Patent Application
20090032109
The present invention relates to a structure of a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module and a process for producing the structure. In particular, the invention relates to a structure of a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module comprising a float glass substrate and a photo voltaic device formed on the tin-free air side of the substrate, and to a process for producing this structure.
In producing CIS based thin-film photo voltaic modules, CIS based thin-film photo voltaic devices are formed on flat glasses produced with the float process as a substrate, from the standpoint of relationship between availability of large-area size and reduction of the production cost. The float-process produced with the flat glass as a substrate comprises causing a molten glass to float on molten tin and regulating the floating glass so as to have a given thickness, as shown in
The present applicant found that in the case where a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed on the tin-free air side of a float-processed soda-lime float glass substrate, a higher conversion efficiency is obtained than in the case where a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed on the tin-containing float side of the float-processed soda-lime float glass substrate, as shown in
A known technique for distinguishing the float side of a glass substrate for plasma displays is a method in which the glass is irradiated with ultra violet lights and the visible light emitted due to the irradiation from the tin present on the float side is detected (see, for example, patent document 1). Float glasses are used as glass substrates for plasma displays, and plasma displays employ a silver material as display electrodes and data electrodes. As a result, in the case where a silver material for forming a display electrode and a data electrode is applied to the float side of a glass substrate, oxidation-reduction reactions occur between the tin present on the float side of the float glass and silver ions of the silver material to yield an Ag—Sn colloid and this colloid formation yellows the glass substrate and considerably impairs the quality of images displayed. For preventing this, it is required not to form an electrode on the float side of the float glass. Because of this, the method of distinguishing the float side of a float glass substrate described in patent document 1 is one which utilizes the fact that the float side contains tin and which comprises irradiating the float glass substrate with ultra violet lights and detecting as visible light the fluorescence from the tin present on the float side to distinguish the float side.
When a float-processed soda-lime float glass is used as a substrate and a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed on the tin-containing float side, then there is a problem that the tin diffuses into the light absorption layer of the device to form an unsuitable and defective chalcopyrite structure, making it impossible to obtain a high-efficient CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device. Because of this, in the process of the invention for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device, a simple and accurate operation for distinguishing the float side from the air side is conducted. For the operation for distinguishing the float side from the air side in a glass substrate for a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device, use is made of the known method for distinguishing the float side of a glass substrate for plasma displays. In the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device, however, the operation for distinguishing the float side from the air side in a glass substrate is followed by the cleaning of the glass substrate and the formation of a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device. Because of this, when glass substrates which have undergone the operation for distinguishing the float side from the air side are not uniform in glass side arrangement, it is necessary to arrange the substrates so that the same side faces in one direction. Furthermore, there is a possibility that glass side reversal might occur after the operation for distinction due to later treatments, storage, etc. In this case, the float side and the air side are not considered to have been clearly distinguished from each other. It is hence indispensable that the results of distinction between the float side and the air side of a glass substrate should be left in a distinguishable form on the glass substrate quickly and accurately.
The invention eliminates the problems described above. An object of the invention is to quickly and accurately distinguish the tin-free air side of each of float-processed soda-lime float glasses, put a tin contained distinction mark on the tin-containing float side, arrange the float-processed soda-lime float glasses so that the tin-free air sides of the glasses face anyone of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions, and form CIS based thin-film photo voltaic devices on the air sides to thereby improve the conversion efficiency and yield of the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic devices and reduce the production cost.
(1) The invention provides a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module which forms a CIS (CuInSe2) type thin-film photo voltaic device on a soda-lime float glass which is a float glass and has surfaces comprising an air side containing no tin and a float side containing tin, wherein the photo voltaic device is formed on the air side of the soda-lime float glass.
(2) The invention provides a process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module, which comprises forming through film deposition a CIS (CuInSe2) based thin-film photo voltaic device on a soda-lime float glass which is a float glass and has surfaces comprising an air side containing no tin and a float side containing tin, wherein the photo voltaic device is formed on the air side of the soda-lime float glass.
(3) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (2) above, wherein the tin-free air side of the soda-lime float glass is distinguished with a glass surface distinction device which forms a judgment as to whether each surface of the soda-lime float glass contains tin or not, and the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed on the air side.
(4) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (3) above, wherein the tin-containing float side of the soda-lime float glass is distinguished with the glass surface distinction device; a tin containment mark indicating that tin is contained is put on the float side with a tin containment mark placer (or a mark indicating that no tin is contained is put on the tin-free air side of the soda-lime float glass) quickly and accurately and the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed on the tin-free air side of the soda-lime float glass.
(5) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (3) or (4) above, wherein the glass surface distinction device irradiates each surface of the soda-lime float glass with ultra violet lights having a wavelength of 200-300 nm, preferably about 250-300 nm, which cause fluorescence in the presence of tin and do not penetrate the glass (are absorbed), and wherein when the irradiation with the ultra violet lights results in fluorescence (the amount of tin fluorescence is large (not smaller than a given value)), then the device judges this surface to be the side where the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is not to be formed, and wherein when the ultra violet irradiation does not result in fluorescence (the amount of tin fluorescence is small (not larger than a given value)), then the device judges this surface to be the side wherein the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is to be formed.
(6) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (3) or (4) above wherein the tin containment mark is a sign, e.g., a mark or a scar, which withstands physical or chemical treatments in later steps and is mechanically or visually distinguishable, and is put on a given position in a peripheral part of the surface of the soda-lime float glass with an ink or a coating material, with a laser or a glass scriber (diamond), or by sandblasting or the like.
(7) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (3), (4), or (5) above, wherein a given number of soda-lime float glasses cut into a given size are conveyed one by one to the glass surface distinction device, the soda-lime float glasses having been stacked so that the tin-free air side of each glass in principle faces in any one of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions (e.g., upward direction) which is the side where a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is to be formed (hereinafter referred to as deposition side), the tin-containing float side of each soda-lime float glass is distinguished by the glass surface distinction device, wherein when that side of the soda-lime float glass on which a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is not to be formed (hereinafter referred to as non-deposition side; e.g., the lower side) was judged to be the float side by the glass surface distinction device, then this soda-lime float glass is conveyed to next steps (steps for forming a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device), and wherein when the deposition side (e.g., the upper side) of the soda-lime float glass was judged to be the float side by the glass surface distinction device, then this soda-lime float glass is reversed by rotating the glass by 180° (vertically or horizontally) and conveyed to the next steps or is removed from the conveyance line.
(8) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (3), (4), (5), or (6) above, wherein a given number of soda-lime float glasses cut into a given size are conveyed one by one to the glass surface distinction device, the soda-lime float glasses having been stacked so that the tin-free air side of each glass in principle faces in any one of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions (e.g., upward direction) which is the side where a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is to be formed (hereinafter referred to as deposition side), wherein when that side of the soda-lime float glass on which a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is not to be formed (hereinafter referred to as non-deposition side; e.g., the lower side) was judged to be the float side by the glass surface distinction device, then a tin containment mark is put on the non-deposition side (e.g., the lower side) of the soda-lime float glass (or a mark indicating that no tin is contained is put on the tin-free surface of the soda-lime float glass) by the tin containment mark placer, wherein when the deposition side (e.g., the upper side) of the soda-lime float glass was judged to be the float side by the glass surface distinction device, then a tin containment mark is put on the deposition side (e.g., the upper side) of the soda-lime float glass (or a mark indicating that no tin is contained is put on the tin-free surface of the soda-lime float glass) by the tin containment mark placer, wherein when the non-deposition side (e.g., the lower side) of the soda-lime float glass bears the tin containment mark, then this soda-lime float glass is conveyed to next steps (a cleaning step and steps for forming a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device), and wherein when the deposition side (e.g., the upper side) of the soda-lime float glass bears the tin containment mark, then this soda-lime float glass is reversed by rotating the glass by 180° (vertically or horizontally) and conveyed to the next steps or is removed from the conveyance line.
(9) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (8) above, wherein the soda-lime float glass which has been removed from the conveyance line is reversed by rotating the glass by 180° (vertically or horizontally) and stacked.
(10) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (2) or (3) above, wherein the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed by steps which comprise, in the following order, an alkali barrier layer deposition step, a metallic-back-electrode layer deposition step, a first pattern formation step, a light absorption layer deposition step, a high-resistance buffer layer deposition step, a second pattern formation step, a window layer deposition step, and a third pattern formation step.
(11) The invention provides the process for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module as described under (10) above, wherein in part of the steps for forming the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device, a film is deposited on the air side of the soda-lime float glass while keeping the air side in any one state selected from the states of facing upward, facing downward, facing in a lateral direction, and facing in a lateral direction inclined at a given angle.
According to the invention, the tin-free air side of each of float-processed soda-lime float glasses is quickly and accurately distinguished and a tin containment distinction mark is put on the tin-containing float side. The float-processed soda-lime float glasses are arranged so that the tin-free air sides thereof face any one of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions, and CIS based thin-film photo voltaic devices are formed on the air sides. Thus, the conversion efficiency and yield of the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic modules are improved and the cost of production thereof can be reduced.
Embodiments of the invention will be explained below.
The invention relates to a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 or a process for producing the same. In particular, the invention relates to a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module comprising a float-processed soda-lime float glass substrate (hereinafter referred to as glass substrate) 2A and a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 formed (through film deposition) on the tin-free side (air side) A of the substrate, or to a process for producing the module. As shown in
The CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 is a heterojunction thin-film solar cell employing a multinary-compound semiconductor thin film as a light absorption layer. In particular, the device 2 has a pn heterojunction with the light absorption layer of a p-type semiconductor, such as a Cu-III-VI2 Group chalcopyrite semiconductor, e.g., copper indium diselenide (CISe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGSe), copper indium gallium diselenide-sulfide (CIGSSe), or copper indium gallium disulfide (CIGS), or copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGSe) having a thin film of copper indium gallium diselenide-sulfide (CIGSSe) as a surface layer.
The CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 employs as the glass substrate a soda-lime float glass produced by the float process. Because the float-processed soda-lime float glass substrate (hereinafter referred to as glass substrate) 2A is produced by the float process, which comprises causing a molten glass to float on molten tin and regulating the floating glass so as to have a given thickness as shown in
CIS based thin-film photo voltaic devices 2 were formed on the tin-free air side A of a glass substrate 2A and electrically connected to each other (according to a connection pattern) (the photo voltaic devices thus connected are referred to as a circuit). Thus, circuits X were produced. Furthermore, circuits Y were produced by forming a circuit on the tin-containing float side B of each of glass substrates 2A. Two hundred and forty such circuits X and 240 such circuits Y were examined for conversion efficiency (property X and property Y). A comparative distribution diagram showing the results of the examination is given in
In forming a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 on a glass substrate 2A, it is necessary to first form a judgment as to whether the surfaces of the glass substrate 2A contain tin or not.
The process of the invention for producing a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module includes a glass surface distinction step P1 before a glass cleaning/drying step P4. In the step P1, the air side A and float side B of a glass substrate 2A are distinguished from each other by a glass surface distinction device which forms a judgment as to whether each surface of the glass substrate 2A contains tin or not. The CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 is then formed on the air side A.
After the glass surface distinction operation in which the air side A is distinguished in the glass surface distinction step P1, a tin containment mark indicating that tin is contained is quickly and accurately put on the float side B in a tin containment mark placement step P2. Specifically, the mark is put in a tin containment mark placement part P2 on an easily distinguishable part (peripheral or corner part) of the float side B with a material which is durable and does not disappear in later steps or by a method capable of forming such a durable mark. The mark may be a sign, e.g., a mark or a scar, formed on the glass surface by the application of a special coating material (e.g., a quick-drying fluorescent coating material), stamp printing with a special ink (e.g., a fluorescent ink), or application of an adhesive seal or the like bearing the mark printed thereon or with a laser, by sandblasting, with a scriber (diamond), etc. The mark may be a character, number, bar code, or another mark. This tin containment mark is put so that the presence thereof will be clear even after glass cleaning, whereby the quickness and accuracy of film deposition in later film deposition steps can be maintained (secured).
The glass surface distinction device P1 irradiates each surface of the glass substrate 2A with ultra violet lights having a wavelength of 200-300 nm, preferably about 250-300 nm, which cause fluorescence in the presence of tin and do not penetrate the glass (are absorbed), by means of an ultra violet lamp L as shown in
The glass substrates 2A to be introduced into the glass surface distinction step P1 are a given number of glass substrates cut into a given size and stacked so that the tin-free surface of each substrate in principle faces in any one of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions (upward direction in this embodiment) which is the side where a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 is to be formed (hereinafter referred to as deposition side). These glass substrates 2A are successively conveyed one by one to the glass surface distinction device P1, and the glass surface distinction device P1 forms a judgment as to whether the deposition side (the upper side in this embodiment) of each glass substrate 2A is the air side A or not. When the glass surface distinction device P1 judged the deposition side (the upper side in this embodiment) of a glass substrate 2A to be the air side A and a tin containment mark was put on that side of the glass substrate 2A on which a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device 2 is not to be formed (hereinafter referred to as non-deposition side; the lower side in this embodiment) in the tin containment mark placement part P2, then this glass substrate 2A is conveyed to a reversal step P3 as the next step and is conveyed as it is to a glass cleaning/drying step P4 as the next step without being reversed (vertically or horizontally). On the other hand, when the glass surface distinction device P1 judged the non-deposition side (the lower side in this embodiment) of a glass substrate 2A to be the air side A and a tin containment mark was put on the deposition side (the upper side in this embodiment) of the glass substrate 2A in the tin containment mark placement part P2, then this glass substrate 2A is conveyed to a glass substrate reversal step P3 as the next step. This glass substrate 2A is reversed by rotating the substrate by 180° (vertically or horizontally; vertically in this embodiment) and conveyed to a glass cleaning/drying step P4 as the next step, with the air side as the deposition side (the upper side in this embodiment) (case 1).
Furthermore, there also is the following method. When the glass surface distinction device P1 judged the non-deposition side (the lower side in this embodiment) of a glass substrate 2A to be the air side A and a tin containment mark was put on the deposition side (the upper side in this embodiment) of the glass substrate 2A in the tin containment mark placement part P2, then this glass substrate 2A is removed from the conveyance line. Such glass substrates 2A removed are reversed by rotating these by 180° (vertically in this embodiment) and stacked so that the air sides thereof face in a given direction (case 2). As a result, the glass substrates 2A which have been removed and stacked can be stacked, with the tin-free surfaces thereof facing in a given direction. This stack as it is can be conveyed to a glass cleaning/drying step P4.
Incidentally in the glass surface distinction step P1, tin containment mark placement step P2, glass substrate reversal step P3, and glass substrate cleaning/drying step P4, the glass substrates 2A are arranged so that the air side A of each glass substrate 2A faces upward (the float side B faces downward) to constitute the deposition side. This is because the state in which the air side faces upward is convenient for apparatus arrangement and processing in later steps for CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device formation P5. However, the state of stacking of glass substrates 2A and the deposition side may be either horizontal or vertical. In this case, use may be made of a method in which the glass substrates 2A are arranged so that the air side A of each glass substrate 2A faces in a direction other than the upward direction in this embodiment, i.e., a downward, leftward, or rightward direction. A film deposition apparatus is disposed over or under the glass substrate 2A or on the left or right of the substrate 2A. As a result, the deposition side faces any of upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions, while the non-deposition side faces in the direction opposite to that of the deposition side, i.e., any of downward, upward, rightward, and leftward directions.
The glass substrates 2A which have been cleaned/dried in the glass cleaning/drying step P4 are subjected, either successively or after temporary storage, to the processing P5 in which a CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device is formed on the air side of each glass substrate 2A.
Details of deposition steps P5 in producing the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic module are shown below.
As shown in
In part of the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device formation steps P5, use may be made of a method in which a film is deposited on the air side A or deposition side of the glass substrate 2A while keeping the air side A in any one state selected from the states of facing upward, facing downward, facing in a lateral direction, and facing in a lateral direction inclined at a given angle. The direction in which the air side A or deposition side faces should not be construed as being used only in the CIS based thin-film photo voltaic device formation steps P5 in the invention, and may be used (employed) also in the preceding steps, i.e., the glass surface distinction step P1, tin containment mark placement step P2, glass substrate reversal step P3, and glass substrate cleaning/drying step P4.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-284058 | Sep 2005 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2006/319527 | 9/29/2006 | WO | 00 | 9/15/2008 |
