IP Library Granted Patent US 7,678,992
Granted Patent B2
US 7,678,992 · App. 10/543,516 · Granted Mar 16, 2010

Thin-film photoelectric converter

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,678,992
App. No.
10/543,516
Granted
Mar 16, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thin film photoelectric converter, especially an integrated thin film photoelectric converter having improved photoelectric conversion efficiency is provided by controlling an open-circuit voltage and a fill factor so as not be small in a thin film photoelectric converter including a crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit. The thin film photoelectric converter by the present invention has at least a transparent electrode film, a crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit, and a back electrode film formed sequentially on one principal surface of a transparent substrate, and the converter has a whitish discoloring area on a part of a surface of the converter after formation of the crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit. A percentage of dimensions of the whitish discoloring area preferably is not more than 5% of a dimension of the photoelectric conversion area. A thin film photoelectric converter of the present invention is preferably an integrated thin film photoelectric converter.

Claims (10)

1. A thin film photoelectric converter comprising:

a transparent electrode film on a transparent substrate;

a crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit formed on the transparent electrode film and having a photoelectric conversion area;

a back electrode film formed on the crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit;

a plurality of isolation grooves isolating the transparent electrode film, the crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit and the back electrode film so as to form a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells;

a plurality of connection grooves electrically connecting the plurality of photoelectric conversion cells in series in an integration direction; and

a whitish discoloring area formed in the photoelectric conversion area so as to extend alone a boundary parallel to the integration direction of photoelectric conversion area in a range of not less than 2 mm and not more than 10 mm from the boundary of the photoelectric conversion area, the whitish discoloring area occupying not more than 5% of the photoelectric conversion area, wherein the whitish discoloring area occupies not less than 2% of the photoelectric conversion area of the thin film photoelectric converter, wherein the whitish discoloring area is attributed to crystallinity difference in the crystalline silicon as a material of the crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion layer.

2. The thin film photoelectric converter according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an amorphous silicon photoelectric conversion unit formed between the transparent electrode film and the crystalline silicon photoelectric conversion unit.

3. The thin film photoelectric converter according to claim 1 , wherein a dimension having the semiconductor thin film photoelectric conversion unit formed therein is not less than 600 cm 2 .

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jan 15, 2014
From: KANEKA CORPORATION
To: KANEKA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032019/0901 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE FIRST ASSIGNOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 017469, FRAME 0706. ASSIGNOR HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE ENTIRE INTEREST. Recorded May 9, 2006
From: SUEZAKI, TAKASHI; YOSHIMI, MASASHI; SASAKI, TOSHIAKI; TAWADA, YUKO; YAMAMOTO, KENJI
To: KANEKA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 017875/0660 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2005
From: ZUEZAKA, TAKASHI; YOSHIMI, MASASHI; SASAKI, TOSHIAKI; TAWADA, YUKO; YAMAMOTO, KENJI
To: KANEKA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 017469/0706 →