Photovoltaic devices, photovoltaic modules provided therewith, and solar power generation systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11316061-B2
Application number	US-202017071647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

n-type amorphous semiconductor layers (4) and p-type amorphous semiconductor layers (5) are alternately disposed on the back surface of a semiconductor substrate (1) so as to be separated from each other at a desired interval paralleled with the direction of the surface of the semiconductor substrate (1). An electrode (6) is disposed on the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), and an electrode (7) is disposed on the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5). A protective film (8) includes an insulating film, and is disposed on a passivation film (3), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5), and the electrodes (6, 7), so as to be in contact with the passivation film (3), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5), and the electrodes (6, 7).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
a monocrystalline silicon substrate;
a first amorphous semiconductor layer on a surface of the monocrystalline silicon substrate and having a first conductivity type;
a second amorphous semiconductor layer on the surface of the monocrystalline silicon substrate adjacent to and spaced apart from the first amorphous semiconductor layer and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type;
a first electrode on the first amorphous semiconductor layer; and
a second electrode on the second amorphous semiconductor layer and spaced apart from the first electrode;
wherein the first amorphous semiconductor layer includes a first flat region and a first thickness decreasing region adjoining the first flat region in a first direction which is a width direction of the first amorphous semiconductor layer, the first flat region is a region which has the thickest film thickness in a direction perpendicular to the first direction of the first amorphous semiconductor layer, the first thickness decreasing region extending from the first flat region to a point of the first amorphous semiconductor layer at which a decrease rate of a thickness of the first amorphous semiconductor layer is changed from a first decrease rate to a second decrease rate greater than the first decrease rate,
wherein the first thickness decreasing region is, along the first direction, disposed on both sides of the first flat region, and
wherein the first electrode is disposed on the first flat region and on the first thickness decreasing region which is disposed on the both sides of the first flat region along the first direction.

2. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein dopant concentration of the first thickness decreasing region is higher than dopant concentration of the first flat region.

3. The photovoltaic device according to claim 2 , wherein the monocrystalline silicon substrate has the second conductivity type.

4. The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the second amorphous semiconductor layer includes a second flat region and a second thickness decreasing region adjoining the second flat region in a second direction which is a width direction of the second amorphous semiconductor layer, the second flat region is a region which has the thickest film thickness in a direction perpendicular to the second direction of the second amorphous semiconductor layer, the second thickness decreasing region is a region which has a film thickness smaller than the thickest film thickness of the second flat region.

5. The photovoltaic device according to claim 4 , wherein dopant concentration of the second thickness decreasing region is higher than dopant concentration of the second flat region.

6. The photovoltaic device according to claim 4 , wherein the second electrode is disposed on the second thickness decreasing region and the second flat region.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Kamikawa Takeshi
• Harada Masatomi
• Sakai Toshihiko
• Kuniyoshi Tokuaki
• ZOU Liumin

Classifications

• H10F77/1662

  including only Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10F77/311

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/219

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

• H10F77/211

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F19/80

  Encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells · CPC title