IP Library Granted Patent US 8,895,463
Granted Patent B2
US 8,895,463 · App. 13/751,764 · Granted Nov 25, 2014

Glass substrate for Cu-In-Ga-Se solar cell and solar cell using same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,895,463
App. No.
13/751,764
Granted
Nov 25, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A glass substrate for a CIGS solar cell, having high cell efficiency and high glass transition temperature is provided. The glass substrate for a vapor-deposited CIGS film solar cell has a glass transition temperature of at least 580° C. and an average thermal expansion coefficient of from 70×10 −7 to 100×10 −7 /° C., wherein the ratio of the average total amount of Ca, Sr and Ba within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the glass substrate to the total amount of Ca, Sr and Ba at 5,000 nm in depth from the surface of the glass substrate is at most 0.35, and the ratio of the average Na amount within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the glass substrate after heat treatment to such average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 1.5.

Claims (29)

1. A glass substrate, comprising:

a substrate having a surface and comprising a glass material,

wherein the glass material has a glass transition temperature of at least 580° C. and an average thermal expansion coefficient of from 70×10 −7 to 100×10 −7 /° C.,

the substrate comprises at least one of CaO, SrO and BaO such that a ratio of an average total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate to a total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba at 5,000 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate is at most 0.35,

the substrate comprises Na 2 O such that a ratio of an average Na amount in atom % within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate after a heat treatment at 600° C. under a N 2 atmosphere for 1 hour to an average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 1.5, and

the substrate comprises, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, from 53 to 72% of SiO 2 , from 1 to 15% of Al 2 O 3 , from 0.5 to 9% of MgO, from 0.1 to 11% of CaO, from 0 to 11% or SrO, from 0 to 11% or BaO, from 2 to 11% of Na 2 O, from 2 to 21% of K 2 O and from 0 to 10.5% of ZrO 2 , provided that MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO is from 4 to 25%, CaO+SrO+BaO is from 2 to 23%, Na 2 O+K 2 O is from 8 to 22%, and Na 2 O/(CaO+SrO+BaO)≦1.2.

2. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate to the total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba at 5,000 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate is at most 0.17, and in the substrate, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, K 2 O is from 4 to 21%, ZrO 2 is from 0.5 to 10.5%, and CaO+SrO+BaO is from 4 to 23%.

3. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate to the total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba at 5,000 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate is at most 0.05, the ratio of the average Na amount in atom % within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate after a heat treatment at 600° C. under a N 2 atmosphere for 1 hour to the average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 2.0, and in the substrate, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the glass substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, CaO+SrO+BaO is from 4 to 15%, and SrO+BaO is from 0 to 8%.

4. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average Na amount in atom % within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate after a heat treatment at 600° C. under a N 2 atmosphere for 1 hour to the average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 2.

5. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate to the total amount in atom % of Ca, Sr and Ba at 5,000 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate is at most 0.17, the ratio of the average Na amount in atom % within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate after a heat treatment at 600° C. under a N 2 atmosphere for 1 hour to the average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 2.4, and in the substrate, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, CaO+SrO+BaO is from 2 to 15%, and SrO+BaO is from 0 to 10%.

6. A solar cell comprising:

a glass substrate;

a cover glass; and

a Cu—In—Ga—Se absorbing layer disposed between the glass substrate and the cover glass,

wherein between the glass substrate and the cover glass, at least the glass substrate is the glass substrate as defined in claim 1 .

7. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average Na amount in atom % within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate after a heat treatment at 600° C. under a N 2 atmosphere for 1 hour to the average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 2.5 and at most 4.5.

8. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the average Na amount in atom % within from 10 to 40 nm in depth from the surface of the substrate after a heat treatment at 600° C. under a N 2 atmosphere for 1 hour to the average Na amount before the heat treatment is at least 2.7 and at most 4.

9. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, from 59 to 63% of SiO 2 , and from 8 to 12% of Al 2 O 3 .

10. The glass substrate according to claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, from 59 to 63% of SiO 2 , and from 8 to 12% of Al 2 O 3 .

11. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, from 59 to 63% of SiO 2 , from 8 to 12% of Al 2 O 3 , from 3 to 6.5% of MgO, and from 4.5 to 7% of CaO, provided that MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO is from 4 to 25%, CaO+SrO+BaO is from 2 to 23%, Na 2 O+K 2 O is from 8 to 22%, and Na 2 O/(CaO+SrO+BaO)≦1.2.

12. The glass substrate according to claim 8 , wherein the substrate comprises, at 5,000 nm or more in depth from the surface of the substrate, as represented by mass % based on oxides, from 59 to 63% of SiO 2 , from 8 to 12% of Al 2 O 3 , from 3 to 6.5% of MgO, and from 4.5 to 7% of CaO, provided that MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO is from 4 to 25%, CaO+SrO+BaO is from 2 to 23%, Na 2 O+K 2 O is from 8 to 22%, and Na 2 O/(CaO+SrO+BaO)≦1.2.

13. The glass substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the glass material comprises at least one of SrO, BaO, and ZrO 2 .

14. The glass substrate according to claim 12 , wherein the glass material comprises at least one of SrO, BaO, and ZrO 2 .

15. The glass substrate according to claim 14 , wherein the glass material comprises SrO, BaO, and ZrO 2 .

16. A solar cell, comprising:

a glass substrate;

a cover glass; and

a Cu—In—Ga—Se absorbing layer disposed between the glass substrate and the cover glass,

wherein between the glass substrate and the cover glass, at least the glass substrate is substrate as defined in claim 15 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 7, 2018
From: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
To: AGC INC.
Reel/Frame 046730/0786 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2013
From: KUROIWA, YUTAKA; YAMAMOTO, YUICHI; ABE, TOMOMI; NAKASHIMA, TETSUYA; KAWAMOTO, YASUSHI; NIKI, SHIGERU; ISHIZUKA, SHOGO
To: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 029719/0454 →