公开(公告)号：US10812013B2

公开(公告)日：2020-10-20

申请号：US16193983

申请日：2018-11-16

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Joshua Conley ,  Benjamin DeFresart ,  Peter Hruby ,  Matthew Kuzila ,  Daniel Smith ,  Thomas Truman

IPC: H02N6/00 ,  H01L31/042 ,  H02S30/10 ,  H01L31/048

Abstract: A photovoltaic device can include a module and a rail. The module can have an edge formed around a perimeter of the module. The rail can include a coupling surface at a top side of the rail, and a recessed surface offset from the coupling surface and towards a bottom side of the rail.

公开(公告)号：US10727362B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-28

申请号：US16265419

申请日：2019-02-01

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Markus Eberhard Beck

IPC: H01L31/048 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01G9/20 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0445 ,  H01L31/028 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/0304 ,  H01L31/032 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/075 ,  H01L51/44

Abstract: In various embodiments, photovoltaic modules are hermetically sealed by providing a first glass sheet, a photovoltaic device disposed on the first glass sheet, and a second glass sheet, a gap being defined between the first and second glass sheets, disposing a glass powder within the gap, and heating the powder to seal the glass sheets.

公开(公告)号：US10461207B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-29

申请号：US14602340

申请日：2015-01-22

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Dan Damjanovic ,  Markus Gloeckler ,  Feng Liao ,  Andrei Los ,  Dan Mao ,  Benjamin Milliron ,  Gopal Mor ,  Rick Powell ,  Kenneth Ring ,  Aaron Roggelin ,  Jigish Trivedi ,  Zhibo Zhao

IPC: H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/20

Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes a substrate structure and at least one Se-containing layer, such as a CdSeTe layer. A process for manufacturing the photovoltaic device includes forming the CdSeTe layer over a substrate by at least one of sputtering, evaporation deposition, CVD, chemical bath deposition process, and vapor transport deposition process. The process can also include controlling a thickness range of the Se-containing layer.

公开(公告)号：US20190296174A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-26

申请号：US16340984

申请日：2017-10-11

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Markus Gloeckler ,  Fang Mei ,  Wei Zhang

IPC: H01L31/0725 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/073

Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a semiconductor stack and a transparent tunnel junction. The semiconductor stack includes an n-type layer selected from a first transparent conductive oxide layer, or a window layer, or both; and a p-type absorber layer disposed on the n-type layer, wherein the absorber layer consists essentially of CdSexTe(1-x), wherein x is from 1 to about 40 at. %. The transparent tunnel junction comprises a transparent interface layer of CdyZn(1-y)Te doped to be p+type, and a transparent contact layer doped to be n+type, and the interface layer is disposed between the p-type absorber layer and the transparent contact layer. In bifacial embodiments, the tunnel junction forms a transparent back contact and electrode; and in multi-junction embodiments, the tunnel junction forms a diode-like connector between top and bottom cells. The transparent contact layer may comprise tin oxide or zinc oxide doped with aluminum, fluorine or indium. The photovoltaic device may also include an electron reflector layer and/or an optical reflector layer.

公开(公告)号：US20190097079A1

公开(公告)日：2019-03-28

申请号：US16200423

申请日：2018-11-26

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Holly Ann Blaydes ,  Kristian William Andreini ,  William Hullinger Huber ,  Eugene Thomas Hinners ,  Joseph John Shiang ,  Yong Liang ,  Jongwoo Choi ,  Adam Fraser Halverson

IPC: H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/065 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0296

Abstract: Embodiments of a photovoltaic device are provided herein. The photovoltaic device can include a layer stack and an absorber layer disposed on the layer stack. The absorber layer can include a first region and a second region. Each of the first region of the absorber layer and the second region of the absorber layer can include a compound comprising cadmium, selenium, and tellurium. An atomic concentration of selenium can vary across the absorber layer. The first region of the absorber layer can have a thickness between 100 nanometers to 3000 nanometers. The second region of the absorber layer can have a thickness between 100 nanometers to 3000 nanometers. A ratio of an average atomic concentration of selenium in the first region of the absorber layer to an average atomic concentration of selenium in the second region of the absorber layer can be greater than 10.

公开(公告)号：US20190081199A1

公开(公告)日：2019-03-14

申请号：US16185966

申请日：2018-11-09

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： John Barden ,  Rick C. Powell

IPC: H01L31/18 ,  C23C14/22 ,  C23C14/24 ,  C23C16/448 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/046 ,  C23C14/56

Abstract: An improved feeder system and method for continuous vapor transport deposition that includes at least two vaporizers couple to a common distributor through an improved seal for separately vaporizing and collecting at least any two vaporizable materials for deposition as a material layer on a substrate. Multiple vaporizer provide redundancy and allow for continuous deposition during vaporizer maintenance and repair.

公开(公告)号：US10153386B2

公开(公告)日：2018-12-11

申请号：US14699574

申请日：2015-04-29

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Benyamin Buller ,  Akhlesh Gupta

IPC: H01L31/00 ,  H01L31/0296 ,  H01L31/0232 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224

Abstract: A multilayered structure may include a doped buffer layer on a transparent conductive oxide layer.

公开(公告)号：US10147838B2

公开(公告)日：2018-12-04

申请号：US15290054

申请日：2016-10-11

Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INC.

Inventor： John Barden ,  Rick C. Powell

IPC: C23C16/448 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C14/22 ,  C23C14/24 ,  C23C14/56 ,  H01L31/046 ,  H01L31/0296

Abstract: An improved feeder system and method for continuous vapor transport deposition that includes at least two vaporizers coupled to a common distributor through an improved seal for separately vaporizing and collecting at least any two vaporizable materials for deposition as a material layer on a substrate. Multiple vaporizers provide redundancy and allow for continuous deposition during vaporizer maintenance and repair.

公开(公告)号：US20170170353A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-15

申请号：US15373228

申请日：2016-12-08

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Changming Jin ,  Sanghyun Lee ,  Jun-Ying Zhang

IPC: H01L31/073 ,  H01L31/0272 ,  H01L31/0264

CPC classification number: H01L31/073 ,  H01J2237/335 ,  H01L21/02422 ,  H01L21/02491 ,  H01L21/02551 ,  H01L21/02664 ,  H01L31/0264 ,  H01L31/0272 ,  H01L31/1868 ,  Y02E10/543 ,  Y02P70/521

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for the surface cleaning and passivation of PV absorbers, such as CdTe substrates usable in solar cells, and devices made by such methods. In some embodiments, the method involves an anode layer ion source (ALIS) plasma discharge process to clean and oxidize a CdTe surface to produce a thin oxide layer between the CdTe layer and subsequent back contact layer(s).

公开(公告)号：US20170133522A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-11

申请号：US15046887

申请日：2016-02-18

Applicant: First Solar, Inc.

Inventor： Shrinivas Govindarajan ,  Michael Latusek ,  Feng Yan

IPC: H01L31/0296 ,  C01B19/00

CPC classification number: H01L31/0296 ,  C01B19/002 ,  C01B19/007 ,  C01G11/006 ,  H01L31/0272

Abstract: A process for preparing alloy products powders is described using a self-sustaining or self-propagating SHS-type combustion process. Binary, ternary and quaternary alloy having cadmium, selenium and optionally a third element X or Y selected from Group VIA (such as S or Te) or from group IIB (such as Zn or Hg). The alloy products may be doped or not with a wide variety of other elements. The process involves heating to ignition, maintaining an elevated temperature less than melting for homogenization, followed by cooling and crushing. An optional de-oxidation process may follow to further purify the alloy and balance the stoichiometry.