Solar Cell and Method of Manufacturing the Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016359077-A1
Application number	US-201514891755-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The method comprises: forming a first electrode layer on a substrate; forming a semiconductor film of first conduction type on the first electrode layer; forming a germanium film on the semiconductor film of first conduction type, and topologizing the germanium film by using a functionalization element so as to obtain a semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator, the semiconductor film of first conduction type mating with the semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator to form a p-n junction; and forming a second electrode layer on the semiconductor film of second conduction type. The solar cell manufactured according this method has higher electric energy conversion efficiency.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising steps of:
forming a first electrode layer on a substrate; forming a semiconductor film of first conduction type on the first electrode layer; forming a germanium film on the semiconductor film of first conduction type, and topologizing the germanium film by using functionalization element so as to obtain a semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator, the semiconductor film of first conduction type mating with the semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator to form a p-n junction; and forming a second electrode layer on the semiconductor film of second conduction type.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the germanium film comprises:
forming the germanium film through an atomic layer deposition process; or forming the germanium film through a chemical vapor deposition process; or forming the germanium film through a mechanical stripping and transferring process; or forming the germanium film through a magnetron sputtering process; or forming the germanium film through a pulsed laser deposition process.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the functionalization element is fluorine element, chlorine element, bromine element or iodine element.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the step of topologizing the germanium film by using functionalization element so as to obtain the semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator comprises:
halogenating the germanium film to obtain a germanium halide film by using fluorine element, chlorine element, bromine element or iodine element.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of halogenating the germanium film to obtain the germanium halide film comprises:
halogenating the germanium film by a gas phase process; or halogenating the germanium film by a liquid phase process; or halogenating the germanium film by a surface modification process; or halogenating the germanium film by a plasma treatment process.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor film of first conduction type is an n-type silicon film, an n-type graphene film or an n-type germanium film.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein
if the semiconductor film of first conduction type is an n-type silicon film, the step of forming a semiconductor film of first conduction type on the first electrode layer comprises: depositing a silicon film having a thickness of 150 nm on the first electrode layer through a chemical vapor deposition process under a temperature of 200˜400° C., and doping the silicon film with nitrogen element through a doping process so as to form an n-type semiconductor film; if the semiconductor film of first conduction type is an n-type graphene film, the step of forming a semiconductor film of first conduction type on the first electrode layer comprises: depositing a graphene film having a thickness of 1 nm on the first electrode layer through an atomic layer deposition process, and doping the graphene film with nitrogen element through a doping process so as to form an n-type semiconductor film; if the semiconductor film of first conduction type is an n-type germanium film, the step of forming a semiconductor film of first conduction type on the first electrode layer comprises: forming a first germanium film on the first electrode layer through a mechanical stripping and transferring process, and doping the first germanium film with nitrogen element and performing activating treatment so as to form an n-type semiconductor film.

8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein when halogenating the germanium film by the liquid phase process, the step of halogenating the germanium film to obtain the germanium halide film comprises: halogenating the germanium film in a liquid bromine environment with a liquid bromine concentration of 1%˜10% and a treatment temperature of 40˜80° C., so as to form the germanium bromide film.

9 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein when halogenating the germanium film by the gas phase process, the step of halogenating the germanium film to obtain the germanium halide film comprises:
halogenating the germanium film in an iodine gas atmosphere with a gas pressure of 1˜10 Pa and a treatment temperature of 60˜100° C., so as to form a germanium iodide film; or halogenating the germanium film in a bromine gas atmosphere with a gas pressure of 1˜10 Pa and a treatment temperature of 50˜400° C., so as to form a germanium bromide film; or annealing the germanium film for 10 min in a chlorine gas atmosphere with a treatment temperature of 50˜400° C., so as to form a germanium chloride film.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein when halogenating the germanium film by the surface modification process, the step of halogenating the germanium film to obtain the germanium halide film comprises:
coating an organic colloid material containing halogen on a base; abutting, under a pressure, a side of the base coated with the organic colloid material against the germanium film, so that halogen atoms in the organic colloid material are transferred to the germanium film, thereby halogenating the germanium film.

12 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein when halogenating the germanium film by the plasma treatment way, the step of halogenating the germanium film to obtain a germanium halide film comprises:
causing halogen plasma to impact a surface of the germanium film in an inductively coupled plasma apparatus or a reactive ion etching apparatus, so that halogen plasma is absorbed in the germanium film, thereby halogenating the germanium film.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the functionalization element is hydrogen element, nitrogen element, boron element or sulfur element.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of at least one of the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is formed of topological insulator.

15 . A solar cell, comprising a first electrode layer, a semiconductor film of first conduction type, a semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator and containing germanium element, and a second electrode layer, which are formed successively on a substrate, wherein the semiconductor film of first conduction type mates with the semiconductor film of second conduction type having characteristics of topological insulator to form a p-n junction.

16 . The solar cell according to claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor film of second conduction type is a germanium halide film formed by halogenating the germanium film by using fluorine element, chlorine element, bromine element or iodine element.

17 . The solar cell according to claim 16 , wherein the germanium halide film has a thickness of 0.5˜10 nm.

18 . The solar cell according to claim 16 , wherein
the germanium halide film is a germanium halide film having a single-atom layer thickness; or the germanium halide film is a germanium halide film having a double-atoms layer thickness; or the germanium halide film is a germanium halide film having a multi-atoms layer thickness.

19 . The solar cell according to claim 15 , wherein the semiconductor film of second conduction type is a topological insulator film formed by topologizing the germanium film using hydrogen element, nitrogen element, boron el

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Yanzhao
• Qiao Yong
• Wang Long
• Lu Yongchun

Classifications

• H01L31/022425

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/068

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0288

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/1804 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10F77/1223 Primary

  characterised by the dopants · CPC title