Formation of solar cells with conductive barrier layers and foil substrates

1. A method comprising:

providing a substrate comprising of at least one electrically conductive aluminum foil substrate, at least one electrically conductive diffusion baffler layer, and at least one electrically conductive electrode layer above the diffusion barrier layer, wherein the at least one electrically conductive diffusion barrier layer prevents chemical interaction between the aluminum foil substrate and the at least one electrically conductive electrode layer; and

forming an absorber layer on the substrate;

laminating an insulating layer and a backplane to an underside of the substrate, wherein the insulating layer is between the backplane and the substrate;

wherein the backplane is configured to carry current collected from the absorber layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the absorber layer comprises a non-silicon absorber layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the absorber layer comprises an amorphous silicon absorber layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the absorber layer includes one or more inorganic materials from the group consisting of: titania (TiO 2 ), nanocrystalline TiO 2 , zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO or Cu 2 O or Cu x O y ), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium suflide (CdS), copper sulfide (Cu 2 S), cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium-tellurium selenide (CdTeSe), copper-indium selenide (CuInSe 2 ), cadmium oxide (CdO x ), CuI, CuSCN, a semiconductive material, or combinations of the above.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the absorber layer includes one or more organic materials from the group consisting of: a conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene) and derivatives thereof, poly(phenylene vinylene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV), poly(para-phenylene vinylene), (PPV)), PPV copolymers, poly(thiophene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regiorandom, Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom), poly(thienylenevinylene) and derivatives thereof, and poly(isothianaphthene) and derivatives thereof, 2,2′7,7′tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene(spiro-Me OTAD), organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines), and discotic liquid crystals, organic pigments or dyes, a Ruthenium-based dye, a liquid iodide/triiodide electrolyte, azo-dyes having azo chromofores (—N═N—) linking aromatic groups, phthalocyanines, perylenes, perylene derivatives, copper pthalocyanines (CuPc), Zinc Pthalocyanines (ZnPc), naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-Di(pent-3-yl)-anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-Bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene, pentacene derivatives and/or pentacene precursors, an N-type ladder polymer, poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL), or combinations of the above.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the absorber layer includes one or more materials from the group consisting of: an oligimeric material, micro-crystalline silicon, inorganic nanorods dispersed in an organic matrix, inorganic tetrapods dispersed in an organic matrix, quantum dot materials, ionic conducting polymer gels, sol-gel nanocomposites containing an ionic liquid, ionic conductors, low molecular weight organic hole conductors, C 60 and/or combinations of the above.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the absorber layer comprises of one of the following: a nanostructured layer having an inorganic porous template with pores filled by an organic material (doped or undoped), a polymer/blend cell architecture, a micro-crystalline silicon cell architecture, or combinations of the above.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming step comprises first forming a nascent absorber layer.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising reacting the nascent absorber layer to form a film and then reacting the film to form the absorber layer.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a window layer above the absorber layer; forming at least one transparent conducting electrode above the window layer; electrically connecting the at least one transparent conducting electrode to the backplane through a plurality of electrical pathways.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one electrically conductive diffusion baffler layer inhibits inter-diffusion of aluminum in the aluminum foil substrate and metal in the at least one electrically conductive electrode layer during heating.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrically conductive diffusion baffler layer includes one or more of the following: chromium, vanadium, tungsten, glass, nitrides, tantalum nitride, tungsten nitride, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, silicon nitride, oxides, carbides, or combinations of the above.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrically conductive electrode layer comprises of molybdenum.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrically conductive electrode layer comprises of copper, silver, aluminum, or niobium.

15. A method for forming an absorber layer of a photovoltaic device, comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate comprising of at least one electrically conductive metallized polymer foil substrate, at least one electrically conductive diffusion barrier layer, and at least one electrically conductive back electrode layer above the diffusion barrier layer, wherein the at least one electrically conductive diffusion barrier layer prevents chemical interaction between the at least one electrically conductive metallized polymer foil substrate and the at least one electrically conductive back electrode layer; and

forming an absorber layer on the substrate;

forming a window layer above the absorber layer;

forming at least one transparent conducting electrode above the window layer;

laminating an insulating layer and a backplane to an underside of the substrate, wherein the insulating layer electrically separates the backplane from the substrate;

forming a plurality of electrical connections configured to electrically couple the at least one transparent conducting electrode to the backplane.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the absorber layer comprises a non-silicon absorber layer.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the absorber layer comprises an amorphous silicon absorber layer.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the absorber layer includes one or more inorganic materials from the group consisting of: titania (TiO 2 ), nanocrystalline TiO 2 , zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO or Cu 2 O or Cu x O y ), zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, niobium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, strontium oxide, calcium/titanium oxide, sodium titanate, potassium niobate, cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium suflide (CdS), copper sulfide (Cu 2 S), cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium-tellurium selenide (CdTeSe), copper-indium selenide (CuInSe 2 ), cadmium oxide (CdO x ), CuI, CuSCN, a semiconductive material, or combinations of the above.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the absorber layer includes one or more organic materials from the group consisting of: a conjugated polymer, poly(phenylene) and derivatives thereof, poly(phenylene vinylene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV), poly(para-phenylene vinylene), (PPV)), PPV copolymers, poly(thiophene) and derivatives thereof (e.g., poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5,-diyl), regiorandom, Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regioregular, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), regiorandom), poly(thienylenevinylene) and derivatives thereof, and poly(isothianaphthene) and derivatives thereof, 2,2′7,7′tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene(spiro-Me OTAD), organometallic polymers, polymers containing perylene units, poly(squaraines), and discotic liquid crystals, organic pigments or dyes, a Ruthenium-based dye, a liquid iodide/triiodide electrolyte, azo-dyes having azo chromofores (—N═N—) linking aromatic groups, phthalocyanines, perylenes, perylene derivatives, copper pthalocyanines (CuPc), Zinc Pthalocyanines (ZnPc), naphthalocyanines, squaraines, merocyanines, poly(silanes), poly(germinates), 2,9-Di(pent-3-yl)-anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone, and 2,9-Bis-(1-hexyl-hept-1-yl)-anthra[2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′]diisoquinoline-1,3,8,10-tetrone and pentacene, pentacene derivatives and/or pentacene precursors, an N-type ladder polymer, poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL), or combinations of the above.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the absorber layer includes one or more materials from the group consisting of: an oligimeric material, micro-crystalline silicon, inorganic nanorods dispersed in an organic matrix, inorganic tetrapods dispersed in an organic matrix, quantum dot materials, ionic conducting polymer gels, sol-gel nanocomposites containing an ionic liquid, ionic conductors, low molecular weight organic hole conductors, C 60 and/or combinations of the above.