Samuel J Rosenthal

US Patent:

20100313935, Dec 16, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/796378

Inventors:

Kevin Michael Coakley - Palo Alto CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US
Jason Stephens - Mountain View CA, US
Kunal Girotra - Mountain View CA, US
Samuel Rosenthal - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICION CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/06
H01L 31/18

US Classification:

136249, 438 59, 257E31043, 257E31047

Abstract:

A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an insulating substrate and a lower electrode above the substrate. The method also includes a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the lower electrode, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, and an upper electrode above the upper stack. The upper and lower stacks of silicon layers have different energy band gaps. The module also includes a built-in bypass diode vertically extending in the upper and lower stacks of silicon layers from the lower electrode to the upper electrode. The built-in bypass diode includes portions of the lower and upper stacks that have a greater crystalline portion than a remainder of the lower and upper stacks.

US Patent:

20100313952, Dec 16, 2010

Filed:

Jun 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/796039

Inventors:

Kevin Michael Coakley - Mountain View CA, US
Guleid Hussen - Mountain View CA, US
Jason Stephens - Mountain View CA, US
Kunal Girotra - Mountain View CA, US
Samuel Rosenthal - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

THINSILICION CORPORATION - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

H01L 31/0376
H01L 31/18
H01L 31/0232

US Classification:

136258, 438 72

Abstract:

A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an electrically insulating substrate, a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the substrate, a middle stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the middle stack, and a light transmissive cover layer above the upper stack. An energy band gap of each of the lower, middle and upper stacks differs from one another such that a different spectrum of incident light is absorbed by each of the lower, middle and upper stacks.