IP Library Granted Patent US 10,672,920
Granted Patent B2
US 10,672,920 · App. 14/963,736 · Granted Jun 2, 2020

Article with buffer layer

Inventors: Zhixun Ma (Cheswick, PA); James W. McCamy (Export, PA); Benjamin Kabagambe (Pittsburgh, PA); Kwaku K. Koram (Wexford, PA); Cheng-Hung Hung (Wexford, PA); Gary J. Nelis (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignee: Vitro Flat Glass LLC
H01L31/02168C03B17/06C03B18/14C03C17/3411C03C17/3417C03C17/36C03C17/3631C03C17/3668C03C17/3678C23C16/40C23C16/407C23C16/4412C23C16/45561C23C16/45595C23C16/54H01L31/02167H01L31/02327H01L31/022425H01L31/022466H01L31/03923H01L31/0749H01L31/18H01L51/0096H01L51/442H01L51/5215H01L51/5268H01L51/5281C03C2217/94C03C2217/948C03C2218/1525Y02E10/541Y02E10/549Y02P70/521
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,672,920
App. No.
14/963,736
Granted
Jun 2, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An article, for example a solar cell, includes a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface. An underlayer is located over the second surface. A first conductive layer is located over the underlayer. An overlayer is located over the first conductive layer. A semiconductor layer is located over the conductive oxide layer. A second conductive layer is located over the semiconductor layer. The first conductive layer can include a conductive oxide and at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and/or fluorine. The overlayer can include a buffer layer having tin oxide and at least one of zinc, indium, gallium, and magnesium.

Claims (27)

1. An article, comprising:

a first glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

an underlayer located over the second surface;

a first conductive layer over the underlayer, wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first layer comprising tin oxide and tungsten and a second layer comprising tin oxide and fluorine;

an overlayer over the first conductive layer;

a semiconductor layer over the overlayer; and

a second conductive layer over the semiconductor layer,

wherein the overlayer comprises a buffer layer comprising tin oxide and at least one of zinc, indium, gallium, and magnesium.

2. The article of claim 1 , including a functional layer over the first surface of the glass substrate, wherein the functional layer is selected from the group consisting of an antireflective layer and an external light extraction layer.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the underlayer comprises a sodium ion barrier layer comprising silicon oxide and/or a bottom optical layer, wherein the bottom optical layer comprises an oxide of tin, zinc, silicon, aluminum, titanium, and/or mixtures thereof.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive layer is formed using a first tin precursor material and the second layer is formed using a second tin precursor material.

5. The article of claim 4 , wherein the first tin precursor material is monobutyltin trichloride and the second tin precursor material is tin tetrachloride.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein the first conductive layer has a thickness in the range of 200 to 500 nm.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein the underlayer comprises a sodium ion barrier layer comprising silicon oxide.

8. The article of claim 7 wherein the underlayer comprises a bottom optical layer comprising oxides of tin and zinc.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein the buffer layer comprises tin oxide and zinc.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein the second conductive layer comprises silver.

11. The article of claim 1 wherein the first glass substrate comprises low iron glass.

12. The article of claim 1 further comprising an internal light extraction region in the second surface of the first glass substrate.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein the internal light extraction region comprises nanoparticles.

14. The article of claim 2 wherein the functional layer comprises the antireflective layer, and the antireflective layer comprises an oxide of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, zinc, tin and mixtures thereof.

15. The article of claim 2 wherein the functional layer comprises the external light extraction layer, and the external light extraction layer is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zinc oxide, titania, zirconia, tin oxide, and mixtures thereof.

16. The article of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor layer comprises cadmium telluride.

17. The article of claim 1 wherein the overlayer comprises an insulating layer comprising cadmium sulfide or cadmium sulfate.

18. The article of claim 1 wherein the second conductive layer comprises a metallic layer.

19. The article of claim 1 wherein the underlayer comprises a bottom optical layer comprising an oxide of tin, zinc, silicon, aluminum, titanium, and/or mixtures thereof.

20. The article of claim 1 including a second substrate over the second conductive layer, wherein the second substrate comprises glass.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2021
From: VITRO, S.A.B. DE C.V.
To: VITRO FLAT GLASS LLC
Reel/Frame 058052/0526 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2019
From: VITRO, S.A.B. DE C.V.
To: VITRO FLAT GLASS LLC
Reel/Frame 047973/0254 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 040473 FRAME: 0455. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 3, 2017
From: PPG INDUSTRIES OHIO, INC.
To: VITRO, S.A.B. DE C.V.
Reel/Frame 042393/0520 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2016
From: PPG INDUSTRIES OHIO, INC.
To: VITRO, S.A.B. DE C.V.
Reel/Frame 040473/0455 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 8, 2016
From: MCCAMY, JAMES W.; MA, ZHIXUN; KABAGAMBE, BENJAMIN; KORAM, KWAKU K.; HUNG, CHENG-HUNG; NELIS, GARY J.
To: PPG INDUSTRIES OHIO, INC.
Reel/Frame 037923/0280 →