Abstract: A solar PV module comprises an array of serially interconnected spaced PV solar cells on a common substrate, each cell comprising a 1st electrode on said substrate, an active PV film on the 1st electrode, a 2nd electrode, at least one of said electrodes being light transmitting and wherein the 2nd electrode of the nth solar cell of the array is connected to the 1st electrode of the succeeding, (n+1)th cell of the array via a portion of PV film which has a substantially higher conductivity than the remainder of the PV film. The novel structure of the present invention is achieved by substantially increasing the conductivity of a continuous light absorbing PV film in the area of desired electrical contact by doping the film in the desired areas.

Abstract: A method for reducing shunt-related defects is described for hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film photovoltaic modules with thin active a-Si:H absorber as required by building integrated photovoltaic windows and sun-roofs with adequate transmission of sunlight. Without shunt-passivation, p-i-n type large area photovoltaic modules with very thin a-Si:H i-layer will suffer excessive performance, yield, and reliability losses due to electrical shorting through i-layer defects. Wide-bandgap a-Si:H based alloy films of sufficient resistivity are deposed between the active solar cell and the conductive back electrode to provide a barrier to leakage current flow. Such a-Si:H based barrier films of high optical transparency are dummy films that do not directly contribute to energy conversion. The shunt-passivation films are entirely produced by the same conventional manufacturing process for a-Si:H photovoltaic devices without invoking complicated or exotic materials or procedures proposed in prior arts.

Abstract: Amorphous hydrogenated silicon-carbon alloys having particular usefulness in the preparation of photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, with improved properties, such as high open circuit voltage with high fill factor and improved blue response, and stability, are provided by the process of depositing the alloy on a substrate maintained at a relatively low temperature below about 260.degree. C. in a vapor deposition chamber, and introducing a gaseous mixture comprising at least one compound having the formula (SiX.sub.3).sub.3 CX.sup.1 wherein each X and X.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and halogen, and a high proportion of hydrogen, in a ratio by volume of from about 50 parts to about 2000 parts hydrogen to 1 part of (SiX.sub.3).sub.3 CX.sup.1 compound, under deposition conditions of low excitation power density of less than about 50 mw/cm.sup.2, and high pressure of more than about 0.1 torr.