MOISTURE RESISTANT PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WITH ELASTOMERIC, POLYSILOXANE PROTECTION LAYER.

摘要

Improved protection systems for CIGS-based microelectronic devices of the type incorporating electric conductor(s) such as an electronic collection grid. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a photovoltaic device having a light incident surface and a backside surface. The device includes a chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic layer comprising at least one of copper, indium and/or gallium. A transparent conductive layer is interposed between the photovoltaic layer and the light incident surface, wherein the transparent conductive layer is electrically coupled to the photovoltaic layer. An electronic collection grid is electrically coupled to the transparent conductive layer and overlying at least a portion of the transparent conductive layer. An elastomeric structure having a light incident surface, said structure overlying at least portions of the electronic collection grid and the transparent conductive layer in a manner such that the light incident surface of the elastomeric structure is spaced apart from a major portion of the conductor, and wherein the elastomeric structure comprises an elastomeric siloxane polymer having a WVTR of at least 0.1 g/m2-day. An optional protective barrier overlies the elastomeric structure. The protection systems of the invention incorporate elastomers with water vapor transmission rates that are atypically high in the context of CIGS-based devices.