Thin-film solar cells on the basis of IB-IIIA-VIA compound semiconductors and method for manufacturing same

US6429369B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• IST-Institut fur Solartechnologies GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Olaf Tober · Berlin, DE
• Jürgen Penndorf · Hohenwalde, DE
• Michael Winkler · Berlin, DE
• Klaus Jacobs
• Thomas Koschack · Wiesenau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 10, 2000
• Grant date: Aug 6, 2002
• Expiry date: May 10, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50

Abstract

The invention relates to a thin-film solar cell on the basis of IB-IIIA-VIA compound semiconductors and a method for producing such a solar cell. Between the polycrystalline IB-IIIA-VIA absorber layer of the p-type conductivity and the carrier film serving as a substrate, a back electrode of intermetallic phases of the same IB- and IIIA-metals are located which are deposited for the generation of the absorber layer. The absorber layer and the back electrode are produced in such a way that the precursor consisting of IB-IIIA-metals is vertically only incompletely converted into the photovoltaicly active absorber material from the side opposite to the carrier film by reaction with chalcogen such that intermetallic phases of the IB- and IIIA-metals are directly located on the carrier film, which metals serve as back electrode of the solar cell structure.