Primestar Solar, Inc.

First Solar, Inc.

General Electric Company

Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

First Solar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody

Robert Dwayne Gossman

Mark Jeffrey Pavol

Bastiaan Arie Korevaar

Russell Weldon Black

Jinbo Cao

Max William Reed

Jennifer Ann Drayton

Laura Anne Clark

Robert Andrew Garber

Mehran Sadeghi

Tammy Jane Lucas

Donald Franklin Foust

Christopher Rathweg

Adam Fraser Halverson

Hongbo Cao

Jonathan Mack Frey

John Anthony DeLuca

Wyatt Keith Metzger

Roman Shuba

Douglas Garth Jensen

Yinghui Shan

Patrick Lynch O'Keefe

Bogdan Lita

George Theodore Dalakos

Dalong Zhong

James Neil Johnson

David Scott Albin

Yu Zhao

Aharon Yakimov

Juan Carlos Rojo

Hongying Peng

Luke Wayne Jacobson

William Schaffer

Stacy Ann Black

Troy Alan Berens

Jeffrey Todd Knapp

Renee Mary Whitney

Frank Sanford Prescott

Fred Harper Seymour

Michael Christoper Cole

Michael Burnash Cozens

Victor Kaydanov

Robert Dwayne Gossmann

Nathan John Kruse

Donald E Rhonehouse

Yangang Andrew Xi

John Milton Flood, Iii

Stephen Lorenco Araujo

Valerie Pflumio Hill

Caroline Rae Corwine

Robert Dwayne Grossman

Methods for doping an absorbent layer of a p-n heterojunction in a thin film photovoltaic device are provided. The method can include depositing a window layer on a transparent substrate, where the window layer includes at least one dopant (e.g., copper). A p-n heterojunction can be formed on the window layer, with the p-n heterojunction including a photovoltaic material (e.g., cadmium telluride) in an absorber layer. The dopant can then be diffused from the window layer into the absorber layer (e.g., via annealing).

Doping an absorber layer of a photovoltaic device via diffusion from a window layer

Methods and systems for forming a scribe line in a thin film stack on an inner surface of a thin film photovoltaic superstrate are provided via the use of a cleaning laser beam and a scribing laser beam. The cleaning laser beam is focused directly onto the exposed surface of the superstrate such that the cleaning laser beam removes debris from the exposed surface of the superstrate, and the scribing laser beam is focused through the exposed surface of the superstrate and onto the thin film stack such that the scribing laser beam passes through the superstrate to form a scribe within the thin film stack on the inner surface of the superstrate. The method and system can further utilize a conveyor to transport the superstrate in a machine direction to move the superstrate past the cleaning laser source and the scribing laser source.

Dual lasers for removing glass-side debris during the manufacture of thin film photovoltaic devices

A method of processing a semiconductor assembly is presented. The method includes fabricating a photovoltaic module including a semiconductor assembly. The fabrication step includes performing an efficiency enhancement treatment on the semiconductor assembly, wherein the efficiency enhancement treatment includes light soaking the semiconductor assembly, and heating the semiconductor assembly. The semiconductor assembly includes a window layer having an average thickness less than about 80 nanometers, wherein the window layer includes cadmium and sulfur. A related system is also presented.

Methods of fabricating a photovoltaic module, and related system

A method for vapor deposition of a sublimated source material, such as CdTe, onto substrates in a continuous, non-stop manner through the apparatus is provided. The sublimated source material moves through a distribution plate and deposits onto the upper surface of the substrates as they are conveyed through the deposition area. The substrates move into and out of the deposition area through entry and exit slots that are defined by transversely extending entrance and exit seals. The seals are disposed at a gap distance above the upper surface of the substrates that is less than the distance or spacing between the upper surface of the substrates and the distribution plate. The seals have a ratio of longitudinal length (in the direction of conveyance of the substrates) to gap distance of from about 10:1 to about 100:1.

Process for continuous deposition of a sublimated source material to form a thin film layer on a substrate

Thin film photovoltaic devices that include a transparent substrate; a transparent conductive oxide layer on the transparent substrate; a n-type window layer on the transparent conductive oxide layer; a p-type absorber layer on the n-type window layer; and, a back contact on the p-type absorber layer are provided. The p-type absorber layer comprises cadmium telluride, and forms a photovoltaic junction with the n-type window layer. Generally, the p-type absorber layer defines a plurality of finger structures protruding from the p-type absorber layer into the back contact. The finger structures can have an aspect ratio of about 1 or greater and/or can have a height that is about 20% to about 200% of the thickness of the p-type absorber layer. Methods of forming such finger structures protruding from a back surface of the p-type absorber layer are also provided.

Finger structures protruding from absorber layer for improved solar cell back contact

Methods for treating a semiconductor layer including a semiconductor material are presented. A method includes contacting at least a portion of the semiconductor material with a passivating agent. The method further includes forming a first region in the semiconductor layer by introducing a dopant into the semiconductor material; and forming a chalcogen-rich region. The method further includes forming a second region in the semiconductor layer, the second region including a dopant, wherein an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the second region is greater than an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the first region. Photovoltaic devices are also presented.

Methods of treating a semiconductor layer

Photovoltaic devices are presented. A photovoltaic device includes a window layer and a semiconductor layer including a semiconductor material disposed on window layer. The semiconductor layer includes a first region and a second region, the first region disposed proximate to the window layer, and the second region including a chalcogen-rich region, wherein the first region and the second region include a dopant, and an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the second region is greater than an average atomic concentration of the dopant in the first region.

Photovoltaic devices

Methods for forming a back contact on a thin film photovoltaic device are provided that include applying a conductive paste onto a surface defined by a p-type absorber layer (e.g., comprising cadmium telluride) of a p-n junction and curing the conductive paste to form a conductive coating on the surface defined by a p-type absorber layer of the p-n junction. The conductive paste can include a conductive material, a solvent system, and a binder such that during curing an acid from the conductive paste reacts to enrich the surface with tellurium while copper is deposited onto the Te enriched surface. The acid is then substantially consumed during curing.

Back contact paste with Te enrichment and copper doping control in thin film photovoltaic devices

A method of manufacturing semiconductor assemblies is provided. The manufacturing method includes thermally processing a first semiconductor assembly comprising a first semiconductor layer disposed on a first support and thermally processing a second semiconductor assembly comprising a second semiconductor layer disposed on a second support. The first and second semiconductor assemblies are thermally processed simultaneously, and the first and second semiconductor assemblies are arranged such that the first semiconductor layer faces the second semiconductor layer during the thermal processing.

Manufacturing methods for semiconductor devices

Thin film photovoltaic devices are generally provided having three terminals. In one embodiment, the thin film photovoltaic device can include a first submodule defined by a first plurality of photovoltaic cells between a first dead cell and a first terminal cell; a second submodule defined by a second plurality of photovoltaic cells between a second dead cell and a second terminal cell; and a joint bus bar electrically connected to the first dead cell and the second dead cell. The first dead cell is adjacent to the second dead cell, with the first dead cell being separated from the second dead cell via a separation scribe. Methods are also generally provided for forming a thin film photovoltaic device.

Three terminal thin film photovoltaic module and their methods of manufacture

A method of p-type doping cadmium telluride (CdTe) is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of, (a) providing a first component comprising cadmium telluride (CdTe) comprising an interfacial region, and (b) subjecting the CdTe to a functionalizing treatment to obtain p-type doped CdTe, said functionalizing treatment comprising a thermal treatment of at least a portion of the interfacial region in the presence of a first material comprising a p-type dopant, and of a second material comprising a halogen. A method of making a photovoltaic cell is also disclosed.

Method of p-type doping of cadmium telluride

Embodiments of the present invention include a method. The method includes heating a layer stack. The layer stack includes a first layer comprising cadmium and tin, a metal layer disposed over the first layer, and a window layer disposed over the metal layer. Heating the stack includes transforming at least a portion of the first layer from an amorphous phase to a crystalline phase. Heating may be performed using any of various configurations, such as, for example, heating an individual stack, or using a face-to-face configuration of multiple stacks. The stack may be used for fabricating a photovoltaic device.

Thin film photovoltaic devices are provided. The device includes a transparent substrate; a transparent conductive oxide layer on the transparent substrate; an n-type window layer on the transparent conductive oxide layer, an absorber layer on the n-type window layer, and a back contact layer on the absorber layer. The n-type window layer includes a plurality of nanoparticles spatially distributed within a medium, with the nanoparticles comprising cadmium sulfide. In one embodiment, the medium has an optical bandgap that is greater than about 3.0 eV (e.g., includes a material other than cadmium sulfide). Methods are also provided for such thin film photovoltaic devices.

Spatially distributed CdS in thin film photovoltaic devices and their methods of manufacture

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Golden, CO, United States of America

Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody