Front electrode for use in photovoltaic device and method of making same

US7964788B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Guardian Industries Corp. · US

Inventors

• Willem den Boer · Milpitas, US
• Yiwei Lu · Ann Arbor, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 29, 2008
• Grant date: Jun 21, 2011
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2028

Classification

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

Abstract

This invention relates to a front electrode/contact for use in an electronic device such as a photovoltaic device. In certain example embodiments, the front electrode of a photovoltaic device or the like includes a multilayer coating including at least one transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (e.g., of or including a material such as tin oxide, ITO, zinc oxide, or the like) and/or at least one conductive substantially metallic IR reflecting layer (e.g., based on silver, gold, or the like). In certain example instances, the multilayer front electrode coating may include one or more conductive metal(s) oxide layer(s) and one or more conductive substantially metallic IR reflecting layer(s) in order to provide for reduced visible light reflection, increased conductivity, cheaper manufacturability, and/or increased infrared (IR) reflection capability. In certain example embodiments, the front electrode acts as not only a transparent conductive front contact/electrode but also a short pass filter that allows an increased amount of photons having high energy (such as in visible and near infra-red regions of the spectrum) into the active region or absorber of the photovoltaic device.