International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Solar Frontier K.k.

David Brian Mitzi

Jeehwan Kim

Teodor Krassimirov Todorov

Mark T Winkler

Oki Gunawan

Matthew Warren Copel

David Robert Medeiros

Konstantinos Chondroudis

Patrick William Dehaven

Byungha Shin

Supratik Guha

Richard Alan Haight

Tayfun Gokmen

Hiroki Sugimoto

Wei Liu

Homare Hiroi

Min Yuan

Theodore Gerard Van Kessel

Yves Corfield Martin

Christos Dimitrios Dimitrakopoulos

Christopher Bruce Murray

Cherie Renee Kagan

Robert L Sandstrom

Simone Raoux

David Aaron Randolph Barkhouse

Dmitri V Talapin

Santanu Bag

Michael T Prikas

Kangning Liang

Devendra K Sadana

Keith E Fogel

Ali Afzali-Ardakani

Jeffrey Donald Gelorme

Kailash Gopalakrishnan

Ioannis Kymissis

Wei Wang

Michael Joseph Rooks

Kejia Wang

Rohit Sudhir Shenoy

Delia J Milliron

Marinus Hopstaken

Tricia Lynn Breen

Patrick W Dehaven

A photovoltaic device and method include a substrate, a conductive layer formed on the substrate and an absorber layer formed on the conductive layer from a Cu&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Sn containing chalcogenide material. An emitter layer is formed on the absorber layer and a buffer layer is formed on the emitter layer including an atomic layer deposition (ALD) layer. A transparent conductor layer is formed on the buffer layer.

Atomic layer deposition for photovoltaic devices

A photovoltaic device includes a first contact and a hybrid absorber layer. The hybrid absorber layer includes a chalcogenide layer and a semiconductor layer in contact with the chalcogenide layer. A buffer layer is formed on the absorber layer, and a transparent conductive contact layer is formed on the buffer layer.

Hybrid CZTSSe photovoltaic device

A photovoltaic device includes an absorber layer having a back contact formed on the absorber layer, the back contact having an exposed surface free from a substrate. It further includes a top contact formed in contact with a transparent conductive layer opposite the back contact and a stressor layer forming a superstrate on the absorber layer opposite the back contact.

Substrate-free thin-film flexible photovoltaic device and fabrication method

A method for thermal exfoliation includes providing a target layer on a substrate to form a structure. A stressor layer is deposited on the target layer. The structure is placed in a temperature controlled environment to induce differential thermal expansion between the target layer and the substrate. The target layer is exfoliated from the substrate when a critical temperature is achieved such that the target layer is separated from the substrate to produce a standalone, thin film device.

A method with enhanced safety characteristics of depositing a kesterite film, which includes a compound of the formula: CuZnSn(SSe), wherein 0&#x2264;x&#x2264;1; 0&#x2264;y&#x2264;1; 0&#x2264;z&#x2264;1; &#x2212;1&#x2264;q&#x2264;1. The method includes contacting an aqueous solvent, ammonia, a source of hydrazine, a source of Cu, a source of Sn, a source of Zn, a source of at least one of S and Se, under conditions sufficient to form an aqueous dispersion which includes solid particles; applying the dispersion onto a substrate to form a thin layer of the dispersion on the substrate; and annealing at a temperature, pressure, and length of time sufficient to form the kesterite film. An annealing composition and a photovoltaic device including the kesterite film formed by the above method are also provided.

Aqueous-based method of forming semiconductor film and photovoltaic device including the film

Techniques for fabrication of kesterite Cu&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Sn&#x2014;(Se,S) films and improved photovoltaic devices based on these films are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a kesterite film having a formula CuZnSn(SSe), wherein 0&#x2264;x&#x2264;1; 0&#x2264;y&#x2264;1; 0&#x2264;z&#x2264;1; and &#x2212;1&#x2264;q&#x2264;1 is provided. The method includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. A bulk precursor layer is formed on the substrate, the bulk precursor layer comprising Cu, Zn, Sn and at least one of S and Se. A capping layer is formed on the bulk precursor layer, the capping layer comprising at least one of Sn, S and Se. The bulk precursor layer and the capping layer are annealed under conditions sufficient to produce the kesterite film having values of x, y, z and q for any given part of the film that deviate from average values of x, y, z and q throughout the film by less than 20 percent.

Capping layers for improved crystallization

A photosensitive device and method includes a top cell having an N-type layer, a P-type layer and a top intrinsic layer therebetween. A bottom cell includes an N-type layer, a P-type layer and a bottom intrinsic layer therebetween. The bottom intrinsic layer includes a Cu&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Sn containing chalcogenide.

Tandem solar cell with improved absorption material

A method for forming a photovoltaic device includes forming a photovoltaic absorption stack on a substrate including one or more of I-III-VIand I-II-IV-VIsemiconductor material. A transparent conductive contact layer is deposited on the photovoltaic absorption stack at a temperature less than 200 degrees Celsius. The transparent conductive contact layer has a thickness of about one micron and is formed on a front light-receiving surface. The surface includes pyramidal structures due to an as deposited thickness. The transparent conductive contact layer is wet etched to further roughen the front light-receiving surface to reduce reflectance.

Low reflection electrode for photovoltaic devices

A method of depositing a kesterite film which includes a compound of the formula: CuZnSn(SSe), wherein 0&#x2266;x&#x2266;1; 0&#x2266;y&#x2266;1; 0&#x2266;z&#x2266;1; &#x2212;1&#x2266;q&#x2266;1. The method includes contacting hydrazine, a source of Cu, and a source of at least one of S and Se forming solution A; contacting hydrazine, a source of Sn, a source of at least one of S and Se, and a source of Zn forming dispersion B; mixing solution A and dispersion B under conditions sufficient to form a dispersion which includes Zn-containing solid particles; applying the dispersion onto a substrate to form a thin layer of the dispersion on the substrate; and annealing at a temperature, pressure, and length of time sufficient to form the kesterite film. An annealing composition and a photovoltaic device including the kesterite film formed by the above method are also provided.

Method of forming semiconductor film and photovoltaic device including the film

Techniques for fabrication of kesterite Cu&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;Sn&#x2014;(Se,S) films and improved photovoltaic devices based on these films are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a kesterite film having a formula CuZnSn(SSe), wherein 0&#x2266;x&#x2266;1; 0&#x2266;y&#x2266;1; 0&#x2266;z&#x2266;1; and &#x2212;1&#x2266;q&#x2266;1 is provided. The method includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. A bulk precursor layer is formed on the substrate, the bulk precursor layer comprising Cu, Zn, Sn and at least one of S and Se. A capping layer is formed on the bulk precursor layer, the capping layer comprising at least one of Sn, S and Se. The bulk precursor layer and the capping layer are annealed under conditions sufficient to produce the kesterite film having values of x, y, z and q for any given part of the film that deviate from average values of x, y, z and q throughout the film by less than 20 percent.

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Mahopac, NY, United States of America

David Brian Mitzi