International Business Machines Corporation

Lian Guo

Hariklia Deligianni

Shu-Jen Han

Xuesong Li

Raman Vaidyanathan

Lubomyr Taras Romankiw

Maurice Mason

Marinus Johannes Petrus Hopstaken

An electroplating etching apparatus includes a power to output current, and a container configured to contain an electrolyte. A cathode is coupled to the container and configured to fluidly communicate with the electrolyte. An anode is electrically connected to the output, and includes a graphene layer. A metal substrate layer is formed on the graphene layer, and is etched from the graphene layer in response to the current flowing through the anode.

Electrochemical etching apparatus

A structure and method of making a thin-film solar cell is provided. A thin-film solar cell includes a substrate, absorber layer and a buffer layer. The absorber layer is deposited by a single-step bulk electrochemical process, or a multi-layer electrochemical process. The buffer layer is deposited by an electrochemical deposition process such as a multi-layer deposition or an atomic layer deposition. The absorber and buffer layers are non-toxic materials which can include sulfur incorporated during the deposition process or incorporated after deposition by an anneal step.

Electrodeposition of thin-film cells containing non-toxic elements

A method of fabricating a flexible photovoltaic film cell with an iron diffusion barrier layer. The method includes: providing a foil substrate including iron; forming an iron diffusion barrier layer on the foil substrate, where the iron diffusion barrier layer prevents the iron from diffusing; forming an electrode layer on the iron diffusion barrier layer; and forming at least one light absorber layer on the electrode layer. A flexible photovoltaic film cell is also provided, which cell includes: a foil substrate including iron; an iron diffusion barrier layer formed on the foil substrate to prevent the iron from diffusing; an electrode layer formed on the iron diffusion barrier layer; and at least one light absorber layer formed on the electrode layer.

Method of fabricating a flexible photovoltaic film cell with an iron diffusion barrier layer

A structure and method of making a thin-film solar cell. A thin-film solar cell includes a substrate, absorber layer and a buffer layer. The absorber layer is deposited by a single-step bulk electrochemical process, or a multi-layer electrochemical process. The buffer layer is deposited by an electrochemical deposition process such as a multi-layer deposition or an atomic layer deposition. The absorber and buffer layers are non-toxic materials which can include sulfur incorporated during the deposition process or incorporated after deposition by an anneal step.

An electroplating etching apparatus includes a power supply to output current, and a container configured to contain an electrolyte. A cathode is coupled to the container and configured to fluidly communicate with the electrolyte. An anode is electrically connected to the output, and includes a graphene layer. A metal substrate layer is formed on the graphene layer, and is etched from the graphene layer in response to the current flowing through the anode.

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Lian Guo