Stion Corporation

Ultradots, Inc.

Howard W H Lee

Chester A Farris, Iii

Jinman Huang

Frederic Victor Mikulec

Bing Shen Gao

Robert D Wieting

A photovoltaic device and related methods. The device has a nanostructured material positioned between an electron collecting electrode and a hole collecting electrode. An electron transporting/hole blocking material is positioned between the electron collecting electrode and the nanostructured material. In a specific embodiment, negatively charged carriers generated by optical absorption by the nanostructured material are preferentially separated into the electron transporting/hole blocking material. In a specific embodiment, the nanostructured material has an optical absorption coefficient of at least 10cmfor light comprised of wavelengths within the range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm.

Method and structure for thin film photovoltaic materials using semiconductor materials

A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region and forming a first electrode layer overlying the surface region. Additionally, the method includes forming a copper indium material comprising an atomic ratio of Cu:In ranging from about 1.35:1 to about 1.60:1 by at least sputtering a target comprising an indium copper material. The method further includes subjecting the copper indium material to thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species. Furthermore, the method includes forming a copper indium disulfide material from at least the thermal treatment process of the copper indium material and maintaining an interface region between the copper indium disulfide material and electrode substantially free from a metal disulfide layer, which has different semiconductor characteristics from the copper indium disulfide material. Moreover, the method includes forming a window layer overlying the copper indium disulfide material.

High efficiency photovoltaic cell and manufacturing method free of metal disulfide barrier material

A photovoltaic cell structure for manufacturing a photovoltaic device. The photovoltaic cell structure includes a substrate including a surface region. A first conductor layer overlies the surface region. The photovoltaic cell structure includes a lower cell structure. The lower cell structure includes a first P type absorber layer using a first semiconductor metal chalcogenide material and/or other semiconductor material overlying the first conductor layer. The first P type absorber material is characterized by a first bandgap ranging from about 0.5 eV to about 1.0 eV, a first optical absorption coefficient greater than about 10cm. The lower cell structure includes a first Ntype window layer comprising at least a second metal chalcogenide material and/or other semiconductor material overlying the first P absorber layer. The photovoltaic cell structure includes an upper cell structure. The upper cell structure includes a second P type absorber layer using a third semiconductor metal chalcogenide material. The second P type absorber layer is characterized by a second bandgap ranging from about 1.0 eV to 2.2 eV and a second optical absorption coefficient greater than about 10cm. A second Ntype window layer comprising a fourth metal chalcogenide material overlies the second P absorber layer. A tunneling junction layer is provided between the upper cell structure and the lower cell structure.

Multi-junction solar cell devices

A tandem photovoltaic cell. The tandem photovoltaic cell includes a bifacial top cell and a bottom cell. The top bifacial cell includes a top first transparent conductive oxide material. A top window material underlies the top first transparent conductive oxide material. A first interface region is disposed between the top window material and the top first transparent conductive oxide material. The first interface region is substantially free from one or more entities from the top first transparent conductive oxide material diffused into the top window material. A top absorber material comprising a copper species, an indium species, and a sulfur species underlies the top window material. A top second transparent conductive oxide material underlies the top absorber material. A second interface region is disposed between the top second transparent conductive oxide material and the top absorber material. The bottom cell includes a bottom first transparent conductive oxide material. A bottom window material underlies the first bottom transparent conductive oxide material. A bottom absorber material underlies the bottom window material. A bottom electrode material underlies the bottom absorber material. The tandem photovoltaic cell further includes a coupling material free from a parasitic junction between the top cell and the bottom cell.

Method and structure for thin film tandem photovoltaic cell

A method of forming composite nanostructures using one or more nanomaterials. The method provides a nanostructure material having a surface region and one or more nano void regions within a first thickness in the surface region. The method subjects the surface region of the nanostructure material with a fluid. An external energy is applied to the fluid and/or the nanostructure material to drive in a portion of the fluid into one or more of the void regions and cause the one or more nano void regions to be substantially filled with the fluid and free from air gaps.

Methods for infusing one or more materials into nano-voids of nanoporous or nanostructured materials

A method for forming a semiconductor bearing thin film material. The method includes providing a metal precursor and a chalcogene precursor. The method forms a mixture of material comprising the metal precursor, the chalcogene precursor and a solvent material. The mixture of material is deposited overlying a surface region of a substrate member. In a specific embodiment, the method maintains the substrate member including the mixture of material in an inert environment and subjects the mixture of material to a first thermal process to cause a reaction between the metal precursor and the chalcogene material to form a semiconductor metal chalcogenide bearing material overlying the substrate member. The method then performs a second thermal process to remove any residual solvent and forms a substantially pure semiconductor metal chalcogenide thin film material overlying the substrate member.

Method for manufacture of semiconductor bearing thin film material

A structure for a single junction solar cell. The structure includes a substrate member having a surface region. The structure includes a first electrode structure overlying the surface region of the substrate member. A P absorber layer is formed overlying the first electrode structure. In a specific embodiment, the P absorber layer has a Ptype impurity characteristics and a first optical absorption coefficient greater than 10cmin a wavelength range comprising 400 nm to 800 nm. An Nlayer is provided overlying the P absorber layer and an interface region formed within a vicinity of the P layer and the Nlayer. The structure also includes a high resistivity buffer layer overlying the Nlayer and a second electrode structure overlying the buffer layer.

Thin film metal oxide bearing semiconductor material for single junction solar cell devices

A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate including a surface region. A first electrode layer is formed overlying the surface region. A copper layer is formed overlying the first electrode layer and an indium layer overlying the copper layer to form a multi-layered structure. The method subjects at least the multi-layered structure to a thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species and form a copper indium disulfide material. The copper indium disulfide material includes a thickness of substantially copper sulfide material. The thickness of the copper sulfide material is removed to expose a surface region having a copper poor surface characterized by a copper to indium atomic ratio of less than about 0.95:1. The method subjects the copper poor surface to a metal cation species to convert the copper poor surface from an n-type semiconductor characteristic to a p-type semiconductor characteristic. A window layer is formed overlying the copper indium disulfide material.

Metal species surface treatment of thin film photovoltaic cell and manufacturing method

A method for large scale manufacture of photovoltaic devices includes loading a substrate into a load lock station and transferring the substrate in a controlled ambient to a first process station. The method includes using a first physical deposition process in the first process station to cause formation of a first conductor layer overlying the surface region of the substrate. The method includes transferring the substrate to a second process station, and using a second physical deposition process in the second process station to cause formation of a second layer overlying the surface region of the substrate. The method further includes repeating the transferring and processing until all thin film materials of the photovoltaic devices are formed. In an embodiment, the invention also provides a method for large scale manufacture of photovoltaic devices including feed forward control.

Method and system for large scale manufacture of thin film photovoltaic devices using multi-chamber configuration

A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region and forming a first electrode layer overlying the surface region of the transparent substrate. The first electrode layer has an electrode surface region. In a specific embodiment, the method includes masking one or more portions of the electrode surface region using a masking layer to form an exposed region and a blocked region. The method includes forming an absorber layer comprising a sulfur entity overlying the exposed region and removing the mask layer. In a specific embodiment, the method causing formation of a plurality of metal disulfide species overlying the blocked region. In a specific embodiment, the metal disulfide species has a semiconductor characteristic. The method includes subjecting the plurality of metal disulfide species to electromagnetic radiation from a laser beam to substantially remove the metal disulfide species. The method includes exposing the blocked region free and clear from the metal disulfide.

Processing method for cleaning sulfur entities of contact regions

A method for processing iron disilicide for manufacture photovoltaic devices. The method includes providing a first sample of iron disilicide comprising at least an alpha phase entity, a beta phase entity, and an epsilon phase entity. The method includes maintaining the first sample of iron disilicide in an inert environment and subjects the first sample of iron disilicide to a thermal process to form a second sample of iron disilicide. The second sample of iron disilicide comprises substantially beta phase iron disilicide and is characterized by a first particle size. The method includes introducing an organic solvent to the second sample of iron disilicide, forming a first mixture of material comprising the second sample of iron disilicide and the organic solvent. The method processed the first mixture of material including the second sample of iron disilicide using a grinding process. The method converted the second sample of iron disilicide having the first particle size to a third sample of iron disilicide having a second particle size. The organic solvent is removed and output a third sample of iron disilicide characterized by the second particle size and greater than about 90% of the beta phase entity.

Method and material for purifying iron disilicide for photovoltaic application

A tandem photovoltaic cell device is disclosed including an upper and lower cell. The lower cell may comprise a glass substrate and overlying layers that may include an electrode, absorber, window layer, and a transparent conductive oxide layer. The upper cell may comprise an intermediate glass substrate and overlying layers that may include a transparent conductor, an absorber, a window layer, a second conductive oxide layer, and an upper glass material. The cells may be coupled with an optical coupling material, and edge sealing material may be disposed between the glass substrates for both the upper and lower cells.

Tandem photovoltaic cell and method using three glass substrate configuration

A system for large scale manufacture of thin film photovoltaic cells includes a chamber comprising a plurality of compartments in a common vacuum ambient therein. Additionally, the system includes one or more shutter screens removably separating each of the plurality of compartments. The system further includes one or more transfer tools configured to transfer a substrate from one compartment to another without breaking the common vacuum ambient. The substrate is optically transparent and is characterized by a lateral dimension of about 1 meter or greater for a solar module. Embodiments of the invention provide compartments configured to subject the substrate to one or more thin film processes to form a Cu-rich Cu&#x2014;In composite material overlying the substrate and at least one of the plurality of compartments is configured to subject the Cu-rich Cu&#x2014;In composite material to a thermal process to form a chalcogenide structured material.

Method and system for large scale manufacture of thin film photovoltaic devices using single-chamber configuration

A method for forming a thin film photovoltaic device. The method includes providing a transparent substrate comprising a surface region. A first electrode layer is formed overlying the surface region. A copper layer is formed overlying the first electrode layer and an indium layer is formed overlying the copper layer to form a multi-layered structure. The method subjects at least the multi-layered structure to a thermal treatment process in an environment containing a sulfur bearing species to form a copper indium disulfide material and a thickness of substantially copper sulfide material. The thickness of the copper sulfide material is removed to expose a surface region having a copper poor surface comprising a copper to indium atomic ratio of less than about 0.95:1. The method subjects the copper poor surface to a copper species to convert the copper poor surface from an n-type semiconductor characteristic to a p-type semiconductor characteristic. A window layer is formed overlying the copper indium disulfide material.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Howard W H Lee