US2017104110A1PendingUtilityA1

Photovoltaic device containing an n-type dopant source

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Assignee: FIRST SOLAR INCPriority: Sep 22, 2010Filed: Dec 19, 2016Published: Apr 13, 2017
Est. expirySep 22, 2030(~4.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Markus Gloeckler
H01L 31/1864H01L 31/02963H01L 31/1828H01L 31/1884H01L 31/073H10F 77/1696H10F 77/244H10F 71/138H10F 71/128H10F 71/125H10F 10/162H10F 77/1233Y02E10/543Y02P70/50
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Claims

Abstract

Described herein is a method of using the buffer layer of a transparent conductive substrate as a dopant source for the n-type window layer of a photovoltaic device. The dopant source of the buffer layer distributes to the window layer of the photovoltaic device during semiconductor processing. Described herein are also methods of manufacturing embodiments of the substrate structure and photovoltaic device. Disclosed embodiments also describe a photovoltaic module and a photovoltaic structure with a plurality of photovoltaic devices having an embodiment of the substrate structure.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a photovoltaic device comprising:
 providing a light-penetrable support layer;   forming a transparent conductive oxide over the support layer;   forming a buffer layer over the transparent conductive oxide;   doping the buffer layer with a n-type dopant at a first concentration;   forming a window layer over the buffer layer, the n-type dopant diffusing from the buffer layer into the window layer during thermal processing; and   forming an absorber layer over the window layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the n-type dopant is selected from a group III element of the periodic table. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer has a thickness from about 100 Åto about 1000 Å. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first dopant concentration in the buffer layer is from about 1×10 17  atoms/cm 3  to about 1×10 18  atoms/cm 3 . 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the window layer includes the n-type dopant at a second dopant concentration from about 1×10 14  atoms/cm 3  to about 1×10 17  atoms/cm 3  after thermal processing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the buffer layer contains the n-type dopant in a third dopant concentration after thermal processing. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the third dopant concentration after thermal processing is less than the first dopant concentration before thermal processing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a dopant dose used to form the buffer layer is about 1×10 11  atoms/cm 2  to about 1×10 13  atoms/cm 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the n-type dopant is selected from a group VII element of the periodic table. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first buffer layer comprises at least one of tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, or cadmium zinc oxide. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a photovoltaic device comprising:
 providing a light-penetrable support layer;   forming a transparent conductive oxide over the support layer;   forming a first buffer layer over the transparent conductive oxide;   doping the first buffer layer with a n-type dopant at a first concentration;   forming a second buffer layer over the first buffer layer;   forming a window layer over the second buffer layer, the n-type dopant diffusing from the first buffer layer into the window layer during thermal processing; and   forming an absorber layer over the window layer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising forming a third buffer layer over the second buffer layer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second buffer layer and the third buffer layer contain a portion of the n-type dopant that diffused from the first buffer layer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the n-type dopant is selected from a group III element of the periodic table. 
     
     
         15 . The method of claim II, wherein the n-type dopant is selected from a group VII element of the periodic table. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second buffer layers comprise at least one of tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, or cadmium zinc oxide. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first buffer layer has a thickness from about 100 Å to about 1000 Å. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein after thermal processing the window layer includes the n-type dopant at a second concentration. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein after thermal processing the first buffer layer includes the n-type dopant at a third concentration. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the second concentration of the n-type dopant in the window layer is higher than the third concentration of the n-type dopant in the first buffer layer.

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