Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Hideki Imai

Seiichi Kiyama

Yasuaki Yamamoto

Hitoshi Kihara

Yutaka Hirono

A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements comprising a first electrode layer, a semiconductive layer and a second electrode layer are laminatedly arranged on an insulative surface of a substrate and said photoelectric conversion elements are electrically connected in series with each other, comprising a step of dividedly arranging the first electrode layer on the surface of the substrate, a step of coating the semiconductive layer on the surface of the substrate including the upper surface of the divided first electrode layer, a step of coating the second electrode layer on the semiconductive layer, and a step of dividing the semiconductive layer and/or the second electrode layer in order to define each element by irradiating energy-beams on the semiconductive layer and/or the second electrode layer. The formation of a low resistance layer in the semiconductive layer and a residual molten second electrode layer can be prevented by using energy-beams having an energy-distribution substantially uniform over the entire irradiated zone. In addition, short-circuits between the adjacent photoelectric conversion elements can be prevented.

Method of manufacturing photovoltaic device

A photovoltaic device comprises a plurality of photoelectric converting regions formed on an insulating surface of a light transmissive substrate. Each photoelectric converting region includes a transparent film electrode, an amorphous semiconductor portion having a PIN junction parallel to the film surface and a back film electrode connected to the transparent film electrode of an adjacent region of the insulating surface. On a portion of the transparent film electrode, there is formed an insulating adiabatic layer. The adiabatic layer is formed at a position where an energy beam to be irradiated in the production process. Accordingly, when the energy beam is irradiated and the back electrode film is divided corresponding to each photoelectric converting region, thermal damage to the transparent film electrode due to the energy beam is prevented by the insulating adiabatic layer.

Photovoltaic device

An amorphous silicon film having a PIN junction inside in parallel to the film surface is formed extending continuously over transparent film electrodes in each plurality of regions being formed and spaced from each other on one main surface of a light transmissive substrate. A laser beam having a wave length covering a substantially ultraviolet rays region and a visible rays region is irradiated from the other main surface side of the light transmissive substrate to an adjacent spacing portion where the amorphous silicon film is to be divided and the amorphous silicon film lying therein is removed, thus the amorphous silicon film is divided into each plurality of regions. An aluminum electrode film is formed continuously covering the amorphous silicon film portions in each region. The laser beam is irradiated from the other main surface side of the light transmissive substrate to the adjacent spacing portion where the aluminum electrode film is to be divided and the aluminum electrode film lying therein is removed, thus the aluminum electrode film is divided in each plurality of regions. The divided aluminum film electrodes are connected to the transparent film electrodes in the adjacent regions, accordingly a plurality of photoelectric converting regions formed on the light transmissive substrate are connected in series.

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Osaka, Japan

Hideki Imai