GB2061000A - A semiconductor layer solar cell - Google Patents

A semiconductor layer solar cell Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2061000A
GB2061000A GB8031963A GB8031963A GB2061000A GB 2061000 A GB2061000 A GB 2061000A GB 8031963 A GB8031963 A GB 8031963A GB 8031963 A GB8031963 A GB 8031963A GB 2061000 A GB2061000 A GB 2061000A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
semiconductor layer
solar cell
layer
semiconductor
carrier
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8031963A
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Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Licentia Oy
Original Assignee
Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Licentia Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from DE2941908A external-priority patent/DE2941908C2/en
Application filed by Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH, Licentia Oy filed Critical Licentia Patent Verwaltungs GmbH
Publication of GB2061000A publication Critical patent/GB2061000A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/0248—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
    • H01L31/036—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
    • H01L31/0392—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate
    • H01L31/03921—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes including thin films deposited on metallic or insulating substrates ; characterised by specific substrate materials or substrate features or by the presence of intermediate layers, e.g. barrier layers, on the substrate including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C4/00—Coating by spraying the coating material in the molten state, e.g. by flame, plasma or electric discharge
    • C23C4/04—Coating by spraying the coating material in the molten state, e.g. by flame, plasma or electric discharge characterised by the coating material
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/02—Details
    • H01L31/0224—Electrodes
    • H01L31/022408—Electrodes for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
    • H01L31/022425—Electrodes for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier for solar cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
    • H01L31/054—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
    • H01L31/0547—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L31/18—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L31/1804—Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
    • H01L31/182—Special manufacturing methods for polycrystalline Si, e.g. Si ribbon, poly Si ingots, thin films of polycrystalline Si
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/52—PV systems with concentrators
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/546—Polycrystalline silicon PV cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
  • Coating By Spraying Or Casting (AREA)

Abstract

A semiconductor layer solar cell comprises a layer (5) of semiconductor material applied to a carrier (1) with the aid of flame spraying, electric arc spraying or plasma spraying and the thickness of the semiconductor layer is less than 5.10<-2>. The carrier is of conductive material, or insulating material coated with a conductive layer. The spraying takes place in an oxygen free inert gas or hydrogen or nitrogen atmosphere and the semiconductor layer is tempered after application by heating with a flame, electric arc, plasma jet, or focused light or laser beam. The solar cell may have a pn junction or a Schottky contact and be associated with a light concentrator. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A semiconductor layer solar cell Solar cells made from monocrystalline semiconductor chips designed to utilize the sun's energy on the earth may only be used for special applications. The manufacturing costs of these cells and the energy consumption required for their manufacture are so great that it seems only sensible to use monocrystalline cells today together with concentratorsforthe sunlight. Sufficient cooling of the solar cells must also be ensured.
Solar cells which have a very much lower cost may be manufactured using amorphous or polycrystalline semiconductor layers. Amorphous silicon layers for example may be produced by vapour deposition in a vacuum or by cathode atomisation or highfrequency atomisation of silicon in an atmosphere containing hydrogen. While solar cells comprising amorphous silicon also have the disadvantage that their efficiency is only a few percent, solar cells made from polycrystalline silicon may be manufactured to have efficiencies of 10%. Particularly good levels of efficiency are produced by a polycrystalline silicon material in which the crystallites have a preferred direction. The polycrystalline silicon for the manufacture of solar cells is produced for example by casting liquid silicon into a bar having a square cross-section.Solidification of the liquid silicon in to the bar occurs on a temperature gradient. The solidified bar is sawn up into slices after cooling and the solar cells are manufactured from these slices. The liquid silicon can however, also be cast directly in the form of a plate. Then there is no necessity for slicing.
It is also known to dip a suitable carrier, e.g.
graphite, into a silicon melt so that the carrier is coated with a thin layer of silicon after its removal from the melt. This layer of silicon on the carrier may then be processed further to form a solar cell.
Similarly, a carrier may be provided with a layer of a III/V compound (e.g. with a thin layer of GaAs), which may be further processed to form a solar cell.
The invention seeks to further reduce the manufacturing costs and the energy consumption in the manufacture of a semiconductor layer solar cell.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a semiconductor layer solar cell, wherein semiconductor material is applied to a carrier using flame spraying, electric arc spraying or plasma spraying and the thickness of the semiconductor layer is less than 5. 10- cm.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing a layer solar cell wherein semiconductor material is applied to a carrier by flame, electric arc or plasma spraying to a thickness less than 5 x 10-2 cm.
The semiconductor material may be present as a rod or as powder.
In both cases, the semiconductor material is melted in the electric arc or plasma and is propelled in the form of a jet of liquid semiconductor particles on to the carrier where the liquid semiconductor particles solidify into a layer.
In the case of the semiconductor material silicon, the silicon may be produced, by way of example, according to one of the following reactions: 3 K2SiF6 + 4 Al = 3 Si + 2 KAIF4 + 2 K2AIFs or SiO2 + 2 Mg = Si + 2 M,O or NASiF6 = 2 Na = Si + 3 NaF2.
By pulverizing the silicon powder and treating it with HCI, metallic Al, Mg or Na may be released. The silicon powder thus obtained may be applied to a carrier directly by means of flame spraying, electric arc spraying or plasma spraying.
The carrier may comprise electrically conductive material such as aluminium or steel. The carrier then also forms the electrical rear side contact of the solar cell at the same time.
The carrier may comprise an insulating material, such as glass, porcelain, ceramics, plastics etc. In this case the carrier is coated, at least partially, with an electrically conductive layer comprising a metal or a carbide, boride or nitride for example. n- or p-conductive semiconductor elements such as silicon, germanium, coal, boron among others by way of example or Ill/V semiconductors, such as AlSb, GaAs, InP among others, or Il/VI semiconductors, such as CdTe, CdS among others may be used as semiconductor materials.
Applying the semiconductor material to the carrier preferably takes place in an oxygen-free inert gas, hydrogen, or nitrogen atmosphere.
However, the atmosphere may also contain gases such as HCI, Hf, Cl2, 12, S2 among others, which do not react with the semiconductor material or only react slightly with it but do however react strongly with the impurities in the semiconductor material.
This means that the semiconductor material may be repurified during flame spraying, electric arc spraying or plasma spraying.
In order to have an effect on the resistance to bonding, in order to produce a reaction with the carrier material or in order to achieve a certain mean crystallite size of the semiconductor material, it may be advantageous to increase the temperature of the carrier. The carrier preferably has a temperature of > 200 C when the semiconductor layer is being applied. The semiconductor layer may be applied to the carrier as a large structured area by using a mask.
Because of the high flame electric arc or plasma temperatures, the semiconductor layers may comprise a compound semiconductor, such as AlSb, formed by spraying a suitable powder mixture of the components of the compound, such as aluminium powder and antimony powder on the carrier. The formation of the compound then takes place in the flame electric arc or plasma jet.
Once the semiconductor layer has been applied to the carrier, the carrier may be annealed by the semiconductor layer (e.g. in order to improve the semiconductor properties of the layer).
The semiconductor layer may be heated up or melted on one side very briefly with a flame, electric arc or plasma jet once it has been applied to the carrier.
The semiconductor layer may also be heated up or melted briefly with the aid of a focused light or laser beam.
In accordance with one embodiment of the inven tion, the solar cell may have a p-n-junction near the surface on the free side of the semiconductor layer.
The p-n-junction is produced for example in a manner known per sue with the aid of diffusion, ion implantation orepitaxy.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention the free side of the semiconductor layer may be provided with a light-transmissive Schottky contact. This Schottky contact may be produced in a manner known per se, for example by means of vapour disposition, sputtering, spraying or chemical separation of a metallically conductive layer.
There is also the possibility that the free side of the semiconductor layer may have a light-transmissive hetero-junction. This hetero-junction may be produced, for example, by applying a light-transmissive semiconductor layer comprising SnO2, In203, WO2, V203, Tri203, Cu2O, Cu2S, Nub203, GeTe among others.
Since metal-insulator-semiconductor contacts (MIS contacts) and semiconductor-insulatorsemiconductor contacts (SIS contacts) are particular iy efficient, it is advisable to coat the semiconductor layer in an insulating layer the thickness of which is preferably less than 1. 10-6cm, particularly 2.10-7 cm. The metal layer for the Schottky contact or the semiconductor layer for the hetero-junction is then located on this main insulating layer.
The Schottky contact or the hetero-junction on the semiconductor layer may be constructed also as a mechanical pressure contact between the semiconductor layer and a light-transmissive moulded element. The moulded element is coated at least at its pressure contact with a light-transmissive metal layer or with a light-transmissive semiconductor layer.
The contacts for the front of the semiconductor layer (on the p-n-junction or on the Schottky contact or on the hetero-junction) are applied preferably also with the aid of flame spraying, electric arc spraying or plasma spraying.
The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which :- Figure 1 shows the general application of a semiconductor layer to a carrier with the aid of electric arc spraying.
Figure 2 shows the general application of a semiconductor layer as a large-area structure to a carrier with the aid of plasma spraying in an atmosphere which is oxygen-free but contains phosphine; Figure 3 shows, in cross-section, the construction of a semiconductor layer solar cell on a metal carrier having a p-silicon layer and a p-n-junction; Figure 4 shows, in cross-section, the construction of a semiconductor layer solar cell on a metallized insulator carrier having an n-silicon layer and an MIS contact, and Figure 5 shows a semiconductor layer solar cell on a metallized insulator carrier having a p-silicon layer and a SIS pressure contacts between the semiconductor layer and a light-transmissive mould element.
Embodiment 1 In Figure 1,1 is a carrier made of aluminium.
Nitrogen is blasted out of a nozzle 3 by an electric arc, between two p-conductive silicon rods. The silicon melts in the electric arc into small droplets and is propelled on to the carrier 1 by the nitrogen jet 2 heated in the electric arc. There the droplets solidify into a p-conductive polycrystalline silicon layer 5.
The nozzle 3 with the electric arc jet 2 performs a lateral movement indicated by the arrow 4. A uniformly thick silicon layer 5 is thus produced on the carrier 1.
Embodiment 2 In Figure 2, is a carrier made of glass which carries an aluminium layer 6 on its upper surface.
n-conductive silicon powder is blown with the aid of an argon jet 2 through an electric are which burns between cooled tungsten electrodes and passes from a nozzle 3 through a mask 7. The atmosphere surrounding the plasma jet 2 contains phosphine gas. The silicon particles which have been melted in the plasma jet 2 hit the aluminium layer 6 and solidify to form a coherent n-silicon layer 5. The carrier 1 made of glass performs a lateral movement during this process as indicated by the arrow 4.
Embodiment3 In Figure 3, 1 is a carrier made of an aluminium alloy. 5 is a ploycrystalline silicon layer produced with a plasma jet and having a thickness of 4 10-2 cm and a resistance of 0.1 Q cm.
The n+ layer 9 which is near the surface is produced by implantation of phosphor ions into the free surface of the silicon layer 5. 10 is a combshaped aluminium contact for the front face. A photovoltage is formed between the front face contact 10 and the carrier 1, made of aluminium, by means of the radiation 11 from the sun.
Embodiment 4 In Figure 4, is a carrier made of porcelain which is coated on its upper surface with a layer 6 comprising TkO of a thickness of 5.1 0-3cm. This layer is applied with the aid of an electric arc jet. An n-silicon layer 5 is also applied to this TiO layer 6 with the aid of an electric arc jet. The n-silicon layer 5 Y is 1.5 1 0#2cm thick and has a specific resistance of 1.
10-2 ohm cm. It is melted very briefly at its upper surface after it has been applied by means of a laser beam. The molten surface is coated with a layer 12 of SlO2 having a thickness of 2.1 0#7cm. A nickle layer 13, 2 . 10 6cm thick, is vapour-deposited on to this SiO2 layer 12 in a vacuum,thusforming an MIS structure. 10 is a comb-shaped copper layer which is the front face contact of the solar cell. The photovoltage of the solar cell is formed between the T10 layer 6 and the copper layer 10 when the cell receives incoming sunlight 11.
Embodiment 5 In Figure 5, is a glass carrier having dimensions 25 x 25 x 0.3 cm3. An aluminium layer 6 of .10-2 thickness is applied to the glass carrier 1 with the aid of an electric arc jet. A p-silicon layer 5 having a thickness of 2.10-2cm is so applied to the aluminium layer 6 with the aid of a plasma jet that, when applying the silicon layer 5, it is still at fusion temperature at its surface for a very short time. The free surface of the silicon layer is covered by an SiO2 layer 12 which has a thickness of 2. 10-7 cm. A light-transmissive moulded element 16 also comprises a glass plate having the dimensions 25 x 25 x 0.3 cm3. The glass plate 16 has paraboloid elevations 17 on its underside which extend from square base surfaces with a size of 0.5 x 0.5mm2 in each case.
These square base surfaces produce a related area of 24 x 24 cm2. The paraboloid elevations 17 are cut off in their local planes. A 2. 10#5cm thick layer 14 comprising 90 parts Sno2 + 10 parts In2 O3 is applied to the whole surface of the whole surface of the paraboloid elevations 17. Then a 5. 10 -3 cm thick aluminium layer 10 is applied to the surface of the parapoloid elevations 17 - with the exception of their cut-off surfaces 18. The glass plate 16 is then placed on to the silicon layer 5 with the paraboiled elevations 17 so that the cut off surfaces 18 coated with the layer 14 rest on the sio2 layer 12 on the silicon layer 5.The edges of the two glass plates 1 and 16 are fused in a vacuum 20 with the aid of the glass solder 19 so that the external atmospheric pressure produces approximately 230,000 electrically parallel SIS pressure contacts between the parabolois elevations 17 and the semiconductor layer. The sunlight 11 is concentrated at the cut-off surfaces 18 by the paraboloid elevations 17 so that it penetrates into the semiconductor layer 5 through the SIS contacts 21 with approximately 5 times the intensity of the radiation from the sun 11. Because of the extremely good heat dissipation in the punctifiform pressure contacts 21, there is no noticeable excess temperature in the contacts 21. The photovoltage of the solar cell is formed between the aluminium layer 6 and 10.
It should also be mentioned that the paraboloid arrangement of the elevations is of general importance when forming pressure contacts and is not restricted to the invention.

Claims (20)

1. A semiconductor layer solar cell, wherein the semiconductor material is applied to a carrier using flame spraying, electric arc spraying or plasma spraying and the thickness of the semiconductor layer is less than 5.102 Cm.
2. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to Claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material is applied to a carrier comprising electrically conductive material.
3. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to Claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material is applied to a carrier made of electrically insulating material which is coated at least partially in an electrically conductive layer.
4. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein n- or p-conducting silicon, germanium, carbon, boron, a III/V compound or a Il/VI compound is used as the semiconductor material.
5. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a p-njunction is formed nearthe surface on one side of the semiconductor layer.
6. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a lighttransmissive Schottky contact is provided on one side of the semiconductor layer.
7. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a lighttransmissive hetero-junction is provided on one side of the semiconductor layer.
8. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the semiconductor layer is coated with a thin insulating layer and the thickness of this insulator layer is less than 1.10#6cm.
9. A semiconductor layer solar cell according to Claim 8, wherein the thickness of the insulating layer is 2.10#7cm.
10. A method of producing a layer solar cell wherein semiconductor material is applied to a carrier by flame, electric arc or plasma spraying to a thickness less than 5x10-2 cm.
11. A method according to Claim 10, wherein the semiconductor material is applied in an oxygen-free inert gas or hydrogen, or a nitrogen atmosphere.
12. A method according to Claim 10, wherein the semiconductor material is applied in an atmosphere which does not react with the semiconductor material or reacts only slightly therewith while reacting strongly with the impurities in the semiconductor material.
13. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 12 wherein the carrier is at an elevated temperature when the semiconductor layer is applied.
14. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 13 wherein the semiconductor layer is applied to the carrier in structured manner with the aid of a mask.
15. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 14 wherein a layer comprising a compound semiconductor is applied by spraying on a powder mixture of the components of the compound and the formation of the compound takes place in the flame, electric arc or plasma jet.
16. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 15, wherein the carrier with the semiconductor layer is tempered after the semiconductor layer is applied.
17. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 16, wherein the semiconductor layer is heated briefly or melted with the aid of a flame, electric arc or a plasma jet.
18. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 16 wherein the semiconductor layer is heated or melted briefly with the aid of a focused light or laser beam.
19. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 18, wherein a Schottky contact or a heterojunction is formed as a mechanical pressure contact between the semiconductor layer made of a lighttransmissive moulded element and that the moulded element is coated at least at its mechanical pressure contact with a light-transmissive metal layer or with a light-transmissive semiconductor layer.
20. A method according to any one of Claims 10 to 19, wherein the electrical contacts for the front face and the rear face of the semiconductor layer solar cell are applied with the aid of flame, electric arc or plasma spraying of the contact material.
GB8031963A 1979-10-17 1980-10-03 A semiconductor layer solar cell Withdrawn GB2061000A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2941908A DE2941908C2 (en) 1979-10-17 1979-10-17 Method for producing a solar cell having a silicon layer
JP465680A JPS5662378A (en) 1979-10-17 1980-01-21 Semiconductor layer solar battery and method of manufacturing same

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2061000A true GB2061000A (en) 1981-05-07

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GB8031963A Withdrawn GB2061000A (en) 1979-10-17 1980-10-03 A semiconductor layer solar cell

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AU (1) AU6341580A (en)
FR (1) FR2468210A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2061000A (en)
IT (1) IT1132906B (en)
NL (1) NL8005707A (en)
SE (1) SE8007191L (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2695511A1 (en) * 1992-09-08 1994-03-11 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Thin film solar cell, process for producing same, method for producing a semiconductor ingot, and method for producing a semiconductor substrate.
WO2011072872A3 (en) * 2009-12-18 2011-11-24 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Method for producing locally structured semiconductor layers
EP3431626A4 (en) * 2016-03-18 2019-08-28 Hong We Yes Engineering Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. Method and device for manufacturing semiconductor substrate

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3117070A1 (en) * 1981-04-29 1982-11-18 Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-Gmbh, 6000 Frankfurt METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER SOLAR CELL

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2695511A1 (en) * 1992-09-08 1994-03-11 Mitsubishi Electric Corp Thin film solar cell, process for producing same, method for producing a semiconductor ingot, and method for producing a semiconductor substrate.
WO2011072872A3 (en) * 2009-12-18 2011-11-24 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Method for producing locally structured semiconductor layers
EP3431626A4 (en) * 2016-03-18 2019-08-28 Hong We Yes Engineering Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. Method and device for manufacturing semiconductor substrate
US10720327B2 (en) 2016-03-18 2020-07-21 Hong Wu Yes Engineering Technogology Research Institute Co., Ltd. Method and device for manufacturing semiconductor substrate

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1132906B (en) 1986-07-09
SE8007191L (en) 1981-04-18
FR2468210A1 (en) 1981-04-30
IT8025051A0 (en) 1980-10-01
NL8005707A (en) 1981-04-22
AU6341580A (en) 1981-04-30

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