Chalcogen back surface field layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10790398-B2
Application number	US-201816009098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

Kesterite photovoltaic devices having a back surface field layer are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a photovoltaic device includes: forming a complete photovoltaic device having a substrate, an electrically conductive layer on the substrate, an absorber layer on the electrically conductive layer, a buffer layer on the absorber layer, and a transparent front contact on the buffer layer; removing the substrate and the electrically conductive layer from the complete photovoltaic device to expose a backside surface of the absorber layer; forming a passivating layer on the backside surface of the absorber layer; and forming a high work function back contact on the passivating layer. A photovoltaic device having a passivating layer is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic device, comprising:
a high work function back contact;
a passivating layer on the high work function back contact, wherein the passivating layer is disposed on the high work function back contact as a continuous layer having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm, and ranges therebetween;
an absorber layer on the passivating layer, wherein the passivating layer is a separate layer from the absorber layer and has a distinct composition comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: pure elemental selenium and pure elemental tellurium, and wherein the passivating layer fully separates the high work function back contact from the absorber layer;
a buffer layer on the absorber layer; and
a transparent front contact on the buffer layer.

2. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer comprises a kesterite material.

3. The photovoltaic device of claim 2 , wherein the absorber layer comprises copper, zinc, tin, and at least one of sulfur and selenium.

4. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the absorber layer has a thickness of from about 0.5 micrometers to about 2 micrometers, and ranges therebetween.

5. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the high work function back contact comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: molybdenum, molybdenum trioxide, gold, nickel, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, platinum, titanium nitride, silicon nitride, and combinations thereof.

6. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the high work function back contact comprises molybdenum trioxide and gold.

7. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a metal grid on the transparent front contact.

8. The photovoltaic device of claim 7 , wherein the metal grid comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: nickel, aluminum, and combinations thereof.

9. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: indium sulfide, zinc oxide, zinc oxysulfide, aluminum oxide, and combinations thereof.

10. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer has a thickness of from about 100 Å to about 1,000 Å, and ranges therebetween.

11. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the transparent front contact comprises a transparent conductive oxide selected from the group consisting of: indium-tin-oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, and combinations thereof.

12. A photovoltaic device, comprising:
a high work function back contact;
a passivating layer on the high work function back contact, wherein the passivating layer is disposed on the high work function back contact as a continuous layer having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm, and ranges therebetween;
an absorber layer comprising a kesterite material on the passivating layer, wherein the passivating layer is a separate layer from the absorber layer and has a distinct composition comprising a material selected from the group consisting of: pure elemental selenium and pure elemental tellurium, and wherein the passivating layer fully separates the high work function back contact from the absorber layer;
a buffer layer on the absorber layer;
a transparent front contact on the buffer layer; and
a metal grid on the transparent front contact.

13. The photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the absorber layer comprises copper, zinc, tin, and at least one of sulfur and selenium.

14. The photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the high work function back contact comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: molybdenum, molybdenum trioxide, gold, nickel, tantalum, tungsten, aluminum, platinum, titanium nitride, silicon nitride, and combinations thereof.

15. The photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the high work function back contact comprises molybdenum trioxide and gold.

16. The photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the buffer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: indium sulfide, zinc oxide, zinc oxysulfide, aluminum oxide, and combinations thereof.

17. The photovoltaic device of claim 12 , wherein the transparent front contact comprises a transparent conductive oxide selected from the group consisting of: indium-tin-oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, and combinations thereof.

18. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the passivating layer comprises pure elemental tellurium.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Antunez Priscilla D
• Ek Bruce A
• Haight Richard A
• Mankad Ravin
• Singh Saurabh
• Todorov Teodor K

Classifications

• H10F77/311

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/244

  made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. transparent conductive oxide [TCO] layers · CPC title

• H10F77/219

  Arrangements for electrodes of back-contact photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/211

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F71/1395

  for thin-film devices · CPC title