Photovoltaic devices including a metal stack
A photovoltaic device can include metal layer in contact with a semiconductor layer.
1 . A photovoltaic device comprising:
a transparent conductive layer;
a semiconductor layer, a substrate supporting the semiconductor layer; and
a first metal layer in contact with a semiconductor layer, and
a second metal layer including tungsten, molybdenum, iridium, tantalum, titanium, neodymium, palladium, lead, iron, silver, or nickel, the second layer in contact with the first metal layer.
2 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , further comprising a third metal layer over the second metal layer.
3 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the first metal layer is a chromium-containing layer.
4 . The photovoltaic device of claim 2 , wherein the third metal layer is an aluminum-containing layer.
5 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 100 Å.
6 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 500 Å.
7 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
8 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
9 . The photovoltaic device of claim 2 , further comprising a fourth layer, wherein the fourth layer is an intermediate layer between the second metal layer and the third metal layer.
10 . The photovoltaic device of claim 9 , wherein the intermediate layer is a nickel-containing layer.
11 . The photovoltaic device of claim 9 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 100 Å.
12 . The photovoltaic device of claim 9 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 500 Å.
13 . The photovoltaic device of claim 9 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 1000 Å.
14 . The photovoltaic device of claim 9 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
15 . The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second semiconductor layer over the semiconductor layer.
16 . The photovoltaic device of claim 9 , further comprising a fifth metal layer between the fourth metal layer and the third metal layer.
17 . The photovoltaic device of claim 16 , wherein the fifth layer includes lead, palladium, nickel, or silver.
18 . A system for generating electrical energy comprising:
a transparent conductive layer;
a semiconductor layer, a substrate supporting the semiconductor layer; and
a first metal layer in contact with a semiconductor layer,
a second metal layer including tungsten, molybdenum, iridium, tantalum, titanium, neodymium, palladium, lead, iron, silver, or nickel, the second layer in contact with the first metal layer, and
a third metal layer over the second layer;
a first electrical connection connected to the transparent conductive layer; and
a second electrical connection connected to the third metal layer.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the first metal layer is a chromium-containing layer.
20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the third metal layer is an aluminum-containing layer.
21 . The system of claim 18 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 100 Å.
22 . The system of claim 18 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 500 Å.
23 . The system of claim 18 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 1000 Å.
24 . The system of claim 18 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
25 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising a fourth layer, wherein the fourth layer is intermediate layer between the second metal layer and the third metal layer.
26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the intermediate layer is a nickel-containing layer.
27 . The system of claim 25 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 100 Å.
28 . The system of claim 25 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 500 Å.
29 . The system of claim 25 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 1000 Å.
30 . The system of claim 25 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
31 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising a second semiconductor layer over the semiconductor layer.
32 . The system of claim 25 , further comprising a fifth metal layer between the fourth metal layer and the third metal layer.
33 . The system of claim 32 , wherein the fifth layer includes lead, palladium, nickel, or silver.
34 . A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device comprising:
placing a semiconductor layer on a substrate;
depositing a first metal layer in contact with a semiconductor layer, depositing a second metal layer including tungsten, molybdenum, iridium, tantalum, titanium, neodymium, palladium, lead, iron, silver, or nickel, the second layer in contact with the first metal layer, and
depositing a third metal layer over the second metal layer.
35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the first metal layer is a chromium-containing layer.
36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the third metal layer is an aluminum-containing layer.
37 . The method of claim 34 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 100 Å.
38 . The method of claim 34 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 500 Å.
39 . The method of claim 34 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 1000 Å.
40 . The method of claim 34 , the second layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
41 . The method of claim 34 , further comprising a fourth layer, wherein the fourth layer is intermediate layer between the second metal layer and the third metal layer.
42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the intermediate layer is a nickel-containing layer.
43 . The method of claim 41 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 100 Å.
44 . The method of claim 41 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 500 Å.
45 . The method of claim 41 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 1000 Å.
46 . The method of claim 41 , the intermediate layer having a thickness greater than 2000 Å.
47 . The method of claim 41 further comprising a second semiconductor layer over the semiconductor layer.
48 . A photovoltaic device comprising:
a transparent conductive layer;
a semiconductor layer, a substrate supporting the semiconductor layer; and
a metal layer in contact with a semiconductor layer, wherein the metal layer is a nickel-containing layer.
49 . The photovoltaic device of claim 48 , further comprising a second metal layer over the nickel-containing layer.
50 . The photovoltaic device of claim 49 , wherein the second metal layer is an aluminum-containing layer.
51 . The photovoltaic device of claim 49 , further comprising a third metal layer over the second metal layer, the second metal layer have a thermal expansion coefficient greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the first layer and less than a thermal expansion coefficient of the third layer.