Abstract: Three-terminal (3-T) and four-terminal (4-T) thin-film, Si-based, multi-junction solar cells, and solar cell panels wherein multiple solar cells are electrically connected in series, in which current-matching-constraints are released from the two stacked cells that make up each solar cell, wherein the two stacked cells (i.e. a first n-i-p a-Si:H cell considered in the direction of light penetration, and a second stable, low band gap material p-i-n cell, such as a p-i-n nc-Si:H cell considered in the direction of light penetration) are carried by a substrate having a top-disposed and ultra-thin (about 1000 A thick) a-Si:H solar cell where instability is not an issue, the invention having the potential of attaining ?>16%.

Abstract: A substrate cassette contains two physically spaced and parallel reels. A relatively long web of flexible substrate material is wound about one reel and the exposed end of the web is connected to the other reel, to thus expose a relatively short length of the substrate material at a deposition-plane that lies between the two reels. A first idler roller is associated with the first reel, a second idler roller is associated with the second reel, and the web is guided by the two idler rollers as the web moves between the two reels. The two idler rollers are mounted at fixed positions in order to accurately establish a fixed-position deposition-plane. The substrate cassette is placed within one or more vacuum deposition chambers, the web is advanced between the two reels, and one or more semiconductor layers are deposited on substantially the entire length of the web. A protective layer is provided as part of the web in order to protect the semiconductor layer(s) when the web is wound unto a take-up reel.

Abstract: A hot wire chemical vapor deposition method and apparatus for fabricating high quality amorphous, micro-crystalline, and poly-crystalline thin film silicon, or related materials, devices and large area modules is described. A silane gas impinges upon a hot graphite rod assembly whereas the gas is broken up into its individual constituents, these constituents then depositing on an inert substrate member. The distance between the hot graphite rod assembly and the substrate member is adjustable. A shutter is provided to shield the substrate member as the hot graphite rod assembly is heating up. The hot graphite rod assembly contains a plurality of mutually parallel and coplanar rods that are parallel to the plane of the substrate member, and the hot graphite rod assembly and/or the substrate is oscillated in a direction generally normal to the direction in which the rods extend.

Abstract: A substrate cassette contains two physically spaced and parallel reels. A relatively long web of flexible substrate material is wound about one reel and the exposed end of the web is connected to the other reel, to thus expose a relatively short length of the substrate material at a deposition-plane that lies between the two reels. A first idler roller is associated with the first reel, a second idler roller is associated with the second reel, and the web is guided by the two idler rollers as the web moves between the two reels. The two idler rollers are mounted at fixed positions in order to accurately establish a fixed-position deposition-plane. The substrate cassette is placed within one or more vacuum deposition chambers, the web is advanced between the two reels, and one or more semiconductor layers are deposited on substantially the entire length of the web. A protective layer is provided as part of the web in order to protect the semiconductor layer(s) when the web is wound unto a take-up reel.

Abstract: A hot wire chemical vapor deposition method and apparatus for fabricating high quality amorphous, micro-crystalline, and poly-crystalline thin film silicon, or related materials, devices and large area modules is described. A silane gas impinges upon a hot graphite rod assembly whereas the gas is broken up into its individual constituents, these constituents then depositing on an inert substrate member. The distance between the hot graphite rod assembly and the substrate member is adjustable. A shutter is provided to shield the substrate member as the hot graphite rod assembly is heating up. The hot graphite rod assembly contains a plurality of mutually parallel and coplanar rods that are parallel to the plane of the substrate member, and the hot graphite rod assembly is oscillated in a direction generally normal to the direction in which the rods extend.

Abstract: A substrate cassette contains two physically spaced and parallel reels. A relatively long web of flexible substrate material is wound about one reel and the exposed end of the web is connected to the other reel, to thus expose a relatively short length of the substrate material at a deposition-plane that lies between the two reels. A first idler roller is associated with the first reel, a second idler roller is associated with the second reel, and the web is guided by the two idler rollers as the web moves between the two reels. The two idler rollers are mounted at fixed positions in order to accurately establish a fixed-position deposition-plane. The substrate cassette is placed within one or more vacuum deposition chambers, the web is advanced between the two reels, and one or more semiconductor layers are deposited on substantially the entire length of the web. A protective layer is provided as part of the web in order to protect the semiconductor layer(s) when the web is wound unto a take-up reel.

Abstract: A hot wire chemical vapor deposition method and apparatus for fabricating high quality amorphous, micro-crystalline, and poly-crystalline thin film silicon, or related materials, devices and large area modules is described. A silane gas impinges upon a hot graphite rod assembly whereas the gas is broken up into its individual constituents, these constituents then depositing on an inert substrate member. The distance between the hot graphite rod assembly and the substrate member is adjustable. A shutter is provided to shield the substrate member as the hot graphite rod assembly is heating up. The hot graphite rod assembly contains a plurality of mutually parallel and coplanar rods that are parallel to the plane of the substrate member, and the hot graphite rod assembly and/or the substrate is oscillated in a direction generally normal to the direction in which the rods extend.

Abstract: A solar cell substrate comprising a glass plate, and a transparent electrically conductive layer formed thereon, wherein said glass plate is tempered.

Abstract: A modular continuous vapor deposition system for the fabrication of semiconductor devices having a plurality of deposition modules isolated from each other by isolation modules which prevent the cross contamination of the different processing gases used in the deposition modules. Each of the deposition modules has a flow of a decomposable processing gas therethrough at a desired pressure, and means for generating a continuous glow discharge. The glow discharge decomposes the processing gas to deposit a layer of amorphous semiconductor material on the discrete substrate sheets as they are transported through each of the deposition modules. A plurality of gate valves effectively seal the interfaces between adjacent modules to isolate them from their immediate neighbors and are opened in a predetermined sequence to allow the substrate sheets to be transported from one module to the next. The isolation modules are connected to a vacuum source and a back-fill gas source.

Abstract: A solar cell fabrication method and solar cell made by the method wherein a grid of point electrical connections is made to a transparent first electrode layer of the cell through a layer of a-Si semiconductor material which is sandwiched between the first electrode layer and a second back electrode layer. A dielectric layer electrically insulates the back electrode layer and the grid of point electrical connections. An electrically conducting network is deposited on the dielectric layer and electrically interconnects the grid of point electrical connections. The resulting cell has a relatively low active area loss and a relatively low electrical power loss due to the electrical connections in the cell.

Abstract: A method producing a solid semiconductor film characterized by a low density of defect states in the energy gap thereof by the glow discharge deposition of a precursor gaseous mixture which includes a gas chosen from the group consisting essentially of hydrogen, fluorine, or combinations thereof and a compound chosen from the group consisting essentially of SiH.sub.3 F, SiH.sub.2 F.sub.2, SiHF.sub.3, SiHCl.sub.3, SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2, SiH.sub.3 Cl, SiCl.sub.3 F, SiCl.sub.2 F.sub.2, SiClF.sub.3, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A solar cell substrate comprising a glass substrate and a transparent electrically conductive layer formed thereon, said conductive layer having a plurality of polygonal projections, having approximate diameters of from 0.1 to 0.3 .mu.m and height/diameter ratios of at least 0.

Abstract: An apparatus for depositing thin films on a substrate includes at least one deposition module, a load lock module, a gate valve and a transportation mechanism for moving a substrate between the load lock and the at least one deposition module, the transportation mechanism being adapted to operate within ultra high vacuum conditions. The at least one deposition module is capable of maintaining an ultra high vacuum for depositing materials from reactive gases contained therein on a substrate. The load lock module is connected to the at least one deposition module by a gate valve and is capable of maintaining an ultra high vacuum. The transportation mechanism for moving the substrate between the load lock and the at least one deposition module is adapted to operate under ultra high vacuum conditions so that the substrate can be drawn from the load lock into the deposition module without breaking vacuum in the deposition module and contaminating the reactive gases contained therein.

Abstract: A wide band amorphous semiconductor alloy including a host matrix of silicon and incorporating therein carbon or nitrogen and a plurality of different and complimentary density of states reducing elements.

Abstract: A photodetection device and a current control device, both including means responsive to the intensity of incident radiation for providing an output signal corresponding thereto. The responsive means includes a thin semiconductor film comprising a solid amorphous silicon or amorphous germanium host matrix having electronic configurations and an energy gap. At least one compensating element is introduced into that matrix for reducing the density of states in the energy gap thereof.

Abstract: An amorphous semiconductor body, most advantageously a glow discharge deposited silicon-containing host matrix film, is provided containing at least fluorine as a compensating or altering agent, and most preferably at least one complementary compensating or altering agent, such as hydrogen, both of which reduce the localized defect states in the energy gap of the amorphous semiconductor material to a degree which either one alone could not achieve. The silicon and/or other elements of the host matrix film are deposited by the glow discharge decomposition of gaseous compounds preferably with fluorine as one element of a compound, the hydrogen and other compensating and altering material being preferably a molecular gas or an element of a compound of silicon or other host matrix element.

Abstract: The production of improved photoresponsive amorphous alloys and devices, such as photovoltaic, photoreceptive devices and the like; having improved wavelength threshold characteristics is made possible by adding one or more band gap increasing elements to the alloys and devices. The increasing element or elements are added at least to a portion of the active photoresponsive regions of amorphous silicon devices. One increasing element is carbon which increases the band gap from that of the materials without the increasing element incorporated therein. Other increasing elements can be used such as nitrogen. The silicon and increasing elements are concurrently combined and deposited as amorphous alloys by vapor deposition, sputtering or glow discharge decomposition. A density of states reducing element allows the band gap increasing element(s) to be added to the alloy to adjust the band gap without reducing the electronic qualities of the alloy.

Abstract: The production of improved photoresponsive amorphous alloys and devices, such as photovoltaic, photoreceptive devices and the like; having improved wavelength threshold characteristics is made possible by adding one or more band gap increasing elements to the alloys and devices. The increasing element or elements are added at least to a portion of the active photoresponsive regions of amorphous silicon devices. One increasing element is carbon which increases the band gap from that of the materials without the increasing element incorporated therein. Other increasing elements can be used such as nitrogen. The silicon and increasing elements are concurrently combined and deposited as amorphous alloys by vapor deposition, sputtering or glow discharge decomposition. A density of states reducing element allows the band gap increasing element(s) to be added to the alloy to adjust the band gap without reducing the electronic qualities of the alloy.

Abstract: Hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells which incorporate a thin insulating layer between a photoactive layer of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon and a heavily doped radiation incident N or N.sup.+ -type layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Abstract: An amorphous semiconductor body, most advantageously a glow discharge deposited silicon-containing host matrix film, is provided containing at least fluorine as a compensating or altering agent, and most preferably at least one complementary compensating or altering agent, such as hydrogen, both of which reduce the localized defect states in the energy gap of the amorphous semiconductor material to a degree which either one alone could not achieve. The silicon and/or other elements of the host matrix film are deposited by the glow discharge decomposition of gaseous compounds preferably with fluorine as one element of a compound, the hydrogen and other compensating and altering material being preferably a molecular gas or an element of a compound of silicon or other host matrix element.