Radiant energy converter having sputtered CdSiAs₂ absorber

Patent 4398055 Issued on August 9, 1983. Estimated Expiration Date:

August 21, 2001. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Inventors

Application

No. 06/295072 filed on 08/21/1981

US Classes:

136/258, Polycrystalline or amorphous semiconductor136/260, Cadmium containing136/261, Silicon or germanium containing204/192.26, Optical or photoactive257/53, Responsive to nonelectrical external signals (e.g., light)257/64, Non-single crystal, or recrystallized, material with specified crystal structure (e.g., specified crystal size or orientation)257/78, II-VI compound257/E31.005, In different semiconductor regions (e.g., Cu 2 X/CdX heterojunction and X being Group VI element) (EPO)257/E31.026, Including, apart from doping material or other impurity, only compound other than Group II-VI, III-V, and IV compound (EPO)427/74, Photoelectric438/930, TERNARY OR QUATERNARY SEMICONDUCTOR COMPRISED OF ELEMENTS FROM THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS (E.G., I-III-V, ETC.)438/94, Heterojunction438/97Polycrystalline semiconductor

Examiners

Primary: Weisstuch, Aaron

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Zeeger; Jim

International Classes

H01L 31/06 (20060101)
H01L 31/0336 (20060101)
H01L 31/032 (20060101)
H01L 31/0264 (20060101)
H01L 31/072 (20060101)

Abstract

Thin film radiant energy converter having a sputtered CdSiAs2 photovoltaic absorber layer and a thermally evaporated CdS top layer. The sputtering technique with multiple targets (Cd, Si, As) is used to obtain stoichiometric CdSiAs2 thin films which are polycrystalline and have large grain size to thereby reduce grain boundary recombinations of the photogenerated electrons.

Other References

N K. Annamalai, "CdS-Sputtered Cu₂ S Solar Cells", Conf. Record, 12th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conf., (1976), pp. 547-548
W. W. Anderson et al., "Magnetron Reactive Sputtering Deposition of Cu₂ S/CdS Solar Cells", Proceedings, 2nd European Community Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conf., (1979), Reidel Publishing Co., pp. 890-897
J. Piekoszewski et al., "RF-Sputtered CuInSe₂ Thin Films", Solar Energy Materials, vol. 2, pp. 363-372, (1980)
J. E. Greene et al., "Epitaxial Growth of In_1-x Ga_x Sb Thin Films by Multitarget, RF Sputtering", J. Appl. Phys., vol. 47, pp. 2289-2297, (1976)
A. F. Carroll et al., "Compositional Studies Related to Sputtered _Cd-Si-As Films", J. Electrochem. Soc., vol. 128, pp. 1769-1773, (1981)
L. C. Burton et al., "Studies of CdSiAs₂ for Photovoltaic Applications", Proceedings 1979 Southeastern Conf., (Roanoke, Va.), pp. 25-28