Photovaltaic device conducting layer
View Patent ↗A multilayered structure may include a doped buffer layer on a transparent conductive oxide layer.
1. A method of manufacturing a multilayered structure, the method comprising:
forming a doped buffer layer adjacent to a transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the transparent conductive oxide layer is adjacent to a substrate;
forming a semiconductor absorber layer on the doped buffer layer;
heating the multilayered structure to a temperature sufficient to diffuse dopant from the doped buffer layer into the semiconductor absorber layer; and
diffusing dopant from the doped buffer layer into the semiconductor absorber layer;
wherein the doped buffer layer has more than about 1×10 15 /cm 2 of dopant, and the semiconductor absorber layer has a carrier concentration of greater than 1×10 14 cm −3 after the diffusing.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of heating the multilayered structure comprises heating the multilayered structure to a temperature greater than 300 degrees C.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of heating the multilayered structure comprises heating the multilayered structure to a temperature greater than 450 degrees C.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of heating the multilayered structure comprises heating the multilayered structure to a temperature greater than 600 degrees C.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of heating the multilayered structure comprises heating the multilayered structure to a temperature greater than 750 degrees C.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dopant comprises a material selected from the group consisting of copper, arsenic, and antimony.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the transparent conductive oxide layer adjacent to the substrate before forming the doped buffer layer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a doped buffer layer comprises co-sputtering buffer layer material and dopant from separate sputter targets.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the doped buffer layer material comprises tin and the dopant comprises a material selected from the group consisting of copper, arsenic, and antimony.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a doped buffer layer comprises forming a buffer layer adjacent to the transparent conductive oxide layer and doping the buffer layer with a dopant.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a doped buffer layer comprises a reactive sputtering process.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a doped buffer layer comprises atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an additional step of heating the transparent conductive oxide stack comprising the transparent conductive oxide layer to anneal the transparent conductive oxide stack.
14. A method of manufacturing a multilayered structure, the method comprising:
forming a doped buffer layer adjacent to a transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the transparent conductive oxide layer is adjacent to a substrate;
forming a semiconductor absorber layer on the doped buffer layer, wherein the semiconductor absorber layer comprises cadmium telluride;
heating the multilayered structure to a temperature sufficient to diffuse dopant from the buffer layer into the semiconductor absorber layer; and
diffusing dopant from the doped buffer layer into the semiconductor absorber layer;
wherein the dopant comprises arsenic; and
wherein the semiconductor absorber layer has a carrier concentration of greater than 1×10 14 cm −3 after the diffusing.
15. A method of manufacturing a multilayered structure, the method comprising:
forming a doped buffer layer adjacent to a transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the transparent conductive oxide layer is adjacent to a substrate;
forming a semiconductor absorber layer on the doped buffer layer, wherein the semiconductor absorber layer comprises cadmium telluride;
heating the multilayered structure to a temperature sufficient to diffuse dopant from the buffer layer into the semiconductor absorber layer; and
diffusing dopant from the doped buffer layer into the semiconductor absorber layer;
wherein the dopant comprises antimony; and
wherein the semiconductor absorber layer has a carrier concentration of greater than 1×10 14 cm −3 after the diffusing.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the doped buffer layer comprises amorphous tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, zinc oxide, tin silicon oxide, zinc magnesium oxide, or zinc stannate.