Absorber layer for photovoltaic device, and method of making the same

1. A photovoltaic device comprising:

a substrate;

a back contact layer disposed above the substrate; and

an absorber layer disposed above the back contact layer,

wherein the absorber layer comprises at least two regions at respectively different horizontal locations, the at least two regions are in one same layer,

wherein each respective region has a respectively different concentration profile of an ingredient at a respective vertical depth of the absorber layer,

wherein each region comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, and comprises gallium (Ga) from the top surface to the bottom surface, and

wherein each respective bottom surface contacts the back contact layer.

2. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein

the absorber layer comprising a I-III-VI 2 compound comprising a Group I element, a Group III element and a Group VI element.

3. The photovoltaic device of claim 2 , wherein

the Group I element in the absorber layer is Cu;

the Group III element in the absorber layer is selected from a group consisting of Al, Ga, In and Tl; and

the Group VI element in the absorber layer is selected from a group consisting of S and Se.

4. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the concentration profile of the ingredient is a ratio defined as an atomic ratio of gallium (Ga) to a total amount of gallium and indium (Ga+In), (GGI), at the respective vertical depth of the absorber layer.

5. The photovoltaic device of claim 4 , wherein the at least two regions in the absorber layer comprises a region A and a region B, region B is a continuous phase, and region A is a discrete phase distributed within region B and aligned perpendicular to the absorber layer.

6. The photovoltaic device of claim 5 , wherein

a respective region A has a shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism.

7. The photovoltaic device of claim 5 , wherein

region B has a GGI ratio at a first depth vertically from a top surface of the absorber layer higher than the GGI ratio of region A at the first depth vertically from the top surface of the absorber layer.

8. The photovoltaic device of claim 5 , wherein

region A has a GGI ratio in a range from 0 to 0.6, and region B has a GGI ratio in a range from 0.01 to 0.8, throughout a volume extending from a top surface of the absorber layer to a bottom surface of the absorber layer.

9. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a buffer layer disposed over the absorber layer; and

a front transparent layer disposed over the buffer layer.

10. A method of forming the absorber layer of the photovoltaic device of claim 1 , comprising:

forming a metal precursor layer above the substrate;

placing a mask above the metal precursor layer, the mask having patterning structures defining a plurality of holes therethrough; and

depositing a selenium-containing precursor onto the metal precursor layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein

the metal precursor layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a Group I element and a Group III element;

the Group I element is Cu, and

the Group III element is selected from a group consisting of Al, Ga,

In and TI.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein

each of the plurality of holes on the mask is in a shape selected from the group consisting of a circle and a polygon.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein

each of the plurality of holes on the mask has an area in the range of from 1 square micron to 1,000 square microns; and

two adjacent holes of the plurality of holes have a distance from each other in the range of from 1 micron to 1,000 microns.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

removing the mask;

annealing the photovoltaic device in an inert gas at a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 800° C.; and

depositing a sulfur-containing precursor onto the metal precursor layer at a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 600° C.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein

the selenium-containing precursor is deposited onto the metal precursor layer at a temperature in the range of from 350° C. to 450° C.;

the photovoltaic device is annealed in an inert gas at a temperature in the range of from 500° C. to 600° C.; and

the sulfur-containing precursor is deposited onto the metal precursor layer at a temperature in the range of from 450° C. to 550° C.

16. A method of fabricating the photovoltaic device of claim 1 , comprising

forming the back contact layer above the substrate;

forming the absorber layer above the back contact layer, wherein the step of forming the absorber layer comprises:

forming a metal precursor layer above the substrate;

placing a mask above the metal precursor layer, the mask having patterning structures defining a plurality of holes therethrough; and

depositing a selenium-containing precursor onto the metal precursor layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein

each of the plurality of holes on the mask is in a shape selected from a group consisting of a circle and a polygon.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein

the metal precursor layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a Group I element and a Group III element;

the Group I element is Cu, and the Group III element is selected from a group consisting of Al, Ga,

In and Tl.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of forming the absorber layer further comprises:

removing the mask;

annealing the photovoltaic device in an inert gas at a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 800° C.; and

depositing a sulfur-containing precursor onto the metal precursor layer at a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 600° C.

20. The photovoltaic device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is planar.