Solar cell with reduced absorber thickness and reduced back surface recombination

摘要

Manufacture for an improved stacked-layered thin film solar cell. Solar cell has reduced absorber thickness and an improved back contact for Copper Indium Gallium Selenide solar cells. The back contact provides improved reflectance particularly for infrared wavelengths while still maintaining ohmic contact to the semiconductor absorber. This reflectance is achieved by producing a back contact having a highly reflecting metal separated from an absorbing layer with a dielectric layer.

主权项

1. A method for manufacturing a stacked-layered thin film solar cell, comprising steps of:
depositing a conducting layer on a substrate, including placing a first side of the conducting layer in physical contact with a first side of the substrate; depositing a reflective layer on the conducting layer, including placing a first side of the reflective layer in direct physical contact with a second side of the conducting layer; depositing a sodium containing dielectric on the reflective layer, including placing a first side of the dielectric in direct physical contact with a second side of the reflective layer; coating a second side of the dielectric with a UV curable polymer; structuring the polymer layer; etching through the dielectric and the reflective layer while maintaining the conducting layer as a single continuous layer; depositing a layer of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) on the dielectric, including placing a first side of the CIGS in direct physical contact with a second side of the dielectric, the CIGS filling an aperture formed in the dielectric and reflective layer; depositing a first transparent layer on the CIGS, including placing a first side of the transparent layer in direct physical contact with a second side of the CIGS; and depositing a second transparent layer having conductive properties on the first transparent layer, including placing a first side of the second transparent layer in direct physical contact with a second side of the first transparent layer.