Patent · US Expired

Preparation of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide precursor films by electrodeposition for fabricating high efficiency solar cells

US5871630A · kind A · utility

56Cited by
17References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 5, 1997
Grant dateFeb 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 5, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/93
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A photovoltaic cell exhibiting an overall conversion efficiency of 13.6% is prepared from a copper-indium-gallium-diselenide precursor thin film. The film is fabricated by first simultaneously electrodepositing copper, indium, gallium, and selenium onto a glass/molybdenum substrate (12/14). The electrodeposition voltage is a high frequency AC voltage superimposed upon a DC voltage to improve the morphology and growth rate of the film. The electrodeposition is followed by physical vapor deposition to adjust the final stoichiometry of the thin film to approximately Cu(In.sub.1-n Ga.sub.x)Se.sub.2, with the ratio of Ga/(In+Ga) being approximately 0.39.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.