A photovoltaic cell can include a substrate having a copper-doped semiconductor layer. The doping can be mediated with a salt.

According to the embodiments provided herein, a method for forming a photovoltaic device can include depositing a plurality of semiconductor layers. The plurality of semiconductor layers can include a doped layer that is doped with a group V dopant. The doped layer can include cadmium selenide or cadmium telluride. The method can include annealing the plurality of semiconductor layers to form an absorber layer.

An optical electrical device comprises a base and a transparent conductive structure on the base is disclosed. The base further comprises a light-emitting device and the transparent conductive structure comprises a transparent conductive oxide layer and a passivation layer on the transparent conductive oxide layer. The material of the transparent conductive oxide layer comprises transparent conductive metal oxide, such as ZnO. Furthermore, the transparent conductive metal oxide also comprises impurities, such as a carrier e.g. gallium.

According to the embodiments provided herein, a photovoltaic device can include a buffer layer adjacent to an absorber layer doped p-type with a group V dopant. The buffer layer can have a plurality of layers compatible with group V dopants.

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 photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate and a p-type absorber layer including a chalcogenide compound. An n-type layer includes a zinc oxysulfide material having a sulfur content adjusted to match a feature of the absorber layer. A transparent contact is formed on the n-type layer.

A photovoltaic cell can include a dopant in contact with a semiconductor layer. The photovoltaic cell can include a transparent conductive layer and a first semiconductor layer in contact with the transparent conductive layer, the first semiconductor layer including magnesium. In certain circumstances, a substrate can be a glass substrate. In other circumstances, a substrate can be a metal layer. The first semiconductor layer can include CdS. The first semiconductor layer can have a thickness of between about 200 or 3000 Angstroms. The first semiconductor layer can include 1-20% magnesium. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic cell can include providing a transparent conductive layer and depositing a first semiconductor layer in contact with the transparent conductive layer, the first semiconductor layer treated with magnesium.

A photovoltaic cell can include an interfacial layer in contact with a semiconductor layer.

A photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a layer stack; and an absorber layer is disposed on the layer stack. The absorber layer comprises selenium, wherein an atomic concentration of selenium varies across a thickness of the absorber layer. The photovoltaic device is substantially free of a cadmium sulfide layer.