Visibly transparent photovoltaic devices are disclosed, such as those are transparent to visible light but absorb near-infrared light and/or ultraviolet light. The photovoltaic devices make use of transparent electrodes and near-infrared absorbing visibly transparent photoactive compounds, optical materials, and/or buffer materials.

A photovoltaic device configured to substantially avoid radiative recombination of photo-generated carriers, reduce loss of energy of the photo-generated carriers through the phonon emission, extract photo-generated carriers substantially exclusively from the multi-frequency satellite valley(s) of the bandstructure of the used semiconductor material as opposed to the single predetermined extremum of the bandstructure. Methodologies of fabrication and operation of such a device.

A method for manufacturing a stacked thin film, includes forming a photoelectric conversion layer on a first transparent electrode by sputtering using a target mainly composed of copper in an oxygen containing atmosphere. An oxygen partial pressure of the sputtering is in a range of 0.01 [Pa] or more and 4.8 [Pa] or less, and 0.24×d [Pa] or more and 2.4×d [Pa] or less when a deposition rate is d [μm/min], in formation of the photoelectric conversion layer. A sputtering temperature is 300° C. or more and 600° C. or less, in formation of the photoelectric conversion layer.

A method for manufacturing a stacked thin film, includes forming a photoelectric conversion layer on a first transparent electrode by sputtering using a target mainly composed of copper in an oxygen containing atmosphere. An oxygen partial pressure of the sputtering is in a range of 0.01 [Pa] or more and 4.8 [Pa] or less, and 0.24×d [Pa] or more and 2.4×d [Pa] or less when a deposition rate is d [μm/min], in formation of the photoelectric conversion layer. A sputtering temperature is 300° C. or more and 600° C. or less, in formation of the photoelectric conversion layer.

Systems and methods of three-terminal tandem solar cells are described. Three-terminal metal electrodes can be formed to contact subcells of the tandem solar cell. The three-terminal tandem cell can improve the device efficiency to at least 30%.

A method and apparatus for reducing as-deposited and metastable defects relative to amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films, its alloys and devices fabricated therefrom that include heating an earth shield positioned around a cathode in a parallel plate plasma chemical vapor deposition chamber to control a temperature of a showerhead in the deposition chamber in the range of 350° C. to 600° C. An anode in the deposition chamber is cooled to maintain a temperature in the range of 50° C. to 450° C. at the substrate that is positioned at the anode. In the apparatus, a heater is embedded within the earth shield and a cooling system is embedded within the anode.

Photovoltaic module comprising a plurality of multijunction photovoltaic cells, at least one of said multijunction photovoltaic cells comprising : a first photovoltaic sub-cell extending over a first predetermined area; a second photovoltaic sub-cell provided on said first photovoltaic sub-cell and in electrical connection therewith, said second photovoltaic sub-cell extending over a second predetermined area which is smaller than said first predetermined area so as to define at least one zone in which said first photovoltaic sub-cell is uncovered by said second photovoltaic sub-cell; an electrically-insulating layer situated upon said first photovoltaic sub-cell in at least a part of said zone; and an electrically-conductive layer situated upon at least part of said electrically-insulating layer and in electrical connection with a surface of said second photovoltaic sub-cell, wherein at least one of said multijunction photovoltaic cells is electrically connected to at least one other of said multijunction photovoltaic cells by means of at least one electrical interconnector electrically connected to said electrically-conductive layer in said zone.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a substrate; forming an adhesive layer on the substrate; and forming, on the adhesive layer, a perovskite solar cell having a perovskite absorption layer, wherein an optical treatment step of providing light is performed at least once between the step of preparing the substrate and the step of forming the perovskite solar cell.

A solar cell that capable of improving light utilization efficiency is disclosed. The solar cell comprises I-VII compound photovoltaic layer, silicon photovoltaic layer, first electrode and second electrode. The I-VII compound photovoltaic layer comprises first and second type I-VII compound layers. The first and second type I-VII compound layer have first and second type impurities, respectively. The second type I-VII compound layer is disposed under the first type I-VII compound layer. The silicon photovoltaic layer comprises first and second type silicon layers. The first and second type silicon layers have first and second type dopants, respectively. The first type and second type silicon layers are disposed under the second type I-VII compound layer and the first type silicon layer, respectively. The first and second electrodes are formed under the second type silicon layer and on a portion of the first type I-VII compound layer, respectively.

A solar cell that capable of improving light utilization efficiency is disclosed. The solar cell comprises I-VII compound photovoltaic layer, silicon photovoltaic layer, first electrode and second electrode. The I-VII compound photovoltaic layer comprises first and second type I-VII compound layers. The first and second type I-VII compound layer have first and second type impurities, respectively. The second type I-VII compound layer is disposed under the first type I-VII compound layer. The silicon photovoltaic layer comprises first and second type silicon layers. The first and second type silicon layers have first and second type dopants, respectively. The first type and second type silicon layers are disposed under the second type I-VII compound layer and the first type silicon layer, respectively. The first and second electrodes are formed under the second type silicon layer and on a portion of the first type I-VII compound layer, respectively.