Solar cell element

摘要

A solar cell element includes: a transparent body; a LixAg1-x layer (0.001≦x≦0.05) having a thickness (2-15 nm); a ZnO layer having an arithmetical mean roughness (20-760 nm); a transparent conductive layer; and a photoelectric conversion layer including n-type and p-type layers, further includes n-side and p-side electrodes, the ZnO layer is composed of ZnO columnar crystal grains grown on the LixAg1-x layer; each ZnO grain has a longitudinal direction along a normal line of the body, and has a width increasing from the LixAg1-x layer toward the transparent conductive layer, and has a width which appears by cutting each ZnO grain along the normal line, and has a R2/R1 ratio (1.1-1.6); where R1 represents the width of one end of the ZnO grain, the one end being in contact with the surface of the LixAg1-x layer; and R2 represents the width of the other end of the ZnO grain.

主权项

1. A method for generating an electric power using a solar cell element, the method comprising:
(a) preparing the solar cell element comprising:
a transparent substrate body;a LixAg1-x layer;a ZnO layer;a transparent conductive layer;a photoelectric conversion layer including an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer;an n-side electrode; anda p-side electrode; wherein the transparent substrate body, the LixAg1-x layer, the ZnO layer, the transparent conductive layer, and the photoelectric conversion layer are stacked in this order; the n-side electrode is electrically connected to the n-type semiconductor layer; the p-side electrode is electrically connected to the p-type semiconductor layer; x represents a value of not less than 0.001 and not more than 0.05; the LixAg1-x layer has a thickness of not less than 2 nanometers and not more than 15 nanometers; the ZnO layer has a arithmetical mean roughness of not less than 20 nanometers and not less than 760 nanometers; the ZnO layer is composed of a plurality of ZnO columnar crystal grains grown on the surface of the LixAg1-x layer; each ZnO columnar crystal grain has a longitudinal direction along a normal line direction of the transparent substrate body; each ZnO columnar crystal grain has a width which increases from the LixAg1-x layer toward the transparent conductive layer; the width of each ZnO columnar crystal grain appears by cutting each ZnO columnar crystal grain along the normal line direction of the transparent substrate body; and each ZnO columnar crystal grain has a R2/R1 ratio of not less than 1.1 and not more than 1.6; where R1 represents the width of one end of the ZnO columnar crystal grain, the one end being in contact with the surface of the LixAg1-x layer; and R2 represents the width of the other end of the ZnO columnar crystal grain; and (b) irradiating the photoelectric conversion layer with light through the transparent substrate body, the LixAg1-x layer, the ZnO layer, and transparent conductive layer, so as to generate an electric power between the n-side electrode and the p-side electrode.