Photovoltaic Devices with Increased Efficiency and Methods for Making the Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017352770-A1
Application number	US-201615173626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2016
Priority date	Jun 4, 2016
Publication date	Dec 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A photovoltaic device with increased efficiency and a method for making the same. The present invention provides a photovoltaic device including: a transparent substrate; a transparent conductive electrode layer disposed on the transparent substrate; an n-type layer disposed on the transparent conductive electrode layer; a chalcogen absorber layer disposed on the n-type layer; a p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) interlayer disposed on the chalcogen absorber layer; and a conductive layer disposed on the interlayer. A photovoltaic device having a superstrate configuration with the order of the layers reversed is also provided. The present invention further provides methods for making the photovoltaic devices according to the present invention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photovoltaic device, comprising:
a transparent substrate; a transparent conductive electrode layer disposed on the transparent substrate; an n-type layer disposed on the transparent conductive electrode layer; a chalcogen absorber layer disposed on the n-type layer; a p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) interlayer disposed on the chalcogen absorber layer; and a conductive layer disposed on the interlayer.

2 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive electrode layer is selected from the group consisting of: fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO), indium doped tin oxide (ITO), aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al), and fluorine doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 :F).

3 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the n-type layer is selected from the group consisting of: zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide.

4 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 3 , wherein the n-type layer has a thickness from about 2 nm to about 200 nm.

5 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the chalcogen absorber layer is selenium at a thickness from about 25 nm to about 200 nm.

6 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is selected from the group consisting of:
(1) carbon including graphite, graphene, nanotubes and combinations thereof; (2) metals and their alloys including gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium; Zn, Ni, Co, Mo, Fe V, Cr, Sn, W, Mo, Ti, Mg, and combinations thereof; and (3) conductive oxides including fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO), indium doped tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al).

7 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer has a thickness of about 2 nm to 2000 nm.

8 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tellurium (Te) adhesion layer disposed between the n-type layer and the chalcogen absorber layer.

9 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 8 , wherein the tellurium adhesion layer has a thickness of up to about 1 nanometer.

10 . A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of:
forming a transparent conductive electrode layer on a transparent substrate; forming an n-type layer on a transparent conductive electrode layer; forming a chalcogen absorber layer on the n-type layer; forming a p-type interlayer of molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) on the chalcogen absorber layer; forming a conductive layer on the p-type interlayer; and annealing at a temperature, pressure, and length of time sufficient to form the structure of the photovoltaic device.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the transparent conductive electrode layer is a material selected from the group consisting of: fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO), indium doped tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al).

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the n-type layer is a material selected from the group consisting of: zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
forming a tellurium (Te) adhesion layer between the n-type layer and the chalcogen absorber layer.

14 . A photovoltaic device, comprising:
a transparent superstrate; a conductive layer disposed on the transparent superstrate; a p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) interlayer disposed on the conductive layer; a chalcogen absorber layer disposed on the p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) interlayer; an n-type layer disposed on the chalcogen absorber layer; and a transparent conductive electrode layer disposed on the n-type layer.

15 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 14 , wherein the transparent conductive electrode layer is selected from the group consisting of: fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO), indium doped tin oxide (ITO), aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al), and fluorine doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 :F).

16 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 14 , wherein the n-type layer is selected from the group consisting of: zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide.

17 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 16 , wherein the n-type layer has a thickness from about 2 nm to about 200 nm.

18 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 14 , wherein the chalcogen absorber layer is selenium at a thickness from about 25 nm to about 200 nm.

19 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 14 , wherein the conductive layer is selected from the group consisting of:
(1) carbon including graphite, graphene, nanotubes, and combinations thereof; (2) metals and their alloys: gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium; Zn, Ni, Co, Mo, Fe V, Cr, Sn, W, Mo, Ti, Mg, and combinations thereof; and (3) conductive oxides: fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO), indium doped tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al).

20 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 14 , wherein the conductive layer has a thickness of about 2 nm to 2000 nm.

21 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a tellurium (Te) adhesion layer disposed between the p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) layer and the chalcogen absorber layer.

22 . The photovoltaic device according to claim 21 , wherein the tellurium adhesion layer has a thickness of up to about 1 nanometer.

23 . A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of:
forming a conductive layer on a transparent superstrate; forming a p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) interlayer on the conductive layer; forming a chalcogen absorber layer on the p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) interlayer; forming an n-type layer on the chalcogen absorber layer; forming a transparent conductive electrode layer on the n-type layer; and annealing at a temperature, pressure, and length of time sufficient to form the structure of the photovoltaic device.

24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the transparent conductive electrode layer is a material selected from the group consisting of: fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO), indium doped tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al).

25 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the n-type layer is a material selected from the group consisting of: zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide.

26 . The method according to claim 23 , further comprising the step of:
forming a tellurium (Te) adhesion layer between the p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) interlayer and the chalcogen absorber layer.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Antunez Priscilla D
• Lee Yun Seog
• Mankad Ravin
• Todorov Teodor K

Classifications

• Y02E10/541

  CuInSe2 material PV cells · CPC title

• H01L31/022466

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0336 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0272

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/032

  Electricity · mapped topic