Manufacture of photovoltaic devices
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate includes subjecting material to an energy beam.
1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
a glass superstrate having a first surface for receiving solar radiation;
an energy beam deposited copper indium diselenide layer opposite the first surface of the superstrate glass, and
an encapsulant comprising at least one of ethylene propylene diene copolymer, polyisobutylene and a rubber material,
wherein the copper indium diselenide layer is deposited opposite the first surface of the superstrate glass at substantially atmospheric pressure.
2. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , further comprising a transparent conducting layer on the superstrate glass.
3. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the copper indium diselenide includes copper indium gallium diselenide.
4. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the copper indium diselenide includes copper indium gallium diselenide.
5. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the energy beam is a radio frequency beam.
6. The photovoltaic device of claim 5 , wherein the radio frequency beam includes microwave radiation.
7. A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic device comprising:
providing a glass superstrate having a first surface for receiving solar radiation;
exposing a starting material to an energy beam at substantially atmospheric pressure, thereby causing the starting material to vaporize;
forming a semiconductor layer of the vaporized starting material opposite the first surface of a superstrate glass; and
forming an encapsulant at least partially encapsulating the device, the encapsulant comprising at least one of ethylene propylene diene copolymer, polyisobutylene and a rubber material.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the energy beam has a power of between 50 and 500 watts.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising depositing a transparent conducting layer onto the superstrate glass.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the transparent conducting layer includes a zinc oxide, a tin oxide or an indium oxide.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising depositing a cadmium sulfide layer onto the transparent conducting layer.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising depositing at least one additional semiconductor layer opposite the surface receiving solar radiation of the superstrate glass.
13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the energy beam is a radio frequency beam.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the radio frequency beam includes microwave radiation.
15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method occurs at a pressure between about 0.5 atmospheres and about 1.5 atmospheres.
16. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method occurs at a pressure between about 0.8 atmospheres and about 1.2 atmospheres.
17. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method occurs at a pressure between about 0.9 atmospheres and about 1.1 atmospheres.