Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4721629?dq=inventor:%22Arthur+R.+Hair%22&ei=VAy0Tsa4NYTl0QGQiqWiBA
Timestamp: 2014-03-14 00:29:44
Document Index: 290079784

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 11', 'arts 12', 'arts 11', 'arts 13', 'arts 12', 'arts 13', 'arts 13', 'arts 13']

Patent US4721629 - Method of manufacturing photovoltaic device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA transparent conductive film is formed on a glass substrate covering substantially its entire surface area and this transparent conductive film is divided into a plurality of transparent conductive parts per each photoelectric converting region. The photoelectric converting region is of a nearly rectangular...http://www.google.com/patents/US4721629?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4721629 - Method of manufacturing photovoltaic deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4721629 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 06/778,377Publication dateJan 26, 1988Filing dateDec 19, 1985Priority dateJun 21, 1983Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS4824488Publication number06778377, 778377, US 4721629 A, US 4721629A, US-A-4721629, US4721629 A, US4721629AInventorsYukinori Kuwano, Shoichi Nakano, Souichi SakaiOriginal AssigneeSanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManReferenced by (18), Classifications (23), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod of manufacturing photovoltaic deviceUS 4721629 AAbstract A transparent conductive film is formed on a glass substrate covering substantially its entire surface area and this transparent conductive film is divided into a plurality of transparent conductive parts per each photoelectric converting region. The photoelectric converting region is of a nearly rectangular shape, and accordingly, in order to divide the transparent conductive film into respective transparent conductive film parts, a laser beam is irradiated along all longitudinal and lateral sides of the rectangle. Thereby, the transparent conductive film parts corresponding to the photoelectric converting regions are formed as island regions. Semiconductor film parts are formed on the transparent conductive film parts divided into island regions corresponding to respective photoelectric converting regions and subsequently aluminum film parts are formed on these semiconductor film parts. Transparent conductive film parts are electrically connected to aluminum film parts of adjacent photoelectric converting regions. Thus, a photovoltaic device is manufactured wherein a plurality of photoelectric converting regions are formed on the substrate and respective photoelectric converting regions are connected in a series fashion.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing one example of a photovoltaic device which is manufactured in accordance with the present invention. First, the substrate 10 comprising a transparent (or semitransparent) insulating material, for instance, glass, plastics or the like, of about 1 mm-3 mm in thickness is prepared. Then, a transparent conductive film comprising, for instance, tin oxide (SnO.sub.2) which has a thickness of, for example, 2000 Å-5000 Å is formed on the one main surface of the substrate 10 in a substantially entire fashion. Then, this transparent conductive film is patterned by means of, for example, a laser beam as shown in FIG. 4, and the transparent conductive film parts 11a, 11b and 11c corresponding to respective photoelectric converting ranges 14a, 14b and 14c are formed. For such a transparent conductive film, indium oxide (In.sub.2 O.sub.3) or ITO (indium tin oxide: (In.sub.2 O.sub.3 +SnO.sub.2) are employed besides SnO.sub.2. Furthermore, for the transparent conductive film, other TCOs (Transparent Conductive Oxide) which are well known to the skill of the art may be employed in a form of monolayer or in a form of laminated layer of tin oxide on TCO including the above-mentioned TCO. By adopting such a laminated structure, diffusion of, for example, indium into semiconductor of amorphous silicon is prevented effectively.
In the case where the semiconductor film parts 12a, 12b and 12c as shown in FIG. 3 are formed, firstly a non-single crystalline semiconductor film such as amorphous silicon in an entirely continuous state is formed on the substrate 10 so that the semiconductor film covers the surfaces of respective transparent conductive film parts 11a, 11b and 11c. When the semiconductor film is amorphous silicon film, this is formed by means of the well-known glow discharge in the silane atmosphere. Such a method of forming an amorphous film is disclosed, for instance, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,208 which was cited previously and another U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,521. The thickness of the semiconductor film is selected, for instance, to 5,000 Å-7,000 Å. This amorphous silicon film, namely, semiconductor film contains the PIN junction which is parallel to the film surface. Concretely, the P type amorphous silicon film is formed first, and then the I type (non-doped layer) and the N type amorphous silicon films are formed thereon in sequence. For the P type layer, amorphous silicon carbide (a-si .sub.x c.sub.1-x) can be utilized. Furthermore, for the I type layer, mixed phase of amorphous silicon and microcrystal can be utilized besides amorphous silicon. For the N type layer, amorphous silicon germanium (a-Si.sub.x Ge.sub.1-x) can be utilized.
In the process as shown in FIG. 7D, FIG. 8D and FIG. 9D, the semiconductor film exposed at the portion of the space L1 (FIG. 7C) is removed by means of plasma etching with respective back electrode film parts 13a, 13b and 13c acting as masks, and thereby the semiconductor film parts 12a, 12b and 12c of the same shapes as those of respective back electrode film parts 13a, 13b and 13c are formed. For such plasma etching, both the plasma etching utilizing the glow discharge and the plasma etching utilizing the magnetron discharge can be employed. However, the reactive ion etching is preferably utilized. As an example, such a reactive ion etching employs an induction couple type apparatus and is performed under the following etching conditions. Normal temperature, high frequency power source of 13.56 MHz, carbon fluoride (CF.sub.4) 96% and oxygen (O.sub.2) 4%. What is to be noted here is that the etching of semiconductor film is performed with respective back electrode film parts 13a, 13b and 13c acting as masks. That is, as described previously, even if the part of semiconductor film located under the back electrode film is damaged by the energy beam irradiated onto the back electrode film, no problem takes place because the amorphous silicon film of that part is removed by the dry etching in the process in FIG. 7D, FIG. 8D and FIG. 9D. This is the reason why the back electrode film parts 13a, 13b and 13c can be worked precisely by using an energy beam in the process as shown in FIG. 7C, FIG. 8C and FIG. 9C.