Patent ID: 7863518
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: H01L,Y02E,Y02P,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A photovoltaic device comprising: a crystalline semiconductor member; a substantially intrinsic first amorphous semiconductor layer formed on the front surface of said crystalline semiconductor member, said first amorphous semiconductor layer has a small thickness substantially not contributing to power generation; and a first conductivity type second amorphous semiconductor layer formed on the front surface of said first amorphous semiconductor layer, wherein said crystalline semiconductor member is formed by a second conductivity type single crystalline silicon substrate, said first amorphous semiconductor layer includes a hydrogen concentration profile along a thickness direction of the first amorphous semiconductor layer, said hydrogen concentration profile including a concentration peak having a mountain-shaped profile with a peak consisting of a summit of the mountain-shaped profile, the difference between the value of said hydrogen concentration peak in said first amorphous semiconductor layer and the minimum value of the hydrogen concentration in said first amorphous semiconductor layer is at least about 9×10 said hydrogen concentration peak in said first amorphous semiconductor layer is located in the vicinity of the central portion of said first amorphous semiconductor layer along the thickness direction or is located on a position closer to the interface between said first amorphous semiconductor layer and said second amorphous semiconductor layer than the central portion of said first amorphous semiconductor layer along the thickness direction, and said substantially intrinsic first amorphous semiconductor layer directly contacts said first conductivity type second amorphous semiconductor layer and said second conductivity type single crystalline silicon substrate, and said hydrogen concentration peak consists of one peak or two peaks throughout said substantially intrinsic first amorphous semiconductor layer in total.