Fault tolerant thin-film photovoltaic cell and method
US4781766A · kind A · utility
23Cited by
14References
34Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 29, 1987 |
| Grant date | Nov 1, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S257/928
Abstract
A thin-film solar cell is made up of semiconductor layers formed on an aluminum silicon eutectic alloy substrate. The substrate includes an aluminum oxide insulator containing electrically conducting silicon nucleation sites which is interposed between the electrical contact of the substrate and the adjacent semiconductor. Grain boundaries and voids terminate on the insulator. The solar cell is fabricated by oxidizing the aluminum-silicon substrate to form a layer of aluminum oxide with unactivated silicon site material dispersed therein and activating the silicon nucleation sites during growth of the semiconductor layers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.