| 摘要 |
<p>A multilayer solar cell with bypass diodes includes a stack of alternating p and n type semiconductor layers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) arranged to form a plurality of rectifying photovoltaic junctions (15, 16, 17, 18). Contact is made to underlying layers by way of a buried contact structure comprising groves extending down through all of the active layers, the walls of each groove being doped (33, 34) with n-or p-type impurities depending upon the layers to which the respective contact is to be connected and the grooves being filled with metal contact material (31, 32). One or more bypass diodes are provided by increasing the doping levels on either side (10, 13) of one or more portions of the junctions (16) of the cell such that quantum mechanical tunnelling provides a reverse bias characteristic whereby conduction occurs under predetermined reverse bias conditions. Ideally, the doping levels in the bypass diodes is 1018 atoms/cm3 or greater and the junction area is small.</p> |
