Granted Patent B2

US 9,147,778 · App. 11/935,112 · Granted Sep 29, 2015

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

a substrate;

a transparent conductive oxide layer over the substrate;

a first semiconductor layer over the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the first semiconductor layer includes cadmium;

a nitrogen-containing metal layer in contact with the first semiconductor layer, such that the first semiconductor layer is between the nitrogen-containing metal layer and the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the nitrogen-containing metal layer comprises one of an aluminum nitride, a molybdenum nitride, a nickel nitride, a tungsten nitride, a selenium nitride, a tantalum nitride or a vanadium nitride and wherein comprises greater than 50 atomic percent nitrogen the nitrogen-containing metal layer;

a chromium layer over the nitrogen-containing metal layer; and

an aluminum layer between the chromium layer and the nitrogen-containing metal layer.

2. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen-containing metal layer includes molybdenum nitride.

3. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 further comprising a second semiconductor layer under the first semiconductor layer.

4. The photovoltaic cell of claim 3 further comprising a capping layer, the capping layer chemically isolating the transparent conductive oxide layer from the second semiconductor layer.

5. The photovoltaic cell of claim 3 wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises a binary semiconductor.

6. The photovoltaic cell of claim 3 wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises CdS.

7. The photovoltaic cell of claim 3 wherein the first semiconductor layer includes a binary semiconductor.

8. The photovoltaic cell of claim 3 wherein the first semiconductor layer includes CdTe.

9. The photovoltaic cell of claim 4 wherein the capping layer isolates the transparent conductive oxide layer from contact with the second semiconductor layer.

10. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 wherein the first semiconductor layer includes CdTe.

11. The photovoltaic cell of claim 1 wherein the transparent conductive oxide layer includes tin oxide.

12. The photovoltaic cell of claim 10 wherein the transparent conductive oxide layer comprises tin oxide.

13. A system for generating electrical energy comprising:

a multilayered photovoltaic cell, the photovoltaic cell including a substrate, a transparent conductive oxide layer, a first semiconductor layer wherein the first semiconductor layer includes cadmium, and a nitrogen-containing metal layer in contact with the first semiconductor layer, such that the first semiconductor layer is between the nitrogen-containing metal layer and the transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the nitrogen-containing metal layer comprises one of an aluminum nitride, a molybdenum nitride, a nickel nitride, a tungsten nitride, a selenium nitride, a tantalum nitride or a vanadium nitride and wherein comprises greater than 50 atomic percent nitrogen the nitrogen-containing metal layer;

a chromium layer over the nitrogen-containing metal layer;

an aluminum layer between the chromium layer and the nitrogen-containing metal layer;

a first electrical connection in electrical communication with the transparent conductive oxide layer; and

a second electrical connection in electrical communication with the nitrogen-containing metal layer.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the nitrogen-containing metal layer includes the molybdenum nitride.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a second semiconductor layer under the first semiconductor layer.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises a binary semiconductor.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises CdS.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the first semiconductor layer includes a binary semiconductor.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the first semiconductor layer includes CdTe.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising a capping layer, the capping layer isolating the transparent conductive oxide layer from contact with the second semiconductor layer.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the first semiconductor layer includes CdTe.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the transparent conductive oxide layer includes tin oxide.

23. A photovoltaic cell comprising:

a substrate;

a transparent conductive layer over the substrate;

a first semiconductor layer over the transparent conductive layer, wherein the first semiconductor layer includes cadmium;

a second semiconductor layer over the first semiconductor layer, wherein the second semiconductor layer includes CdTe;

a molybdenum nitride layer in contact with the second semiconductor layer, such that the second semiconductor layer is between the molybdenum nitride layer and the first semiconductor layer and wherein comprises greater than 50 atomic percent nitrogen molybdenum nitride layer;

a chromium layer over the molybdenum nitride layer; and

an aluminum layer between the chromium layer and the molybdenum nitride layer.

Assignments (7)