconductor layer being formed of a non-doped non-single film selected from the group consisting of (i) a non-single crystal film containing silicon atoms as the matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms and (ii) a non-single crystal film containing silicon atoms, at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of carbon atoms and germanium atoms and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms; and wherein said n-type semiconductor layer is an n-type non-single crystal semiconductor film comprising (e) zinc atoms and selenium atoms in a stoichiometic composition ratio of about 1:1; (f) hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic %; (g) crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 volume percent unit per unit volume; and (h) atoms of an element (n) selected from the group consisting of Group IIIB elements and Group IvB elements of the Periodic Table in an amount of 50 to 1×10 4 atomic ppm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
304 words
An improved pin junction photovoltaic element comprising, in sequence, a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer characterized in that said p-type semiconductor layer is formed characterized in that said p-type semiconductor layer is formed of a p-type non-single crystal semiconductor film comprising (a) zinc atoms and selenium atoms in a stoichiometric composition ratio of about 1:1; (b) hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic %; (c) crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 volume percent per ;unit volume; and (d) atoms of an element (m) selected form the group consisting of Group IA and Group VA elements of the Periodic Table in an amount of 50 to 1×10 4 atomic ppm; said i-type semiconductor layer being formed of a non-doped non-single film selected from the group consisting of (i) a non-single crystal film containing silicon atoms as the matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms and (ii) a non-single crystal film containing silicon atoms, at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of carbon atoms and germanium atoms and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and fluorine atoms; and wherein said n-type semiconductor layer is an n-type non-single crystal semiconductor film comprising (e) zinc atoms and selenium atoms in a stoichiometic composition ratio of about 1:1; (f) hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 4 atomic %; (g) crystal grain domains in a proportion of 65 to 85 volume percent unit per unit volume; and (h) atoms of an element (n) selected from the group consisting of Group IIIB elements and Group IvB elements of the Periodic Table in an amount of 50 to 1×10 4 atomic ppm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The pin junction photovoltaic element according to claim 9, wherein said element (m) is lithium and said element (n) is aluminum or gallium.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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