Methods for doping an absorbent layer of a p-n heterojunction in a thin film photovoltaic device are provided. The method can include depositing a window layer on a transparent substrate, where the window layer includes at least one dopant (e.g,. copper). A p-n heterojunction can be formed on the window layer, with the p-n heterojunction including a photovoltaic material (e.g., cadmium telluride) in an absorber layer. The dopant can then be diffused from the window layer into the absorber layer (e.g., via annealing).

Described herein is a method of using the buffer layer of a transparent conductive substrate as a dopant source for the n-type window layer of a photovoltaic device. The dopant source of the buffer layer distributes to the window layer of the photovoltaic device during semiconductor processing. Described herein are also methods of manufacturing embodiments of the substrate structure and photovoltaic device. Disclosed embodiments also describe a photovoltaic module and a photovoltaic structure with a plurality of photovoltaic devices having an embodiment of the substrate structure.

A method for manufacturing a back-contact solar cell, comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a semiconductor substrate comprising an n-layer and a p-layer at the back side of the semiconductor substrate; (ii) applying a conductive paste on both the n-layer and the p-layer, wherein the conductive paste comprises a silver (Ag) powder, a palladium (Pd) powder, an additional metal powder selected from the group consisting of molybdenum (Mo), boron (B) and a mixture thereof, a glass frit, and an organic medium; and (iii) firing the applied conductive paste.

A method is disclosed for doping a semiconductor material comprising the steps of providing a semiconductor material having a first and a second surface. A dopant precursor is applied on the first surface of the semiconductor material. A thermal energy beam is directed onto the second surface of the semiconductor material to pass through the semiconductor material and impinge upon the dopant precursor to dope the semiconductor material thereby.

Hybrid transparent conducting materials are disclosed with combine a polycrystalline film and conductive nanostructures, in which the polycrystalline film is percolation doped with the conductive nanostructures. The polycrystalline film preferably is a single atomic layer thickness of polycrystalline graphene, and conductive nanostructures preferably are silver nanowires.

The invention relates to an electroconductive paste composition comprising conductive metallic particles comprising silver, at least one glass frit, and an organic vehicle comprising at least about 0.5 wt % and no more than about 50 wt % of at least one poly-siloxane compound, based upon 100% total weight of the organic vehicle.

A method of forming a photovoltaic device is provided that includes a p-n junction with a p-type semiconductor portion and an n-type semiconductor portion, wherein an upper exposed surface of one of the semiconductor portions represents a front side surface of the semiconductor substrate. Patterned antireflective coating layers are formed on the front side surface of the semiconductor surface to provide a grid pattern including a busbar region and finger region. A mask having a shape that mimics each patterned antireflective coating layer is provided atop each patterned antireflective coating layer. A metal layer is electrodeposited on the busbar region and the finger regions. After removing the mask, an anneal is performed that reacts metal atoms from the metal layer react with semiconductor atoms from the busbar region and the finger regions forming a metal semiconductor alloy.

A photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a back contact comprising a stable low-work function material, a photovoltaic absorber material layer comprising Ag.sub.2ZnSn(S,Se).sub.4 (AZTSSe) on a side of the back contact opposite the substrate, wherein the back contact forms an Ohmic contact with the photovoltaic absorber material layer, a buffer layer or Schottky contact layer on a side of the absorber layer opposite the back contact, and a top electrode on a side of the buffer layer opposite the absorber layer.

A system and method of patterning dopants of opposite polarity to form a solar cell is described. Two dopant films are deposited on a substrate. A laser is used to pattern the N-type dopant, by mixing the two dopant films into a single film with an exposure to the laser and/or drive the N-type dopant into the substrate to form an N-type emitter. A thermal process drives the P-type dopant from the P-type dopant film to form P-type emitters and further drives the N-type dopant from the single film to either form or further drive the N-type emitter.

A method of making crystal semi-conducting material-based elements, including providing a support having amorphous semi-conducting material-based semi-conducting elements, the support being further provided with one or more components and with a reflective protective area configured so as to reflect a light radiation in a given wavelength range, exposing the element(s) to a laser radiation emitting in the given wavelength range so as to recrystallize the elements, the reflective protective area being arranged on the support relative to the elements and to the components so as to reflect the laser radiation and protect the components from this radiation.