Patent ID: 8895842

Claim:
A photovoltaic device, comprising: a first TCO layer disposed on a substrate; a p-type silicon containing layer formed on the first TCO layer, wherein the p-type silicon containing layer is an amorphous silicon carbide layer having a carbon concentration between about 10 atomic percent and about 20 atomic percent, wherein the p-type silicon containing layer has a first p-type dopant concentration between about 1×10 18 atoms/cm 3 and about 1×10 20 atoms/cm 3 ; and a degeneratively-doped p-type silicon carbide layer disposed between the first TCO layer and the p-type silicon containing layer, wherein the degeneratively-doped p-type silicon layer has a second p-type dopant concentration higher than the first p-type dopant concentration of the p-type silicon containing layer, wherein the second p-type dopant concentration is between 1×10 20 atoms/cm 3 and about 1×10 21 atoms/cm 3 , a p-type nanocrystalline silicon layer disposed between the first TCO layer and the degeneratively-doped p-type silicon carbide layer, an intrinsic type silicon containing layer disposed on the p-type silicon containing layer, and a n-type silicon containing layer disposed on the intrinsic type silicon containing layer.