A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

Various methods are used to provide a desired doping metal concentration in a CIGS-containing ink when the CIGS layer is deposited on a photovoltaic device. When the doping metal is sodium, it may be incorporated by: adding a sodium salt, for example sodium acetate, together with the copper-, indium- and/or gallium-containing reagents at the beginning of the synthesis reaction of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se).sub.2 nanoparticles; synthesizing Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se).sub.2 nanoparticles and adding a sodium salt to the reaction solution followed by mild heating before isolating the nanoparticles to aid sodium diffusion; and/or, using a ligand that is capable of capping the Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se).sub.2 nanoparticles with one end of its molecular chain and binding to sodium atoms with the other end of its chain.

Various methods are used to provide a desired doping metal concentration in a CIGS-containing ink when the CIGS layer is deposited on a photovoltaic device. When the doping metal is antimony, it may be incorporated by: adding an antimony salt together with copper-, indium- and/or gallium-containing reagents at the beginning of the synthesis reaction of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se).sub.2 nanoparticles; synthesizing Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se).sub.2 nanoparticles and adding an antimony salt to the reaction solution followed by mild heating before isolating the nanoparticles to aid antimony diffusion; and/or, using a ligand that is capable of capping the Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se).sub.2 nanoparticles with one end of its molecular chain and binding to antimony atoms with the other end of its chain.

An image sensor includes pixel regions separated by an isolation region and receiving incident light, color filters respectively disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate corresponding to the pixel regions, a cover insulating layer disposed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and covering the color filters, first transparent electrodes disposed on the cover insulating layer and spaced apart to respectively overlap the color filters, an isolation pattern disposed on the cover insulating layer between the first transparent electrodes and having a trench spaced apart from the first transparent electrodes, a drain electrode disposed in the trench of the isolation pattern, and an organic photoelectric layer and a second transparent electrode sequentially disposed on the first transparent electrodes and the isolation pattern.

A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ? and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium. The method (200) and apparatus (300) are advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

The present invention relates to a layer system (1) for thin-film solar cells (100) and solar modules, comprising an absorber layer (4), which includes a chalcogenide compound semiconductor, and a buffer layer (5), which is arranged on the absorber layer (4) and includes halogen-enriched Zn.sub.xIn.sub.1-xS.sub.y with 0.01x0.9 and 1y2,
wherein the buffer layer (5) consists of a first layer region (5.1) adjoining the absorber layer (4) with a halogen mole fraction A.sub.1 and a second layer region (5.2) adjoining the first layer region (5.1) with a halogen mole fraction A.sub.2 and the ratio A.sub.1/A.sub.2 is 2 and the layer thickness (d.sub.1) of the first layer region (5.1) is 50% of the layer thickness (d) of the buffer layer (5).

A solar cell includes a light-absorbing layer, comprising a Cu compound or Cd compound, between two electrodes facing each other, has an impurity material layer, comprising an impurity element to be provided to the Cu compound or Cd compound, formed on any one side or both sides between the two electrodes and the light absorbing layer, and has a doping layer formed on one part of the light absorbing layer by means of the impurity element being diffused on the light absorbing layer.

A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

The present disclosure relates to photovoltaic devices that include a chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic light-absorber having a composition profile defined by at least a first region, a second region, and a third region. The second region is located between the first region and the third region. Each region of the chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic light-absorber includes Cu, In, Ga, Al, and at least one chalcogen. The concentration of Al present in the second region is less than the concentration of Al present in each of the first region and third region. Methods of making such chalcogenide-containing photovoltaic light-absorbers are also disclosed.

A compound-based solar cell including a first electrode, a second electrode, a first type doped semiconductor layer and a second type doped semiconductor layer is provided. The first type doped semiconductor layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the second type doped semiconductor layer is disposed between the first type doped semiconductor layer and the second electrode. The first type doped semiconductor layer has a first side adjacent to the first electrode and a second side adjacent to the second type doped semiconductor layer. The first type doped semiconductor layer includes at least one of a plurality of elements, and the elements include potassium, rubidium and cesium. The concentration of at least one of the elements on the first side is higher than the concentration on the second side. Besides, a manufacturing method of a light absorption layer is also provided.