First Solar, Inc.

Andrei Los

Markus Gloeckler

Zhibo Zhao

Rick C Powell

Feng Liao

Kenneth Ring

Gopal Mor

Jigish Trivedi

Benjamin Milliron

Dan Damjanovic

Aaron Roggelin

Dan Mao

William Hullinger Huber

Gang Xiong

Benyamin Buller

Wei Zhang

David K Hwang

Ming Lun Yu

Pratima V Addepalli

Akhlesh Gupta

Rui Shao

Roger Malik

Hongying Peng

San Yu

Casimir Kotarba

Jason Kephart

Mark Hendryx

James Becker

Albert Mui

Alex Schumaker

Photovoltaic devices having transparent contact layers are described herein.

Transparent conducting layers and photovoltaic devices including the same

A photovoltaic device includes a substrate structure and at least one Se-containing layer, such as a CdSeTe layer. A process for manufacturing the photovoltaic device includes forming the CdSeTe layer over a substrate by at least one of sputtering, evaporation deposition, CVD, chemical bath deposition process, and vapor transport deposition process. The process can also include controlling a thickness range of the Se-containing layer.

Photovoltaic devices and method of manufacturing

A doped photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a semiconductor absorber layer or stack disposed between a front contact and a back contact. The absorber layer comprises cadmium, selenium, and tellurium doped with Ag, and optionally with Cu. The Ag dopant may be added to the absorber in amounts ranging from 5&#xd7;10/cmto 2.5&#xd7;10/cmvia any of several methods of application before, during, or after deposition of the absorber layer. The photovoltaic device has improved Fill Factor and Pat higher P(=I*Vproduct) values, e.g. about 160 W, which results in improved conversion efficiency compared to a device not doped with Ag. Improved PT may result from increased I, increased V, or both.

Ag-doped photovoltaic devices and method of making

Solar cells, absorber structures, back contact structures, and methods of making the same are described. The solar cells and absorber structures include a pseudomorphically strained electron reflector layer.

Solar cells and methods of making the same

A method to improve operation of a CdTe-based photovoltaic device is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of depositing a semiconductor absorber layer adjacent to a substrate, depositing a semiconductor buffer layer adjacent to the semiconductor layer, and annealing at least one of the semiconductor absorber layer and the semiconductor buffer layer with one of a laser and a flash lamp.

Method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device

Growing community of inventors

Perrysburg, OH, United States of America

Andrei Los