US5221365A
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Photovoltaic cell and method of manufacturing polycrystalline semiconductive film
Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
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Filing: 1991-10-18
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Granted: 1993-06-22
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Expires: 2011-10-18
Abstract
Abstract A thin film transistor and a photovoltaic cell wherein a polycrystalline semiconductive film, having a large grain size and high carrier mobility obtained by heat treatment of a polycrystalline semiconductive film, an amorphous semiconductive film, a microcrystalline semiconductive film or the like on a substrate with a textured surface, is used as a channel layer or a photo-activation layer, the textured surface being formed by etching one surface of the substrate or forming a textured thin film on the substrate. A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film, wherein a surface of a substrate is etched or a textured thin film is formed on the substrate to form a textured surface, and a polycrystalline semiconductive film, an amorphous semiconductive film, a microcrystalline semiconductive film or the like is formed on the textured surface, and the semiconductive film is polycrystallized by heat treatment.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigeru Noguchi
- 👤 Hiroshi Iwata
- 👤 Keiichi Sano
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 23:36
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/16; H10F77/162; H10F77/164; H10F77/1642; H10F71/00; H10F71/10; H10F71/103; H10F71/131; H10F71/134; H10F77/70; H10F77/707; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/50; Y02E10/546; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/09; Y10S148/122; Y10S148/153; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/964
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of the junction between two semiconductor layers having opposite conductivity types, comprising: a substrate having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; a first polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface; a photo-activation layer of a polycrystalline semiconductive film obtained by heat treatment of a semiconductive film of the one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said first polycrystalline semiconductive layer; and a second polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment of a semiconductive film of opposite conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said photo-activation layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of the junction between two semiconductor layers having opposite conductivity types, comprising: a substrate having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; a first polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface; a photo-activation layer of a polycrystalline semiconductive film obtained by heat treatment of a semiconductive film of the one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said first polycrystalline semiconductive layer; and a second polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment of a semiconductive film of opposite conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said photo-activation layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
163 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of the junction between two semiconductor layers having different conductivity types, comprising: a substrate having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; a first polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface; a photo-activation layer of a polycrystalline semiconductive film obtained by heat treatment of a semiconductive film of said one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said first semiconductive layer; and a second semiconductive layer of an amorphous semiconductive film having the opposite conductivity type formed on said photo-activation layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
163 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of the junction between two semiconductor layers having different conductivity types, comprising: a substrate having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; a first polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface; a photo-activation layer of a polycrystalline semiconductive film obtained by heat treatment of a semiconductive film of said one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said first semiconductive layer; and a second semiconductive layer of an amorphous semiconductive film having the opposite conductivity type formed on said photo-activation layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
108 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of the junction between two semiconductors of opposite conductivity types, comprising: a single crystalline semiconductive substrate of one conductivity type having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; and a polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of the opposite conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
108 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of the junction between two semiconductors of opposite conductivity types, comprising: a single crystalline semiconductive substrate of one conductivity type having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; and a polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of the opposite conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
183 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of a semiconductor layer between two semiconductors of opposite conductivity types, comprising: a substrate having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; a first polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface; a photo-activation layer of a polycrystalline semiconductive film obtained by heat treatment of an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductive film selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said first polycrystalline semiconductive layer; and a second polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment of a non-single crystalline film of the opposite conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said photo-activation layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
183 words
A photovoltaic cell for generating electromotive force from light incident in the vicinity of a semiconductor layer between two semiconductors of opposite conductivity types, comprising: a substrate having a textured surface with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; a first polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 650° C. of a semiconductive film of one conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said textured surface; a photo-activation layer of a polycrystalline semiconductive film obtained by heat treatment of an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic semiconductive film selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said first polycrystalline semiconductive layer; and a second polycrystalline semiconductive layer obtained by heat treatment of a non-single crystalline film of the opposite conductivity type selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films formed on said photo-activation layer.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film, comprising the steps of: forming a textured surface on a substrate with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; forming a semiconductive film selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films on said textured surface; and polycrystallizing said semiconductive film via heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 640° C.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film, comprising the steps of: forming a textured surface on a substrate with the depth of the texture being in the range of from about 0.3 to about 10 μm; forming a semiconductive film selected from the group consisting of amorphous, polycrystalline, microcrystalline, and their mixed crystalline semiconductive films on said textured surface; and polycrystallizing said semiconductive film via heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from about 500° C. to about 640° C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, wherein the depth of indentation of said textured surface is approximately equal to the thickness of said semiconductive film to be polycrystallized.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, wherein the depth of indentation of said textured surface is in the range of from about 0.3 μm to about several tens of micrometers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, wherein said textured surface is formed by etching the substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 8, wherein the depth of indentation of said textured surface is in the range from about 0.3 μm to about several tens of micrometers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, wherein said textured surface is formed by forming the substrate through plasma spraying of semiconductive material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 10, wherein the depth of indentation of said textured surface is 6-10 μm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, wherein said textured surface is formed by a conductive film formed on said substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 12, wherein said conductive film is formed at temperature of approximately 600° C.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 12, wherein the grain size of said conductive film is 5-50 μm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, wherein said textured surface is formed by an insulative film formed on said substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: forming an insulative film on said semiconductive film before the polycrystallizing step.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 5, further comprising the step of: preheating said semiconductive film at a temperature lower than that used in the heat treatment of said polycrystallization step.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductive film according to claim 17, wherein the conditions of the heat treatment in said preheating step is at 500° C. for approximately 30 minutes.
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