A monolithic multiple solar cell includes at least three partial cells, with a semiconductor mirror placed between two partial cells. The aim of the invention is to improve the radiation stability of said solar cell. For this purpose, the semiconductor mirror has a high degree of reflection in at least one part of a spectral absorption area of the partial cell which is arranged above the semiconductor mirror and a high degree of transmission within the spectral absorption range of the partial cell arranged below the semiconductor mirror.

A method of fabricating a color tunable thin film photovoltaic device includes depositing a layer of a semiconducting compound configured to exhibit a photovoltaic effect, and depositing a buffer layer over the layer of the semiconducting compound. Depositing transparent conducting oxides (TCO) over the buffer layer is followed by selecting two or more layers of optically transparent materials such that constructive interference among wavelengths reflected by the buffer layer, the TCO, and the two or more layers results in a desired exhibited color and depositing the two or more layers of the optically transparent materials above the TCO.

In one embodiment, harmful solar cell polarization is prevented or minimized by providing a conductive path that bleeds charge from a front side of a solar cell to the bulk of a wafer. The conductive path may include patterned holes in a dielectric passivation layer, a conductive anti-reflective coating, or layers of conductive material formed on the top or bottom surface of an anti-reflective coating, for example. Harmful solar cell polarization may also be prevented by biasing a region of a solar cell module on the front side of the solar cell.

Manufacture of an improved stacked-layered thin film solar cell. The solar cell has reduced absorber thickness and an improved back contact for Copper Indium Gallium Selenide solar cells. The back contact provides improved reflectance particularly for infrared wavelengths while still maintaining ohmic contact to the semiconductor absorber. This reflectance is achieved by producing a back contact having a highly reflecting metal separated from an absorbing layer with a dielectric layer.

An Ag.sub.2OV.sub.2O.sub.5TeO.sub.2 lead-free low-melting glass composition that is prevented or restrained from crystallization by heating so as to soften and flow more satisfactorily at a low temperature contains a principal component which includes a vanadium oxide, a tellurium oxide and a silver oxide; a secondary component which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of BaO, WO.sub.3 and P.sub.2O.sub.5; and an additional component which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of oxides of elements in Group 13 of periodic table. A total component of the principal component is 85 mole percent or more in terms of V.sub.2O.sub.5, T.sub.eO.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2O. Contents of TeO.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2O each is 1 to 2 times as much as a content of V.sub.2O.sub.5. A content of the secondary component is 0 to 13 mole percent. A content of the additional component is 0.1 to 3.0 mole percent.

A monolithic multiple solar cell includes at least three partial cells, with a semiconductor mirror placed between two partial cells. The aim of the invention is to improve the radiation stability of said solar cell. For this purpose, the semiconductor mirror has a high degree of reflection in at least one part of a spectral absorption area of the partial cell which is arranged above the semiconductor mirror and a high degree of transmission within the spectral absorption range of the partial cell arranged below the semiconductor mirror.

A method for use in forming a photovoltaic device includes forming a doped semiconductor layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate and forming a metal film on the doped semiconductor layer. A patterned etched resist is formed on the metal film and a dielectric layer is formed on the doped semiconductor layer and the etched resist. A laser having a wavelength absorbable by the patterned etch resist is applied through the dielectric layer to the patterned etch resist to remove the patterned etch resist.

Solar cells of varying composition are disclosed, generally including a central substrate, conductive layer(s), antireflection layers(s), passivation layer(s) and/or electrode(s). Multifunctional layers provide combined functions of passivation, transparency, sufficient conductivity for vertical carrier flow, the junction, and/or varying degrees of anti-reflectivity. Improved manufacturing methods including single-side CVD deposition processes and thermal treatment for layer formation and/or conversion are also disclosed.

A system and method are provided for forming energy filter layers or shutter components, including energy/light directing/scattering layers that are actively electrically switchable. The energy filters or shutter components are operable between at least a first mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the shutter components, appear substantially transparent when viewed from an energy/light incident side, and a second mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the energy filters or shutter components, appear opaque to the incident energy impinging on the energy incident side. The differing modes are selectable by electrically energizing, differentially energizing and/or de-energizing electric fields in a vicinity of the energy scattering layers, including electric fields generated between a pair of transparent electrodes sandwiching an energy scattering layer. Refractive indices of transparent particles, and the transparent matrices in which the particles are fixed, are tunable according to the applied electric fields.

Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a second, different, conductivity type is disposed on a second thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A third thin dielectric layer is disposed laterally directly between the first and second polycrystalline silicon emitter regions. A first conductive contact structure is disposed on the first polycrystalline silicon emitter region. A second conductive contact structure is disposed on the second polycrystalline silicon emitter region.