Process for fabricating polycrystalline semiconductor thin-film solar cells, and cells produced thereby
US6137048A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P70/50
Abstract
A novel, simplified method for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor heterojunction photovoltaic device includes initial steps of depositing a layer of cadmium stannate and a layer of zinc stannate on a transparent substrate, both by radio frequency sputtering at ambient temperature, followed by the depositing of dissimilar layers of semiconductors such as cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride, and heat treatment to convert the cadmium stannate to a substantially single-phase material of a spinel crystal structure. Preferably, the cadmium sulfide layer is also deposited by radio frequency sputtering at ambient temperature, and the cadmium telluride layer is deposited by close space sublimation at an elevated temperature effective to convert the amorphous cadmium stannate to the polycrystalline cadmium stannate with single-phase spinel structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.