SPHERICAL OR GRAIN-SHAPED SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT FOR USE IN SOLAR CELLS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME; METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SOLAR CELL COMPRISING SAID SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT AND SOLAR CELL

摘要

The invention relates to a spherical or grain-shaped semiconductor element for use in solar cells and to a method for producing said semiconductor element. The invention also relates to a solar cell comprising an integrated spherical semiconductor element, to a method for producing said solar cell and to a photovoltaic module comprising at least one solar cell. The semiconductor element is characterized in that a back contact layer and a I-III-VI compound semiconductor are deposited on a spherical or grain-shaped substrate core. The I-III-VI compound semiconductor is produced by applying precursor layers and subsequent selenization or sulfurization. For producing a solar cell, a plurality of the inventive semiconductor elements is introduced into a substrate layer from which they project on at least one face thereof. The substrate layer is stripped on one side, thereby exposing the back contact layer of most of the semiconductor elements. This back contact layer can be contacted to the back contact of the solar cell while a front contact is provided on the side of the semiconductor elements that was not stripped.