The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 19, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 28, 1992
Dieter Bonnet, Friedrichsdorf, DE;
Beate Henrichs, Eschborn, DE;
Karlheinz Jager, Kronberg, DE;
Hilmar Richter, Frankfurt am Main, DE;
Battelle-Institut e.V., Frankfurt am Main, DE;
Abstract
A method of making pn CdTe/CdS thin film solar cells, in which a transparent TCO layer is deposited as a front contact on a transparent substrate in the form of inexpensive soda-lime glass, and is preferably provided with an ultra-thin indium layer, which is in turn coated with the CdS layer, wherein the thus coated substrate is brought to the CdTe coating at a temperature between 480.degree. C. and 520.degree. C., which is maintained during the ensuing rapid CdTe deposition using the close-spaced sublimation method with a preferred rate of deposition of 5 to 15 .mu.m/min in an inert atmosphere. The indium layer dissolves during this deposition and effects the necessary n-doping of the CdS layer, without an additional method step. Solar cells can be made in this way with high efficiency in an inexpensive method, suitable for mass production.