Abstract: A substrate carrier, includes: a unitary body fabricated from a single block of graphite, wherein the body comprises a back plate, and a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, side rails, wherein each of the side rails comprises: an inwardly facing surface extending outwardly of the back plate; a longitudinally extending selenium vapor bore formed therein, a top end of the selenium vapor bore being open and configured for coupling to a selenium supply container for receiving selenium vapor by gravity, a bottom end of the selenium vapor bore being closed; an inwardly directed selenium vapor channel; a plurality of selenium vapor outlets disposed between the selenium vapor bore and the inwardly directed selenium vapor channel so as provide a plurality of conduits between the selenium vapor bore and the selenium vapor channel; and, a longitudinally extending engagement slot formed in the inwardly facing surface of each side rail adjacent the back plate to engage and hold a substrate in proximity to the ba

Abstract: A device and method of improving efficiency of a thin film solar cell by providing a back reflector between a back electrode layer and an absorber layer. Back reflector reflects sunlight photons back into the absorber layer to generate additional electrical energy. The device is a photovoltaic device comprising a substrate, a back electrode layer, a back reflector, an absorber layer, a buffer layer, and a front contact layer. The back reflector is formed as a plurality of parallel lines.

Abstract: A substrate carrier, includes: a unitary body fabricated from a single block of graphite, wherein the body comprises a back plate, and a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel, side rails, wherein each of the side rails comprises: an inwardly facing surface extending outwardly of the back plate; a longitudinally extending selenium vapor bore formed therein, a top end of the selenium vapor bore being open and configured for coupling to a selenium supply container for receiving selenium vapor by gravity, a bottom end of the selenium vapor bore being closed; an inwardly directed selenium vapor channel; a plurality of selenium vapor outlets disposed between the selenium vapor bore and the inwardly directed selenium vapor channel so as provide a plurality of conduits between the selenium vapor bore and the selenium vapor channel; and, a longitudinally extending engagement slot formed in the inwardly facing surface of each side rail adjacent the back plate to engage and hold a substrate in proximity to the ba

Abstract: A solar cell module includes a substrate; an absorber layer formed over the substrate; a porous alumina passivation layer formed on an upper surface of the absorber layer; a buffer layer conformably formed over the passivation layer; and a transparent conducting oxide layer conformably formed over the buffer layer.

Abstract: A solar cell device and a method of fabricating the same are described. The method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a photovoltaic substructure including a substrate, back contact, absorber and buffer, forming a transparent cover separate from the photovoltaic substructure including a transparent layer and a plasmonic nanostructured layer in contact with the transparent layer, and adhering the transparent cover on top of the photovoltaic substructure. The plasmonic nanostructured layer can include metal nanoparticles.

Abstract: A method includes: forming a buffer layer over an absorber layer of a photovoltaic device; and extrinsically doping the buffer layer after the forming step.

Abstract: A method includes: forming a buffer layer over an absorber layer of a photovoltaic device; and extrinsically doping the buffer layer after the forming step.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes a substrate; an absorber layer formed over the substrate; a porous alumina passivation layer formed on an upper surface of the absorber layer; a buffer layer conformably formed over the passivation layer; and a transparent conducting oxide layer conformably formed over the buffer layer.

Abstract: A method and system for forming chalcogenide semiconductor absorber materials with sodium impurities is provided. The system includes a sodium vaporizer in which a solid sodium source material is vaporized. The sodium vapor is added to reactant gases and/or annealing gases and directed to a furnace that includes a substrate with a metal precursor material. The precursor material reacts with reactant gases such as S-containing gases and Se-containing gases according to various process sequences. In one embodiment, a selenization operation is followed by an annealing operation and a sulfurization operation and the sodium vapor is caused to react with the metal precursor during at least one of the annealing and the sulfurization steps to produce a chalcogenide semiconductor absorber material that includes sodium dopant impurities.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a solar cell generally comprises delivering a solar cell substructure to a chamber. Electromagnetic radiation is generated using a wave generating device that is coupled to the chamber such that the wave generating device is positioned proximate to the solar cell substructure. The electromagnetic radiation is applied onto at least a portion of the solar cell substructure to facilitate the diffusion of at least one metal element through at least a portion of the solar cell substructure such that a semiconductor interface is formed between at least two different types of semiconductor materials of the solar cell substructure.

Abstract: A solar cell device and a method of fabricating the same are described. The method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a photovoltaic substructure including a substrate, back contact, absorber and buffer, forming a transparent cover separate from the photovoltaic substructure including a transparent layer and a plasmonic nanostructured layer in contact with the transparent layer, and adhering the transparent cover on top of the photovoltaic substructure. The plasmonic nanostructured layer can include metal nanoparticles.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a solar cell generally comprises delivering a solar cell substructure to a chamber. Electromagnetic radiation is generated using a wave generating device that is coupled to the chamber such that the wave generating device is positioned proximate to the solar cell substructure. The electromagnetic radiation is applied onto at least a portion of the solar cell substructure to facilitate the diffusion of at least one metal element through at least a portion of the solar cell substructure such that a semiconductor interface is formed between at least two different types of semiconductor materials of the solar cell substructure.

Abstract: A device and method of improving efficiency of a thin film solar cell by providing a back reflector between a back electrode layer and an absorber layer. Back reflector reflects sunlight photons back into the absorber layer to generate additional electrical energy. The device is a photovoltaic device comprising a substrate, a back electrode layer, a back reflector, an absorber layer, a buffer layer, and a front contact layer. The back reflector is formed as a plurality of parallel lines.

Abstract: A method and system for forming chalcogenide semiconductor absorber materials with sodium impurities is provided. The system includes a sodium vaporizer in which a solid sodium source material is vaporized. The sodium vapor is added to reactant gases and/or annealing gases and directed to a furnace that includes a substrate with a metal precursor material. The precursor material reacts with reactant gases such as S-containing gases and Se-containing gases according to various process sequences. In one embodiment, a selenization operation is followed by an annealing operation and a sulfurization operation and the sodium vapor is caused to react with the metal precursor during at least one of the annealing and the sulfurization steps to produce a chalcogenide semiconductor absorber material that includes sodium dopant impurities.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes a substrate; a back contact layer disposed on the substrate; an absorber layer for photo absorption disposed above the back contact layer; a buffer layer disposed above the absorber layer; a front contact layer disposed above the buffer layer; and a plasmonic nanostructured layer having a plurality of nano-particles, wherein the plasmonic nanostructured layer is between a topmost back contact layer surface and the absorber layer.

Abstract: A system for depositing selenium on a substrate comprises includes a substrate carrier including a body, means for holding the substrate, and a plurality of selenium vapor outlets formed in the body to direct a flux of selenium vapor onto the substrate. A selenium supply container provides selenium vapor to the selenium vapor outlets. At least one temperature sensor is coupled to the substrate carrier to sense temperature of the substrate. A heat source is positioned to heat the substrate. A controller is coupled to the temperature sensor and the heat source.

Abstract: A charcopyrite-based thin film solar cell device and a method of fabricating the same is described. The solar cell includes a stacked absorber film over a substrate. The stacked absorber film includes at least two sets of absorber materials and each set includes at least three layers. At least one of the three layers includes elemental selenium and at least one of the layers includes a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, indium or gallium. The at least one selenium layer is in contact with the at least one metal layer. The at least two sets form an absorber film including multi-layer embedded selenium.

Abstract: An inverted organic solar cell and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, wherein the inverted organic solar cell comprises: a substrate; a first electrode disposed on the substrate; an active layer disposed on the first electrode; an optical spacer containing a buffer layer and an optical interfacial layer, wherein the buffer layer is laminated on the active layer, the optical interfacial layer is laminated on the buffer layer, and the buffer layer is disposed between the active layer and the optical interfacial layer; and a second electrode disposed on the optical spacer. The introduction of the optical spacer with a favorable thickness can enhance light absorption in the active layer, and therefore the power conversion efficiency of the organic solar cell can be improved.