Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Liumin Zou

Toshihiko Sakai

Kazuya Tsujino

Takeshi Kamikawa

Masatomi Harada

Tokuaki Kuniyoshi

Masamichi Kobayashi

Teruaki Higo

Kenichi Higashi

Chikao Okamoto

Naoki Asano

Rihito Suganuma

Natsuko Fujiwara

Hajime Horinaka

Kenji Kimoto

Yoshihisa Dotta

Naoki Koide

Yuta Matsumoto

Tetsuyoshi Inoue

Makoto Higashikawa

Kohichi Katohno

A photovoltaic device includes: a semiconductor substrate stretching in a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a first amorphous semiconductor film and a second amorphous semiconductor film both provided on the semiconductor substrate. The second amorphous semiconductor film has a differ conductivity type from the first amorphous semiconductor film. The first amorphous semiconductor film and the second amorphous semiconductor film are divided into a plurality of sections in the first direction and the second direction.

Photovoltaic devices and photovoltaic modules

n-type amorphous semiconductor layers () and p-type amorphous semiconductor layers () are alternately disposed on the back surface of a semiconductor substrate () so as to be separated from each other at a desired interval paralleled with the direction of the surface of the semiconductor substrate (). An electrode () is disposed on the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (), and an electrode () is disposed on the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (). A protective film () includes an insulating film, and is disposed on a passivation film (), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (), and the electrodes (), so as to be in contact with the passivation film (), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (), and the electrodes ().

Photovoltaic devices, photovoltaic modules provided therewith, and solar power generation systems

There is provided a photoelectric conversion device which can prevent the contact resistance between a non-crystalline semiconductor layer containing impurities and an electrode formed on the non-crystalline silicon layer from increasing, and can improve the element characteristics. A photoelectric conversion element () includes a silicon substrate (), a first non-crystalline semiconductor layer (), a second non-crystalline semiconductor layer (), a first electrode (), and a second electrode (). One electrode () includes first conductive layers (), and second conductive layers (). The first conductive layers () have a first metal as a main component. The second conductive layers () contain a second metal which is more likely to be oxidized than the first metal, are formed to be in contact with the first conductive layers (), and are disposed to be closer to the silicon substrate () than the first conductive layers ().

Photoelectric conversion device

Wires () electrically connecting solar cells () include first wires () and second wires (). The first wires () are connected to the first-conductivity-type electrodes () of a first one of the solar cells () and the second-conductivity-type electrodes () of a second one of the solar cellsthat is adjacent to the first one of the solar cells (). The second wires () are connected to the second-conductivity-type electrodes () of the first one of the solar cells () and the first-conductivity-type electrodes () of the second one of the solar cells (). The second wires () are electrically separated by holes () extending through both the second wires () and an insulating base member ().

Solar cell module, wiring sheet, and method of manufacturing wiring sheet

A photovoltaic device includes: a semiconductor substrate stretching in a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a first amorphous semiconductor film and a second amorphous semiconductor film both provided on the semiconductor substrate. The second amorphous semiconductor film has a differ conductivity type from the first amorphous semiconductor film. The first amorphous semiconductor film and the second amorphous semiconductor film are divided into a plurality of sections in the first direction and the second direction. Therefore, the photovoltaic device has an improved heat resistance.

In a photovoltaic device (), first amorphous semiconductor portions () and second amorphous semiconductor portions () are provided alternately on one of faces of a semiconductor substrate (). Each first amorphous semiconductor portion () has at least one first amorphous semiconductor strip (), and each second amorphous semiconductor portion () has at least one second amorphous semiconductor strip (). A plurality of first electrodes () are provided spaced apart from each other on each first amorphous semiconductor strip (), and a plurality of second electrodes () are provided spaced apart from each other on each second amorphous semiconductor strip ().

Photovoltaic device

A photovoltaic conversion device () includes a semiconductor substrate (), a passivation film (), n-type amorphous semiconductor strips, p-type amorphous semiconductor strips (), and electrodes (). The passivation film () is formed on one of the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate (). The n- and p-type amorphous semiconductor strips are arranged alternately as viewed along an in-plane direction of the semiconductor substrate () (Y-axis direction). The p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () have reduced-thickness regions () at some intervals as viewed along the length direction of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () (X-axis direction). The n-type amorphous semiconductor strips have a similar structure. The electrodes () are provided on the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips (), but not in areas where the reduced-thickness regions () have a positive curvature r with respect to the length direction of the reduced-thickness regions (). Electrodes on the n-type amorphous semiconductor strips have a similar arrangement.

Photovoltaic conversion device, photovoltaic module, and solar power generation system

A photovoltaic device and a photovoltaic module are provided that suppressing diffusion of boron and thereby improving conversion efficiency. A photovoltaic deviceincludes: a semiconductor substrate; an intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layerprovided on the semiconductor substrate; n-type amorphous semiconductor stripscontaining phosphorus as a dopant; and p-type amorphous semiconductor stripscontaining boron as a dopant, the n- and p-type amorphous semiconductor stripsandbeing provided alternately on the intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layeras viewed along an in-plane direction. Each n-type amorphous semiconductor stripincludes a reduced-thickness region TD(n) on a face thereof adjacent to one of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips. Each p-type amorphous semiconductor stripincludes a reduced-thickness region TD(p) on a face thereof adjacent to one of the n-type amorphous semiconductor strips. The reduced-thickness region TD(p) of the p-type amorphous semiconductor striphas a steeper angle of inclination than does the reduced-thickness region TD(n) of the n-type amorphous semiconductor strip

A photovoltaic device () includes: an i-type amorphous semiconductor layer () formed in contact with one of the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate (); p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () spaced apart from each other and provided on the i-type amorphous semiconductor layer (); and n-type amorphous semiconductor strips () spaced apart from each other and provided on the i amorphous semiconductor layer (), each n-type amorphous semiconductor strip () being adjacent to at least one of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () as traced along an in-plane direction of the semiconductor substrate (). The photovoltaic device () further includes electrodes () as a protection layer formed in contact with the i-type amorphous semiconductor layer () between adjacent p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () and between adjacent n-type amorphous semiconductor strips ().

A film-forming method for forming a thin film on a substrate includes a contact step, an external force removal step, and a film-forming step. At the contact step (step B), the substrateand a memberin contact with one surface of the substrate is stacked, and the substrateand the memberin contact with one surface of the substrate are placed under vacuum while an external force is applied in a direction in which the substrateand the memberin contact with one surface of the substrate are stacked. At the external force removal step (step C), the external force is removed at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum. At a film-forming step (step E), a thin film is formed on the one surface or the other surface of the substrate

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Liumin Zou