Methods of manufacturing cadmium telluride thin film photovoltaic devices
View Patent ↗Methods for manufacturing a cadmium telluride based thin film photovoltaic device are generally disclosed. A resistive transparent layer can be sputtered on a transparent conductive oxide layer from a metal alloy target in a sputtering atmosphere of argon and oxygen that includes argon from about 5% to about 40%. A cadmium sulfide layer can then be formed on the resistive transparent layer. A cadmium telluride layer can be formed on the cadmium sulfide layer; and a back contact layer can be formed on the cadmium telluride layer. The sputtering can be accomplished within a sputtering chamber.
1. A method for manufacturing a cadmium telluride based thin film photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
sputtering a resistive transparent layer on a transparent conductive oxide layer from a metal alloy target in a sputtering atmosphere of argon and oxygen, wherein the atmosphere comprises argon from about 5% to about 40%, and wherein the sputtering temperature is between about 15° C. and about 300° C.;
forming a cadmium sulfide layer on the resistive transparent layer;
forming a cadmium telluride layer on the cadmium sulfide layer; and,
forming a back contact layer on the cadmium telluride layer.
2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere comprises argon from about 10% to about 30%.
3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere comprises argon from about 15% to about 25%.
4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the sputtering temperature is between about 20° C. and about 25° C.
5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the resistive transparent layer is DC sputtered from a metal alloy target, wherein the alloy target comprises elemental zinc and elemental tin.
6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the resistive transparent layer is DC sputtered by applying a current between about 2 amps and about 20 amps.
7. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the resistive transparent layer is DC sputtered by applying a current between about 5 amps and about 10 amps.
8. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the atmosphere has a pressure between about 1 mTorr and about 20 mTorr.
9. The method as in claim 5 , wherein the atmosphere has a pressure between about 1 mTorr and about 10 mTorr.
10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere comprises at least about 50% oxygen.
11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere comprises oxygen from about 60% to about 95%.
12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere comprises oxygen from about 70% to about 90%.
13. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the resistive transparent layer has a thickness between about 0.01 μm and about 1 μm.
14. A method for manufacturing a cadmium telluride based thin film photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
positioning a glass substrate into a sputtering chamber, wherein a transparent conductive oxide layer is on a surface of the glass substrate facing the metal alloy target; and,
sputtering a resistive transparent layer on the transparent conductive oxide layer from a metal alloy target in an atmosphere of argon and oxygen at a sputtering temperature between about 15° C. and about 100° C., wherein the atmosphere comprises argon from about 5% to about 40%.
15. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the atmosphere comprises argon from about 10% to about 30%.
16. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the sputtering temperature is between about 20° C. and about 25° C.
17. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the resistive transparent layer is DC sputtered from a metal alloy target, wherein the alloy target comprises elemental zinc and elemental tin.
18. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the resistive transparent layer is DC sputtered by applying a current between about 2 amps and about 20 amps.
19. The method as in claim 14 , wherein the atmosphere has a pressure between about 1 mTorr and about 10 mTorr.
20. A method for manufacturing a cadmium telluride based thin film photovoltaic device, the method comprising:
sputtering a resistive transparent layer on a transparent conductive oxide layer from a metal alloy target in a sputtering atmosphere of argon and oxygen, wherein the atmosphere comprises argon from about 5% to about 40%, wherein the resistive transparent layer is DC sputtered from a metal alloy target comprising elemental zinc and elemental tin, and wherein the atmosphere has a pressure between about 1 mTorr and about 20 mTorr;
forming a cadmium sulfide layer on the resistive transparent layer;
forming a cadmium telluride layer on the cadmium sulfide layer; and,
forming a back contact layer on the cadmium telluride layer.