US 12,261,231 B2
Thin film stacks for group V doping, photovoltaic devices including the same, and methods for forming photovoltaic devices with thin film stacks
Sachit Grover, Campbell, CA (US); Chungho Lee, San Jose, CA (US); Xiaoping Li, San Jose, CA (US); Dingyuan Lu, San Jose, CA (US); Roger Malik, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Gang Xiong, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to First Solar, Inc., Tempe, AZ (US)
Filed by First Solar, Inc., Tempe, AZ (US)
Filed on May 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/751,189.
Application 17/751,189 is a continuation of application No. 16/488,808, granted, now 11,342,471, previously published as PCT/US2018/019848, filed on Feb. 27, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/464,127, filed on Feb. 27, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0285569 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 31/0296 (2006.01); H01L 31/0304 (2006.01); H01L 31/05 (2014.01); H01L 31/18 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 31/02963 (2013.01) [H01L 31/03044 (2013.01); H01L 31/0516 (2013.01); H01L 31/18 (2013.01); H01L 31/1828 (2013.01); H01L 31/1864 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photovoltaic device comprising:
a buffer layer having a first surface facing an energy side of the photovoltaic device and a second surface facing an opposing side of the photovoltaic device; and
an absorber layer provided upon the second surface of the buffer layer, wherein:
the buffer layer comprises at least one of: intrinsic tin dioxide, zinc magnesium oxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, or aluminum nitride,
the absorber layer is adjacent to the buffer layer at the second surface of the buffer layer,
the absorber layer comprises cadmium, selenium, and tellurium,
the absorber layer is p-type,
the absorber layer is formed from a plurality of semiconductor layers,
the plurality of semiconductor layers comprises a doped layer comprising cadmium selenide or cadmium telluride,
the doped layer is doped with a group V dopant,
a total dosage of the group V dopant in the absorber layer is greater than 0 atomic percent and less than 0.1 atomic percent, and
the absorber layer has a first surface nearest the energy side of the photovoltaic device, and an average concentration of oxygen in the absorber layer measured between a first surface of the absorber layer and a midpoint of the absorber layer is between 5×1015 cm−3 and 3×1017 cm−3.