Multi-junction solar cell and manufacturing method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233165-B2
Application number	US-201916366111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a multi-junction solar cell in which two or more absorption layers having different bandgaps are stacked on one another. The multi-junction solar cell includes a first cell including a first absorption layer, and a second cell electrically connected in series onto the first cell, wherein the second cell includes a second absorption layer having a higher bandgap compared to the first absorption layer, and a plurality of recesses penetrating through the second absorption layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-junction solar cell in which two or more absorption layers having different bandgaps are stacked on one another, the multi-junction solar cell comprising:
a first cell comprising a first absorption layer; and
a second cell electrically connected in series onto the first cell,
wherein the second cell comprises:
a second absorption layer having a higher bandgap compared to the first absorption layer; and
a plurality of recesses penetrating through the second absorption layer,
wherein the first cell and the second cell are stacked on one another by a first transparent electrode layer so that current flows through the first cell and the second cell, and
wherein centers of the plurality of recesses penetrate through both of a buffer layer generated on the second absorption layer and a second transparent electrode layer generated on the buffer layer, the centers being aligned in a row.

2. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the first cell comprises a silicon (Si) solar cell.

3. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the second cell comprises a chalcogenide-based solar cell.

4. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 ,
wherein at least parts of the first transparent electrode layer are exposed by the plurality of recesses.

5. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recesses are designed to have a diameter in such a manner that the first and second cells generate equal photocurrents.

6. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 ,
wherein a removal area of the second transparent electrode layer is greater than or equal to a removal area of the second absorption layer.

7. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 , further comprising an emitter layer between the first absorption layer and the second absorption layer.

8. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 7 , wherein the first transparent electrode layer extends continuously across the plurality of recesses.

9. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 , wherein at least parts of an emitter layer are exposed by the plurality of recesses.

10. The multi-junction solar cell of claim 1 , wherein a pair of the plurality of recesses sandwiches a section of the second cell to expose each of two opposites sides of the second absorption layer in the section, two opposites sides of the buffer layer on the second absorption layer in the section, and two opposite sides of the second transparent electrode layer on the buffer layer in the section.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Jeong Jeung Hyun
• Kim In Ho
• Kim Won Mok
• Park Jong Keuk
• Yu Hyeong Geun

Classifications

• H10F71/00

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F19/902

  for series or parallel connection of photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/127

  comprising only Group IV-VI or only Group II-IV-VI chalcogenide materials, e.g. PbSnTe · CPC title

• H10F77/244

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

• H10F10/161 Primary

  comprising multiple PN heterojunctions, e.g. tandem cells · CPC title