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:
Feb. 07, 2017
Filed:
Nov. 18, 2014
Applicant:
First Solar, Inc., Tempe, AZ (US);
Inventors:
Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody, Golden, CO (US);
Robert Dwayne Gossman, Aurora, CO (US);
Assignee:
First Solar, Inc., Tempe, AZ (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 31/0296 (2006.01); H01L 31/18 (2006.01); H01L 31/073 (2012.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 31/02963 (2013.01); H01L 31/073 (2013.01); H01L 31/1828 (2013.01); H01L 31/1864 (2013.01); H01L 31/1884 (2013.01); Y02E 10/543 (2013.01);
Abstract
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).