Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090283140 | METHOD OF MAKING CONTACT TO A SOLAR CELL EMPLOYING A GROUP IBIIIAVIA COMPOUND ABSORBER LAYER - A solar cell manufacturing method which forms a Group IBIIAVIA absorber layer over a front side of a metallic substrate. The back side of the metallic substrate is coated with a conductive protection layer, such as a metal nitride material, that that does not form a high resistivity selenide or sulfide films when exposed to Se and S species at temperatures in the range of 400-600 C. Additionally, the protection material layer is stable in highly acidic and basic electroplating solutions that are employed to deposit layers or precursor layers comprising Cu and at least one of In, Ga, Se and S. | 11-19-2009 |
20100140078 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CONTACT LAYERS FOR CONTINUOUS WORKPIECES - The present invention provides a roll to roll system and a method to sputter deposit various conductive films on a back surface and a front surface of a continuous substrate to form protected base structures for Group IBIIIAVIA thin film solar cells. In one embodiment of the invention, a back protection film is sputter deposited onto the entire back side of the substrate in a first deposition station without transferring heat from the substrate. Next, a first front film is sputter deposited in a second deposition station to partially cover the front side of the substrate while heat is transferred from substrate by a cooling surface of a cooling mechanism in the second deposition station. The second film does not cover the edges of the substrate to avoid contaminating the cooling surface with the depositing material. Other embodiments are directed to specifics regarding the depositing of these films, adding other films, and a system for depositing the films. | 06-10-2010 |
20110039366 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITION OF GRADED OR MULTI-LAYER TRANSPARENT FILMS - In one embodiment, a continuous electroless deposition method and a system to form a solar cell buffer layer with a varying composition through its thickness are provided. The composition of the buffer layer is varied by varying the composition of a chemical bath deposition solution applied onto an absorber surface on which the buffer layer with varying composition is formed. In one example, the buffer layer with varying composition includes a first section containing CdS, a second section containing CdZnS formed on top of the already deposited CdS, and a third section containing ZnS is formed on the second section All the process steps are applied in a roll-to-roll fashion. In another embodiment, a transparent conductive layer including a first transparent conductive film such as aluminum doped zinc oxide and a second transparent conductive film such as indium tin oxide is deposited over the buffer layer with the varying composition. | 02-17-2011 |
20110108099 | METHOD OF FORMING TRANSPARENT ZINC OXIDE LAYERS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS - A solar cell including a high electrical resistivity transparent layer formed on a CdS buffer layer is provided. The high electrical resistivity transparent layer includes an intrinsic oxide film formed on the buffer layer and an intermediate oxide film formed on the intrinsic oxide film. The intrinsic oxide film includes undoped zinc oxide and has a thickness range of 10 to 40 nm. The intermediate oxide film includes semi-intrinsic zinc oxide doped with aluminum and has a thickness range of 50-150 nm. The intermediate oxide film has an aluminum concentration of less than 1000 ppm. | 05-12-2011 |
20110177645 | ROLL-TO-ROLL EVAPORATION SYSTEM AND METHOD TO MANUFACTURE GROUP IBIIIAVIA PHOTOVOLTAICS - The present inventions provide method and apparatus that employ constituents vaporized from one or more constituent supply source or sources to form one or more films of a precursor layer formed on a surface of a continuous flexible workpiece. Of particular significance is the implementation of vapor deposition systems that operate upon a horizontally disposed portion of a continuous flexible workpiece and a vertically disposed portion of a continuous flexible workpiece, preferably in conjunction with a short free-span zone of the portion of a continuous flexible workpiece. | 07-21-2011 |
20120055543 | BACK CONTACT DIFFUSION BARRIER LAYERS FOR GROUP IBIIIAVIA PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS - The present invention provides for new ohmic contact materials and diffusion barriers for Group IBIIIAVIA based solar cell structures, which eliminate two way diffusion while preserving the efficient ohmic contacts between the substrate and the absorber layers. | 03-08-2012 |
20120175248 | ROLL-TO-ROLL ELECTROPLATING PHOTOVOLTAIC FILMS - The present invention provides methods of electroplating a film or films onto a top surface of a continuously moving roll-to-roll sheet. In one aspect, the invention includes continuously electroplating a film onto a conductive surface using an electroplating unit as the roll-to-roll sheet moves therethrough. | 07-12-2012 |
20120234314 | ROLL-TO-ROLL REACTOR FOR PROCESSING FLEXIBLE CONTINUOUS WORKPIECE - The present invention provides a reactor for preparing thin films of compound semiconductors for photovoltaic devices. The reactor includes a chamber that has a bottom surface that, in some locations, has protrusions that contact the bottom surface of the substrate having the compound semiconductor to provide uniform heating and cooling of the substrate. Interior walls of the chamber can also be lined with high thermal conductivity portions and low thermal conductivity portions interposed between high thermal conductivity portions. | 09-20-2012 |
20120247388 | ROLL-TO-ROLL EVAPORATION SYSTEM AND METHOD TO MANUFACTURE GROUP IBIIIAVIA PHOTOVOLTAICS - The present inventions provide method and apparatus that employ constituents vaporized from one or more constituent supply source or sources to form one or more films of a precursor layer formed on a surface of a continuous flexible workpiece. Of particular significance is the implementation of vapor deposition systems that operate upon a horizontally disposed portion of a continuous flexible workpiece and a vertically disposed portion of a continuous flexible workpiece, preferably in conjunction with a short free-span zone of the portion of a continuous flexible workpiece. | 10-04-2012 |
20130056059 | BACK CONTACT LAYER STRUCTURE FOR GROUP IBIIIAVIA PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS - Described are new ohmic contact materials and diffusion barriers for Group IBIIIAVIA based solar cell structures, which eliminate two way diffusion while preserving the efficient ohmic contacts between the substrate and the absorber layers. | 03-07-2013 |
20130061803 | Roll-To-Roll PVD System and Method to Manufacture Group IBIIIAVIA Photovoltaics - The present inventions provide method and apparatus that employ constituents from one or more constituent supply source or sources to form one or more films of a precursor layer formed on a surface of a continuous flexible workpiece. Of particular significance is the implementation of PVD systems that operate upon a horizontally disposed portion of a continuous flexible workpiece and a vertically disposed portion of a continuous flexible workpiece, preferably in conjunction with a short free-span zone of the portion of a continuous flexible workpiece. | 03-14-2013 |