Manufacturing tandem solar cell devices using device-level encapsulation

Abstract

The method includes obtaining a pair of tandem solar cell devices and forming separate encapsulation layers along the top and sides of each of the pair of tandem solar cell devices using a deposition process.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the manufacture of electronic devices. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure relate to the manufacture of tandem solar cell devices using device-level encapsulation. [Background technology]

[0002] Solar cell devices are devices that convert sunlight into energy by utilizing the photoelectric effect. Solar cells can be made from semiconductor materials that absorb photons from sunlight and use them to generate an electric current. Solar cell devices are commonly used in solar panels, which are used to generate electricity from sunlight for home, business, and other applications. [Overview of the project]

[0003] According to embodiments, a method is described herein. This method includes obtaining a pair of tandem solar cell devices and forming separate encapsulation layers on each of the pair of tandem solar cell devices along the top and sides of the tandem solar cell devices using a deposition process.

[0004] According to embodiments, a device is described herein. The device comprises a pair of tandem solar cell devices, each of which comprises a first solar cell, a second solar cell, a recombination layer disposed between the first and second solar cells, a first set of electrodes disposed on the first solar cell, and a second set of electrodes disposed on the second solar cell. The device further comprises, for each of the pair of tandem solar cell devices, separate encapsulation layers disposed on the top and side surfaces of the tandem solar cell devices.

[0005] This disclosure is presented as an example, not an limitation, and similar references in the accompanying drawings indicate similar elements. Note that different references to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” in this disclosure do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean at least one. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a diagram of an exemplary device having device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 2] This is a diagram of an exemplary module of a tandem solar cell device having device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 3] This is a diagram of an exemplary module of a tandem solar cell device having device-level encapsulation and module-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 4A] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 4B] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 4C] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 4D] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram of an exemplary solar cell that can be included in a tandem solar cell device according to several embodiments. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram of an exemplary solar cell that can be included in a tandem solar cell device according to several embodiments. [Figure 7]A diagram of a system for manufacturing a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to some embodiments. [Figure 8A] A flowchart of a method for manufacturing a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to some embodiments. [Figure 8B] A flowchart of a method for manufacturing a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to some embodiments. [Figure 9A] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9B] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9C] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9D] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9E] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9F] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9G] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9H] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 9I] A block diagram showing a cross-section during the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device according to some embodiments. [Figure 10A] A diagram showing the manufacture of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to some embodiments. [Figure 10B]This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 10C] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 10D] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 11A] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 11B] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 12A] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 12B] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 12C] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 12D] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 12E] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 13A] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 13B] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 14A] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 14B] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 15] This figure shows the fabrication of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. [Figure 16] This is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system in which embodiments of the present disclosure can operate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Embodiments described herein relate to the fabrication of tandem solar cell devices using device-level encapsulation. A tandem solar cell device is a device comprising a stack of at least two solar cells. Each solar cell in a tandem solar cell device can be designed to capture a different portion of the solar cell spectrum, thereby enabling higher overall efficiency compared to a single-cell solar cell device. The top solar cell can be made from a semiconductor material with a wider band gap, thereby enabling the capture of photons having wavelengths from the blue edge of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., wavelengths from about 380 nanometers (nm) to about 500 nm). The bottom subcell can be made from a semiconductor material with a narrower band gap, thereby enabling the capture of photons having wavelengths from the red edge of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., wavelengths from about 625 nm to about 740 nm).

[0008] In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device is a two-cell device comprising a first solar cell and a second solar cell positioned on the first solar cell. For example, the first solar cell may be a bottom solar cell and the second solar cell may be a top solar cell. A first set of electrodes may be formed on the first solar cell and a second set of electrodes may be formed on the second solar cell. Each electrode may be formed from any suitable material according to the embodiments described herein. For example, the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes may include silver (Ag) electrodes.

[0009] In some embodiments, a tandem solar cell device further includes a recombination layer positioned between a first solar cell and a second solar cell to facilitate the recombination of electrons and holes. Recombination between electrons and holes occurs when electrons and holes recombine with each other rather than being collected at their respective electrodes to generate an electric current. In some embodiments, the recombination layer includes a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. TCO is a material that can conduct electricity while remaining optically transparent. TCO can be formed from raw materials containing metal oxides such as zinc oxide (ZnO) or tin oxide (SnO2) doped with impurities such as Sn or indium (In) to generate free electrons that enable electrical conduction. Examples of TCO include indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO), indium cerium oxide (ICO), and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO). The doping process does not significantly affect the optical properties of the raw materials and therefore maintains their transmission properties. As a result, TCO can transmit light across various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., the visible and near-infrared regions), making it useful for applications in electronic devices where transmittance is advantageous. For example, TCO can be used in the manufacture of various types of electronic devices such as touchscreens and flat panel displays, photovoltaic devices (e.g., solar cells and image sensors), and lighting devices. In addition to its optical and electrical properties, TCO can also exhibit high chemical stability and durability, making it suitable for use in harsh environments.

[0010] In some embodiments, the recombination layer comprises at least one polycrystalline material. A polycrystalline material is a material containing multiple crystal grains (as opposed to a single-crystal material). In some embodiments, the polycrystalline material is a nanocrystalline material. A nanocrystalline material is a polycrystalline material containing individual crystal grains having a size on the nanometer scale. More specifically, the polycrystalline material can be a doped (e.g., highly doped) polycrystalline material. For example, the polycrystalline material can be a p-doped polycrystalline material or an n-doped polycrystalline material. In some embodiments, the recombination layer comprises at least one polycrystalline silicon (Si) material. For example, the recombination layer may include at least one p-doped polycrystalline Si material, at least one n-doped polycrystalline Si material, and so on.

[0011] In some embodiments, the recombination layer comprises at least two polycrystalline materials. More specifically, the recombination layer may include a p-type doped (or highly doped) polycrystalline material and an n-type doped (or highly doped) polycrystalline material. For example, the recombination layer may include a p-type doped polycrystalline Si material and an n-type doped polycrystalline Si material.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first solar cell is a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell. More specifically, an HJT solar cell may include a stack of alternatingly overlapping semiconductor layers of semiconductor material arranged on a TCO layer. An HJT interface is defined at the boundary region where each pair of semiconductor layers in the stack meet, and can form an electric field that facilitates the separation and collection of electron-hole pairs. A first set of electrodes can be placed on the TCO layer of the HJT solar cell.

[0013] Each semiconductor layer in the stack is formed from a different type of semiconductor material. For example, an HJT solar cell may include a first semiconductor layer containing a doped semiconductor material. The first semiconductor layer may be placed on a second semiconductor layer containing an intrinsic semiconductor material. The second semiconductor layer may be placed on a third semiconductor layer containing a doped semiconductor material. The third semiconductor layer may be placed on a fourth semiconductor layer containing an intrinsic semiconductor material. The fourth semiconductor layer may be placed on a fifth semiconductor layer containing a doped semiconductor material. The fifth semiconductor layer may be placed on the TCO layer of the HJT solar cell. In some embodiments, each of the first and third semiconductor layers contains an n-type semiconductor material, and the fifth layer contains a p-type semiconductor material. In some embodiments, each of the first and third semiconductor layers contains a p-type semiconductor material, and the fifth layer contains an n-type semiconductor material.

[0014] In some embodiments, each semiconductor layer in the stack contains silicon (Si). For example, the first semiconductor layer may be a first amorphous Si(a-Si) layer, the second semiconductor layer may be a first intrinsic Si(i-Si) layer, the third semiconductor layer may be a crystalline Si(c-Si) layer (e.g., single-crystal Si or polycrystalline Si), the fourth semiconductor layer may be a second i-Si layer, and the fifth semiconductor layer may be a second a-Si layer. In some embodiments, each of the first a-Si and c-Si layers is an n-type layer (i.e., na-Si and nc-Si), and the second a-Si layer is a p-type layer (i.e., pa-Si). In some embodiments, each of the first a-Si and c-Si layers is a p-type layer (i.e., pa-Si and pc-Si), and the second a-Si layer is an n-type layer (i.e., na-Si).

[0015] In some embodiments, the second solar cell includes a TCO layer placed on a stack that includes an electron transport layer (ETL) located on the active layer. The function of the ETL is to collect electrons generated when sunlight is absorbed by the active layer and transport those electrons to the electrodes of the solar cell. Thus, the ETL can improve the efficiency of electron transport from the active layer to the external circuit. The ETL may include materials selected to enable electron transport. Examples of materials that can be used to form the ETL include titanium dioxide (TiO2), ZnO, SnO2, etc. In some embodiments, the ETL can act as a barrier layer to prevent the diffusion of impurities between the electrodes and the active layer, thereby improving the stability and lifespan of the solar cell. A second set of electrodes may be placed on the TCO layer of the second solar cell.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second solar cell is a perovskite solar cell. More specifically, the active layer of the solar cell may include a perovskite layer containing a perovskite material, and an ETL may be placed on the perovskite layer. The perovskite material has a crystalline structure with the chemical formula ABX3, where A and B are cations (i.e., positively charged ions) and X is an anion (i.e., negatively charged ions). The perovskite material may have a set of properties (e.g., a band gap) that allow for the absorption of solar radiation and the generation of a larger number of electron-hole pairs, and the electron-hole pairs can be separated and collected to generate an electric current. An example of a perovskite material is methylammonium lead triiodide (CH3NH3PbI3). The active layer may be placed on a hole transport layer (HTL) that can extract and transport holes (i.e., positively charged ions). The HTL may be formed from a material having high hole mobility to enable hole transport. For example, the HTL may be nickel oxide (e.g., NiO x ), molybdenum oxide (MoO x ), vanadium oxide (VO x ), tungsten oxide (WO x ), copper oxide (CuO xor Cu x O), copper gallium oxide (CuGaO x ), copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO x ), copper chromium oxide (e.g., CuCrO x ), ZnO, aluminum nickel oxide (Al y Ni 1-y O x ), Spiro-OMeTAD (2,2',7,7'-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9'-spirobifluorene), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), etc. can be formed. Therefore, the tandem solar cell device can be a perovskite / HJT tandem solar cell device.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first solar cell includes a TCO layer disposed on a stack including an ETL disposed on the active layer. For example, the first solar cell can be a perovskite solar cell. Therefore, the tandem solar cell device can be a perovskite / perovskite tandem solar cell device.

[0018] In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device is a three-cell device. More specifically, the tandem solar cell can include a first solar cell, a second solar cell disposed on the first solar cell, and a third solar cell disposed on the second solar cell. For example, the first solar cell can be a HJT solar cell, and each of the second and third solar cells can include a TCO layer disposed on a stack including an ETL disposed on the active layer (e.g., a perovskite solar cell). Therefore, the tandem solar cell device can be a perovskite / perovskite / HJT tandem solar cell device.

[0019] Some tandem solar cell devices, such as tandem solar cell devices that include solar cells with ETLs placed on the active layer, may suffer performance and / or efficiency degradation if the active layer is exposed to atmospheric conditions (e.g., moisture and / or oxygen). For example, the active layer can be a perovskite layer. Encapsulation techniques can be used to improve long-term stability and extend the lifespan of such tandem solar cell devices. Some encapsulation techniques are module-level for modules of tandem solar cell devices. Generally, a module refers to an assembly of multiple solar cell devices that work together to generate electricity from sunlight. For example, a module can be implemented as a solar panel.

[0020] Some modules can be encapsulated using glass-to-glass encapsulation. Glass-to-glass encapsulation involves encapsulating a module using two glass plates together with an encapsulating material. The glass plates can be formed from a shatterproof glass material, such as tempered glass, and can withstand various temperature and weather conditions. The encapsulating material between the glass plates can provide adhesion and protect the solar cells of the module from air and moisture. In some embodiments, the encapsulating material can include polymer materials. For example, polymer materials can include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyisobutylene (PIB), butyl rubber, epoxy resin, and the like.

[0021] Water vapor is a major factor that degrades the performance of some solar cells (e.g., perovskite solar cells). Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is a measure of the amount of water vapor that passes through a material over a period of time. In other words, the WVTR of a material is a criterion related to the material's ability to act as a barrier against water. The higher the WVTR, the more the material tolerates water vapor that can degrade electronic devices. Some module-level encapsulation methods, such as glass-to-glass encapsulation, allow approximately 10% per day. -1 grams per square meter (g / m2 / day) ~ approximately 10 -3 g / m 2 WVTR can be enabled in the range of / day (for example, measured at a temperature of approximately 85°C ± 10% and a humidity of approximately 85% ± 10%). However, components such as the perovskite layer can be about 10 -3 g / m 2 They may have lower WVTR specifications of less than 1 / day, which cannot be achieved by using module-level encapsulation such as glass-to-glass encapsulation. In addition, the efficiency of solar cells using module-level encapsulation (e.g., glass-to-glass encapsulation) may be shown to degrade rapidly over time during temperature cycling tests.

[0022] To address these and other drawbacks, the embodiments described herein provide a method for manufacturing tandem solar cell devices using device-level encapsulation. The tandem solar cell devices described herein may include any number of solar cells according to the embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device is a two-cell device comprising a first solar cell and a second solar cell placed on the first solar cell. A recombination layer may be placed between the first and second solar cells. For example, the tandem solar cell device may be a perovskite / HJT tandem solar cell device, a perovskite / perovskite tandem solar cell device, and so on. In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device is a three-cell device comprising a first solar cell, a second solar cell placed on the first solar cell, and a third solar cell placed on the second solar cell. For example, the tandem solar cell device may be a perovskite / perovskite / HJT tandem solar cell device.

[0023] At least one device-level encapsulation layer can be implemented to encapsulate at least one tandem solar cell device. The device-level encapsulation layer is a separate encapsulation layer formed on each tandem solar cell device. More specifically, the device-level encapsulation layer is a separate encapsulation layer formed along the top and sides of each tandem solar cell device. For example, the device-level encapsulation layer is a conformally deposited encapsulation material layer along the top and sides of each tandem solar cell device.

[0024] A device-level encapsulation layer can be used to protect the active layer (e.g., perovskite layer) of a tandem solar cell device from air and moisture conditions. The device-level encapsulation layer can be formed from a material that preferably provides a low WVTR to protect the active layer from moisture. In some embodiments, the device-level encapsulation layer is 10 -3 g / m 2 It provides a WVTR greater than / day (for example, measured at a temperature of approximately 85°C ± 10% and a humidity of approximately 85% ± 10%). Examples of materials that can be used to form a device-level encapsulation layer include aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silicon nitride (SiN x These include silicon oxynitride (SiON), silicon carbonitride (SiCN), hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO), and the like. In some embodiments, the device-level encapsulation layer is formed using thin-film encapsulation (TFE). TFE can be carried out and the encapsulation layer formed using any suitable deposition process. In some embodiments, TFE is carried out using chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

[0025] In some embodiments, at least one tandem solar cell device comprises multiple solar cell devices. A module can be formed from multiple tandem solar cell devices, with each tandem solar cell device being electrically connected. In some embodiments, in addition to device-level encapsulation performed to encapsulate each tandem solar cell device within the module, module-level encapsulation can be performed (i.e., a hybrid encapsulation method). In some embodiments, performing module-level encapsulation includes performing glass-to-glass encapsulation. Further details regarding the manufacture of tandem solar cell devices using device-level encapsulation are described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

[0026] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary device 100 having device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. As shown, device 100 includes a tandem solar cell device 110. The tandem solar cell device 110 may include at least a first solar cell and a second solar cell. In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device 110 is a two-cell device. For example, the first solar cell may be a bottom solar cell and the second solar cell may be a top solar cell. In some embodiments, a recombination layer is placed between the first and second solar cells. In some embodiments, the first solar cell includes a stack of alternatingly overlapping semiconductor layers. In some embodiments, the first solar cell is an HJT solar cell. In some embodiments, the second solar cell includes a stack of layers including an ETL placed on an active layer. In some embodiments, the second solar cell is a perovskite solar cell, and the active layer is a perovskite layer. In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device 110 is a three-cell device including a first solar cell, a second solar cell, and a third solar cell. Further details regarding the structure and manufacturing of the tandem solar cell device 110 are described below with reference to Figures 4 to 9I.

[0027] As further shown, device 100 further includes an encapsulation layer 120. The encapsulation layer 120 is a device-level encapsulation layer that can be used to protect components of the tandem solar cell device 110, including the active layer of the second solar cell (e.g., a perovskite layer), from moisture and / or air conditions. The encapsulation layer 120 is a separate encapsulation layer formed on the tandem solar cell device 110. More specifically, the encapsulation layer 120 is a separate encapsulation layer formed along the top and sides of the tandem solar cell device 110. For example, as shown, the encapsulation layer 120 is a layer of encapsulation material conformally deposited along the top and sides of the tandem solar cell device 110. For example, as shown, the encapsulation layer 120 can be conformally deposited along the top and sides of the tandem solar cell device 110.

[0028] The encapsulation layer 120 can be formed from a material that preferably provides a low WVTR to protect the active layer from moisture. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 120 is 10 -3 g / m 2 It provides a WVTR greater than / day. Examples of materials that can be used to form the encapsulation layer 120 include Al2O3, SiN x These include silicon, SiCN, HMDSO, and the like. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 120 is formed using TFE. The encapsulation layer 120 can be formed by carrying out TFE using any suitable deposition process. In some embodiments, TFE is carried out using CVD. Further details regarding the manufacture of device 100 are described below with reference to Figures 4A to 9I.

[0029] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary module 200 of a tandem solar cell having device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. As shown, module 200 may include a plurality of tandem solar cell devices, including tandem solar cell devices 210-1 to 210-3, and a plurality of encapsulation layers, including encapsulation layers 220-1 to 220-3 formed on each of the tandem solar cell devices 210-2 to 210-3. For example, each of the tandem solar cell devices 210-1 to 210-3 may be similar to the tandem solar cell device 110 in Figure 1, and each of the encapsulation layers 220-1 to 220-3 may be a device-level encapsulation layer similar to the encapsulation layer 120 in Figure 1. In this descriptive example, module 200 includes three tandem solar cell devices. However, module 200 may include any preferred number of tandem solar cell devices according to embodiments described herein. As further shown, module 200 may further include electrical connections between tandem solar cell devices 210-1 to 210-3. In this example, electrical connection 230-1 can be formed to connect tandem solar cell device 210-1 to positive terminal 240-1. In addition, electrical connection 230-2 can be formed to connect tandem solar cell devices 210-1 to 220-3 to negative terminal 240-2.

[0030] Figure 3 is a diagram of an exemplary module 300 of a tandem solar cell device having separate device-level and module-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. Module 300 includes tandem solar cells 210-1 to 210-3, encapsulation layers 220-1 to 220-3, electrical connections 230-1 and 230-2, and terminals 240-1 and 240-2, as described above with reference to Figure 2. In addition to the device-level encapsulation provided by the encapsulation layers 220-1 to 220-3, module 300 includes module-level encapsulation. More specifically, module 300 includes an encapsulation material 310 and glass layers 320-1 and 320-2. In some embodiments, the encapsulation material 310 includes a polymer material. For example, the polymer material may include EVA, PIB, butyl rubber, epoxy resin, etc. In some embodiments, the glass layers 320-1 and 320-2 include tempered glass.

[0031] Figures 4A to 4D are cross-sectional diagrams illustrating the fabrication of tandem solar cell devices using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. For example, Figure 4A is Figure 400A, which shows tandem solar cell device 402. For example, tandem solar cell device 402 is an example of tandem solar cell device 110 in Figure 1 and / or at least one example of tandem solar cell devices 210-1 to 210-3 in Figures 2 to 3.

[0032] As shown, the tandem solar cell device 402 may include solar cells 405-1 and 405-2, a recombination layer 404 disposed between solar cells 405-1 and 405-2, electrodes 410-1 and 410-2 disposed on solar cell 405-1, and electrodes 410-3 and 410-4 disposed on solar cell 405-2. The recombination layer 404 can facilitate the recombination of electrons and holes. In some embodiments, the recombination layer 404 is a TCO layer. For example, the recombination layer 404 may include ITO, IZO, ICO, AZO, etc. Electrodes 410-1 to 410-4 may include any suitable material. For example, electrodes 410-1 to 410-4 may include Ag. In some embodiments, solar cell 405-1 includes a stack of alternatingly overlapping semiconductor layers. For example, solar cell 405-1 may be an HJT solar cell. Further details regarding solar cell 405-1 are described below with reference to Figure 5. In some embodiments, solar cell 405-2 includes a stack comprising an ETL disposed on the active layer. For example, solar cell 405-2 can be a perovskite solar cell, and the active layer can be a perovskite layer. Further details regarding solar cell 405-2 are described below with reference to Figure 6.

[0033] Figure 4B is a comparison to Figure 400B showing the arrangement of the tandem solar cell device 402 in tray 420 within a processing chamber, as well as the formation of the mask layer 430 on electrodes 410-3 and 410-4 and the upper surface of tray 420. In some embodiments, tray 420 is a CVD tray and the processing chamber is a CVD chamber. The mask layer 430 may include any suitable material that can prevent the formation of encapsulation layer material on electrodes 410-3 and 410-4 and the upper surface of tray 420. In some embodiments, the mask layer 430 corresponds to a self-aligning mask. A self-aligning mask is designed to self-align with the substrate during the deposition process. This can be done by using a set of alignment marks on the mask and substrate that are precisely positioned relative to each other.

[0034] Figure 4C is Figure 400C showing the formation of the encapsulation layer 440 in the processing chamber, and Figure 4D is Figure 400D showing the encapsulated tandem solar cell device 450 obtained as a result of removing the mask layer 430 after the formation of the encapsulation layer 440. More specifically, the encapsulation layer 440 provides device-level encapsulation of the tandem solar cell device 402. For example, as shown, the encapsulation layer 440 can be formed on the top and side surfaces of the tandem solar cell device 402. The encapsulation layer 440 can be formed from a material that preferably provides a low WVTR to protect the active layer from moisture. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 440 is 10 -3 g / m 2 It provides a WVTR greater than / day. Examples of materials that can be used to form the encapsulation layer 440 include Al2O3, SiN x These include silicon, SiCN, HMDSO, and the like. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 440 is formed using TFE. The encapsulation layer 440 can be formed by carrying out TFE using any suitable deposition process. In some embodiments, TFE is carried out using CVD.

[0035] In some embodiments, multiple device-level encapsulation layers, including the encapsulation layer 440, are formed as separate encapsulation layers on each tandem solar cell device (for example, tandem solar cell devices 210-1 to 210-3 in Figures 2 and 3). In some embodiments, the multiple device-level encapsulation layers are formed simultaneously during a deposition process (for example, a TFE process). In some embodiments, at least one device-level encapsulation layer is formed during a separate deposition process. Further details regarding the method for manufacturing the device 450 are described below with reference to Figures 8A to 8B and 10A to 15.

[0036] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary solar cell 500 that may be included in a tandem solar cell device according to several embodiments. For example, solar cell 500 may correspond to solar cell 405-1 in Figure 4A. As shown, solar cell 500 may include a stack ("stack") 502 of alternatingly overlapping semiconductor layers arranged on a TCO layer 505. In some embodiments, solar cell 500 is an HJT solar cell.

[0037] Each semiconductor layer of the stack 502 is formed from a different type of semiconductor material. For example, as shown, the stack 502 includes a doped semiconductor layer 510 containing a doped semiconductor material placed on an intrinsic semiconductor layer 520 containing an intrinsic semiconductor material, an intrinsic semiconductor layer 520 placed on a doped semiconductor layer 530 containing a doped semiconductor material, a doped semiconductor layer 530 placed on an intrinsic semiconductor layer 540 containing an intrinsic semiconductor material, and an intrinsic semiconductor layer 540 placed on a doped semiconductor layer 550 containing a doped semiconductor material. Further shown, the doped semiconductor layer 550 is placed on the TCO layer 502.

[0038] In some embodiments, each of the first and third semiconductor layers includes an n-type semiconductor material, and the fifth layer includes a p-type semiconductor material. In some embodiments, each of the first and third semiconductor layers includes a p-type semiconductor material, and the fifth layer includes an n-type semiconductor material. In some embodiments, each of the semiconductor layers 510 to 550 includes Si. For example, the doped semiconductor layer 510 can be a doped a-Si layer, the intrinsic semiconductor layer 520 can be an intrinsic i-Si layer, the doped semiconductor layer 530 can be a doped c-Si layer (e.g., single-crystal Si or polycrystalline Si), the intrinsic semiconductor layer 540 can be an i-Si layer, and the doped semiconductor layer 530 can be an a-Si layer. In some embodiments, each of the doped semiconductor layer 510 and the doped semiconductor layer 530 is an n-type layer (e.g., na-Si and nc-Si), and the doped semiconductor layer 550 is a p-type layer (i.e., pa-Si). In some embodiments, each of the doped semiconductor layer 510 and the doped semiconductor layer 530 is a p-type layer (e.g., pa-Si and pc-Si), and the doped semiconductor layer 550 is an n-type layer (e.g., na-Si).

[0039] The TCO layer 505 may contain any suitable TCO material. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 505 contains IZO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 505 contains ITO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 505 contains ICO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 505 contains AZO. The composition of the TCO layer 505 can be selected according to the target properties (e.g., optical properties) of the TCO layer for a particular application. For example, if the TCO layer 505 contains IZO, the TCO layer 505 may contain a first amount of In2O3 and a second amount of ZnO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 505 is an IZO layer containing about 90% In2O3 and about 10% ZnO. As another example, if the TCO layer 505 contains ITO, the TCO layer 120 may contain a first amount of In2O3 and a second amount of tin oxide (e.g., SnO x) may include. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 505 is an ITO layer containing about 90% In2O3 and about 10% tin oxide.

[0040] As further shown, electrodes 560-1 and 560-2 can be placed on the TCO layer 505. Electrodes 560-1 and 560-2 can include any suitable material. For example, electrodes 560-1 and 560-2 can include Ag. Further details regarding the solar cell 500 have been described above with reference to Figure 4A, but further details regarding the manufacture of the solar cell 500 are described below with reference to Figures 9A to 9D.

[0041] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary solar cell 600 that can be included in a tandem solar cell device according to several embodiments. For example, solar cell 600 can correspond to solar cell 405-2 in Figure 4A. As shown, the device 600 may include a TCO layer 610 placed on the ETL 620. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 610 includes IZO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 610 includes ITO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 610 includes ICO. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 610 includes AZO.

[0042] ETL620 may include materials selected to enable electron transport. Examples of materials that can be used to form ETL620 include TiO2, ZnO, and SnO2. In some embodiments, ETL620 can function as a barrier layer to prevent the diffusion of impurities, thereby improving the stability and lifespan of the solar cell 600. ETL620 can be formed using any preferred process. For example, ETL620 can be formed using an evaporation process.

[0043] As further shown, ETL620 can be placed on the active layer 630. In some embodiments, the solar cell 600 is a perovskite solar cell, and the active layer 630 includes a perovskite layer containing a perovskite material. The perovskite material may have a set of properties (e.g., a band gap) that allow for the absorption of solar radiation and the generation of a larger number of electron-hole pairs, which can be separated and collected to generate an electric current. An example of a perovskite material that can be used to form the perovskite layer is CH3NH3PbI3. The active layer 630 can be formed using any preferred process. For example, the perovskite layer can be formed using an evaporation process, a CVD process, a printing process, etc.

[0044] In some embodiments, a buffer layer (not shown) is placed between the TCO layer 610 and the ETL 620. The buffer layer can protect the stack of layers below the TCO layer 610 (e.g., the ETL 620 and the active layer 630) during the process for forming the TCO layer 610 (e.g., a sputtering process).

[0045] As further shown, the active layer 630 can be placed on an HTL640 capable of extracting and transporting holes (i.e., positive charges). The HTL640 can be formed from a material having high hole mobility to enable hole transport. For example, the HTL640 may be nickel oxide (e.g., NiO x ), molybdenum oxide (MoO x ), vanadium oxide (VO x ), tungsten oxide (WO x ), copper oxide (CuO x or Cu x O), copper gallium oxide (CuGaO) x ), copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO x ), copper chromium oxide (for example, CuCrO x ), ZnO, aluminum nickel oxide (Al y Ni 1-y O xHTL640 can be formed from spiro OMeTAD, PEDOT, etc. HTL640 can be formed using any suitable process. For example, HTL640 can be formed using an evaporation process.

[0046] As further shown, electrodes 650-1 and 650-2 can be placed on the TCO layer 610. Electrodes 650-1 and 650-2 may include any suitable material. For example, electrodes 650-1 and 650-2 may include Ag. Further details regarding the solar cell 600 have been described above with reference to Figure 4A, but further details regarding the manufacture of the solar cell 600 are described below with reference to Figures 9E to 9I.

[0047] Figure 7 shows a system 700 for manufacturing electronic devices using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. The system 700 may include at least one processing chamber 710 communicably coupled to a controller 720. In some embodiments, the at least one processing chamber 710 includes a CVD chamber. The system 700 can be used to implement device-level encapsulation of at least one tandem solar cell device. In some embodiments, the tandem solar device includes a first solar cell and a second solar cell. For example, the first solar cell may be a top solar cell and the second solar cell may be a bottom solar cell. For example, the first solar cell may include an ETL (e.g., a perovskite solar cell) and the second solar cell may be an HJT solar cell. A method for manufacturing electronic devices using the processing chambers is described below with reference to Figures 8A-8B.

[0048] Figure 8A is a flowchart of Method 800A for manufacturing a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. Method 800A can be implemented by a system including a processing chamber communicably coupled to a controller, the controller including hardware (e.g., processing devices, circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, device hardware, integrated circuits, etc.), software (e.g., instructions run or executed on the processing devices), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, Method 800A is implemented by one or more components of System 700 in Figure 7. Although shown in a specific sequence or order, the order of the processes can be modified unless otherwise specified. Thus, the embodiments shown should be understood as examples only, and the processes shown can be implemented in a different order, and some processes can be implemented in parallel. In addition, in various embodiments, one or more processes can be omitted. Thus, not all processes are required in all embodiments. Other process flows are also possible.

[0049] In operation 810A, at least one tandem solar cell device is obtained. In some embodiments, the at least one tandem solar cell device includes multiple solar cell devices. For example, the multiple solar cell devices can correspond to a module. Each tandem solar cell device may include at least a first solar cell and a second solar cell. In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device is a two-cell device. For example, the first solar cell may be a bottom solar cell and the second solar cell may be a top solar cell. In some embodiments, a recombination layer is placed between the first and second solar cells. For example, the recombination layer may be a TCO layer. In some embodiments, the first solar cell includes a stack of alternatingly overlapping semiconductor layers placed on the TCO layer. For example, the solar cell may be an HJT solar cell. In some embodiments, the second solar cell includes a stack of layers including an ETL placed on an active layer and a TCO layer placed on the ETL. In addition, the active layer may be placed on an HTL. In some embodiments, the solar cell is a perovskite solar cell, in which case the active layer includes a perovskite layer. In some embodiments, the tandem solar cell device is a 3-cell device.

[0050] In some embodiments, acquiring a substrate in operation 810A includes receiving at least one tandem solar cell device into a processing chamber capable of forming at least one encapsulation layer using TFE. For example, at least one tandem solar cell device can be placed in a tray and loaded into the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the processing chamber is a CVD chamber and the tray is a CVD tray. In some embodiments, a robotic apparatus places the substrate into the processing chamber (e.g., the tray). The tray can have any preferred dimensions. In some embodiments, the tray has a width of about 300 mm to about 500 mm and a length of about 400 mm to about 600 mm.

[0051] In operation 820A, at least one encapsulation layer is formed on at least one tandem solar cell device. Forming at least one encapsulation layer on at least one tandem solar cell device in operation 820A may include forming each device-level encapsulation layer on each tandem solar cell device. A device-level encapsulation layer is a separate encapsulation layer formed on each tandem solar cell device. More specifically, a device-level encapsulation layer is a separate encapsulation layer formed along the top and sides of each tandem solar cell device. In some embodiments, forming a device-level encapsulation layer on each tandem solar cell device includes conformally depositing the device-level encapsulation layers along the top and sides of each tandem solar cell device. For example, forming a device-level encapsulation layer on a tandem solar cell device may include forming a mask layer on each part (e.g., electrodes) and tray of the tandem solar cell device, and forming a device-level encapsulation layer on the exposed top and side portions of the tandem solar cell device. In some embodiments, the mask layer corresponds to a self-aligning mask. Next, the mask layer can be removed from the tandem solar cell device to obtain a device-level encapsulated device. The device-level encapsulation layer may include any suitable material according to the embodiments described herein. Examples of materials that can be used to form the device-level encapsulation layer include Al2O3, SiN x This includes materials such as SiON, SiCN, and HMDSO.

[0052] In some embodiments, a TFE process is used to form a device-level encapsulation layer on a tandem solar cell device. The TFE process can be a low-temperature process for protecting components of the tandem solar cell device (e.g., the active layer of the second solar cell (e.g., the perovskite layer)). In some embodiments, the TFE process is carried out at a temperature of about 150°C or less. In some embodiments, the TFE process is carried out at a temperature of about 100°C or less.

[0053] In some embodiments, at least one tandem solar cell device comprises a plurality of tandem solar cell devices. After device-level encapsulation, the plurality of tandem solar cell devices can be formed within a module. In some embodiments, forming at least one encapsulation layer on at least one tandem solar cell device further includes performing module-level encapsulation by forming at least one module-level encapsulation layer on the module. The module-level encapsulation layer can be formed in the same processing chamber as the device-level encapsulation layer, or in a different processing chamber than the device-level encapsulation layer. In some embodiments, forming at least one module-level encapsulation layer includes forming an encapsulation material on the plurality of tandem solar cell devices. In some embodiments, the encapsulation material may include a polymer material. For example, the polymer material may include EVA, PIB, butyl rubber, epoxy resin, etc. In some embodiments, forming at least one module-level encapsulation layer further includes forming a pair of glass layers on the encapsulation material, and the encapsulation material and the plurality of tandem solar cell devices are placed between the pair of glass layers. In some embodiments, the pair of glass layers may include tempered glass. Further details regarding operations 810A to 820A were described above with reference to Figures 1 to 7, but will now be explained below with reference to Figure 8B.

[0054] Figure 8B is a flowchart of Method 800B for manufacturing a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. Method 800B can be implemented by a system including a processing chamber communicably coupled to a controller, the controller including hardware (e.g., processing devices, circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, device hardware, integrated circuits, etc.), software (e.g., instructions run or executed on the processing devices), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, Method 800B is implemented by one or more components of System 700 in Figure 7. Although shown in a specific sequence or order, the order of the processes can be modified unless otherwise specified. Thus, the embodiments shown should be understood as merely examples, and the processes shown can be implemented in a different order, and some processes can be implemented in parallel. In addition, one or more processes can be omitted in various embodiments. Thus, not all processes are required in all embodiments. Other process flows are also possible.

[0055] In operation 810B, multiple tandem solar cell devices corresponding to the module are received. For example, multiple tandem solar cell devices can be placed in a tray and then placed in a processing chamber. In some embodiments, a robotic apparatus places the multiple tandem solar cells into the processing chamber. In some embodiments, the processing chamber is a CVD chamber and the tray is a CVD tray. Further details regarding multiple tandem solar cell devices are described above with reference to Figures 1-6 and 8A.

[0056] In operation 820B, a deposition process is initiated to form a device-level encapsulation layer on each tandem solar cell device, and in operation 830B, the deposition process is carried out. For example, a controller communicatively coupled to the processing chamber may initiate the deposition process. In some embodiments, the deposition process is a TFE process. For example, the TFE process may be similar to the TFE process described above with reference to Figure 8A. In operation 840B, the module fabrication is completed. For example, completing the module fabrication includes forming electrical connections to connect each tandem solar cell to a pair of terminals. In another example, completing the module fabrication may include performing module-level encapsulation similar to that described above with reference to Figure 8A. Further details regarding operations 810B to 840B are described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8A.

[0057] Figures 9A to 9I are block diagrams showing cross-sections of the fabrication of tandem solar cell devices according to several embodiments. More specifically, Figures 9A to 9E show the formation of the first solar cell (e.g., bottom solar cell) of the tandem solar cell device, Figure 9F shows the formation of the recombination layer on the first solar cell, and Figures 9G to 9J show the formation of the second solar cell (e.g., top solar cell) of the tandem solar cell device. In these descriptive examples, the first solar cell includes a stack of alternatingly overlapping semiconductor layers (e.g., an HJT solar cell), and the second solar cell includes a stack of layers including ETL (e.g., a perovskite solar cell).

[0058] Figure 9A is Figure 900A showing the doped semiconductor layer 902. The doped semiconductor layer 902 can be used as a substrate for a tandem solar cell device (e.g., a wafer). For example, the doped semiconductor layer 902 can be similar to the doped semiconductor layer 530 described above with reference to Figure 5. The doped semiconductor layer 902 can be processed by performing wafer texturing and / or cleaning. Further details regarding the doped semiconductor layer 902 are described above with reference to Figure 5.

[0059] Figure 9B is Figure 900B, which shows a first intermediate structure obtained as a result of forming an intrinsic semiconductor layer 904 on a doped semiconductor layer 902 and a doped semiconductor layer 906 on the intrinsic semiconductor layer 904. For example, the intrinsic semiconductor layer 904 can be similar to the intrinsic semiconductor layer 520 described above with reference to Figure 5, and the doped semiconductor layer 906 can be similar to the doped semiconductor layer 510 described above with reference to Figure 5. Layers 904 and 906 can be formed using any preferred process. For example, layers 904 and 906 can be formed using a CVD process. Further details regarding layers 904 and 906 are described above with reference to Figure 5.

[0060] Figure 9C is Figure 900C, which shows a second intermediate structure obtained by inverting the first intermediate structure, forming an intrinsic semiconductor layer 908 on the doped semiconductor layer 902, and then forming a doped semiconductor layer 910 on the intrinsic semiconductor layer 908. For example, the intrinsic semiconductor layer 908 can be similar to the intrinsic semiconductor layer 540 described above with reference to Figure 5, and the doped semiconductor layer 910 can be similar to the doped semiconductor layer 550 described above with reference to Figure 5. Layers 908 and 910 can be formed using any suitable process. For example, layers 908 and 910 can be formed using a CVD process. Further details regarding layers 908 and 910 are described above with reference to Figure 5.

[0061] Figure 9D is Figure 900D, showing a solar cell 913 obtained as a result of inverting the second intermediate structure and forming a TCO layer 912 beneath the doped semiconductor layer 910. The TCO layer 912 can be similar to the TCO layer 502 described above with reference to Figure 5. More specifically, the TCO layer 912 can be formed using a back-side deposition process. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 912 is formed using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. In some embodiments, the solar cell 913 is an HJT solar cell. Further details regarding the TCO layer 912 are described above with reference to Figure 5.

[0062] Figure 9E is a comparison with Figure 900E showing the formation of a recombination layer 914 on a solar cell 913. For example, the recombination layer 914 may include a TCO layer. The recombination layer 914 can be similar to the recombination layer 404 described above with reference to Figure 4. More specifically, the recombination layer 914 can be formed using a front deposition process. In some embodiments, the recombination layer 914 is formed using a PVD process. Further details regarding the recombination layer 914 are described above with reference to Figure 4.

[0063] Figure 9F is Figure 900F showing the formation of HTL916 on the recombination layer 914. HTL916 can be similar to HTL610 described above with reference to Figure 6. HTL916 can be formed using any preferred process. In some embodiments, HTL916 is formed using an evaporation process. Further details regarding HTL916 are described above with reference to Figure 6.

[0064] Figure 9G is Figure 900G showing the formation of the active layer 918 on the HTL 916 on the recombination layer 914. The active layer 918 can be similar to the active layer 620 described above with reference to Figure 6. In some embodiments, the active layer 918 includes a perovskite layer. In some embodiments, the active layer 918 includes a buffer layer disposed on the perovskite layer. The active layer 918 can be formed using any preferred process. In some embodiments, forming the active layer 918 includes forming the perovskite layer using an evaporation process. In some embodiments, forming the active layer 918 includes forming the perovskite layer using a CVD process. In some embodiments, forming the active layer 918 includes forming the perovskite layer using a printing process. Forming the active layer 918 includes forming the buffer layer using an ALD process. Further details regarding the active layer 918 are described above with reference to Figure 2.

[0065] Figure 9H is Figure 900H showing the formation of ETL920 on the active layer 918. ETL920 can be similar to ETL210 described above with reference to Figure 2. ETL920 can be formed using any preferred process. In some embodiments, ETL920 is formed using an evaporation process. Further details regarding ETL920 are described above with reference to Figure 2.

[0066] Figure 9I is Figure 900I showing a solar cell 923 obtained as a result of forming a TCO layer 922 on the ETL 920. The TCO layer 922 can be similar to the TCO layer 640 described above with reference to Figure 6. The TCO layer 922 can be formed using any preferred process. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 922 is formed using a PVD process. In some embodiments, the solar cell 923 is a perovskite solar cell. Further details regarding the TCO layer 922 are described above with reference to Figure 2. A first set of electrodes can be formed on the solar cell 913, and a second set of electrodes can be formed on the solar cell 923 (for example, electrodes 410-1 to 410-4 shown in Figure 4). The first and second sets of electrodes can be formed using any preferred process. In some embodiments, the first and second sets of electrodes are formed using a printing process. Further details regarding the first and second sets of electrodes are described above with reference to Figure 4.

[0067] Figures 10A to 10C illustrate the manufacturing of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation in a first stage according to several embodiments. Referring to Figure 10A, Figure 1000A shows a tray 1002 and a doped semiconductor layer 1004 placed on the tray 1002 for processing by a processing chamber. For example, the doped semiconductor layer 1004 can correspond to the doped semiconductor layer 530 in Figure 5. In some embodiments, the processing chamber is a CVD chamber. Referring to Figure 10B, Figure 1000B shows an intrinsic semiconductor layer 1006 deposited on the doped semiconductor layer 1004 (for example, in the processing chamber) and a doped semiconductor layer 1008 deposited on the intrinsic semiconductor layer 1006. For example, the intrinsic semiconductor layer 1006 can correspond to the intrinsic semiconductor layer 540 in Figure 5, and the doped semiconductor layer 1108 can correspond to the doped semiconductor layer 550 in Figure 5. In some embodiments, each of both layers 1006 and 1008 is deposited by CVD. Layers 1006 and 1008 can be deposited in a "depot-down" manner, meaning that the deposition of the material is directed downward relative to the doped semiconductor layer 1004. Referring to Figure 10C, Figure 1000C shows layers 1004-1008 flipped over on tray 1002. In some embodiments, layers 1004-1008 are flipped over by a substrate flipper, which may include a substrate transfer robot. Referring to Figure 10D, an intermediate structure 1014 is obtained as a result of depositing an intrinsic semiconductor layer 1010 on the doped semiconductor layer 1004 (for example, in a processing chamber) and then depositing a doped semiconductor layer 1012 on the intrinsic semiconductor layer 1010. For example, the intrinsic semiconductor layer 1010 can correspond to the intrinsic semiconductor layer 520 in Figure 5, and the doped semiconductor layer 1012 can correspond to the doped semiconductor layer 510 in Figure 5. In some embodiments, each of layers 1010 and 1012 is deposited by CVD. For example, layers 1010 and 1012 can be deposited by deposit-down.

[0068] Figures 11A and 11B illustrate the manufacturing of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation in a second stage according to several embodiments. Referring to Figure 11A, the intermediate structure 1014 is placed in a tray 1110 for processing by a processing chamber. In some embodiments, the processing chamber is a PVD chamber. In some embodiments, the tray 1110 includes a window for exposing the bottom of the processed substrate for further material deposition. Referring to Figure 11B, the intermediate structure 1140 is obtained as a result of depositing TCO layers 1120 and 1130 on the intermediate structure 1140 in the processing chamber 1 (e.g., by one or more PVD processes). For example, the TCO layer 1120 may correspond to the TCO layer 505 in Figure 5, and the TCO layer 1130 may be a recombination layer (e.g., the recombination layer 404 in Figure 4A). Layers 1120 and 1130 may be deposited separately (e.g., during separate deposition operations) or deposited during a single operation. In some embodiments, the TCO layer 1120 is deposited in a "deposit-up" manner, meaning the deposited material is oriented upward relative to the intermediate structure 1014, while the TCO layer 1130 is deposited in a "deposit-down" manner. For example, the intermediate structure 1140 may include a recombination layer placed on the HJT solar cell.

[0069] Figures 12A–12E illustrate the manufacturing of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation in a third stage according to several embodiments. Referring to Figure 12A, the intermediate structure 1140 is placed in a tray 1210 for processing in a processing chamber. In some embodiments, the tray 1210 is a gridded tray with windows for exposing the surface of the intermediate structure 1140 for further material deposition. In some embodiments, the tray 1210 includes an electrostatic chuck for electrostatically holding the intermediate structure 1140. While the tray 1210 is shown holding the intermediate structure in a horizontal orientation, the tray 1210 can also be configured to hold the intermediate structure 1140 in a vertical orientation (for example, holding the intermediate structure 1140 at a 90° angle from what is shown). In some embodiments, HTL 1220 is deposited on the intermediate structure 1140 (for example, by evaporation). For example, HTL 1220 can correspond to HTL 640 in Figure 6. HTL 1220 can be deposited by deposit-up. Referring to Figure 12B, the active layer 1230 is deposited on the HTL 1220 (for example, by evaporation). For example, the active layer 1230 can correspond to the active layer 630 in Figure 6. The active layer 1230 can be deposited by deposit-up. Referring to Figure 12C, the ETL 1240 is deposited on the active layer 1120 (for example, by evaporation). For example, the ETL 1240 can correspond to the ETL 620 in Figure 6. The ETL 1140 can be deposited by deposit-up. Referring to Figure 12D, the buffer layer 1250 can be deposited on the ETL 220 (for example, by evaporation). The buffer layer 1250 can be deposited by deposit-up. Referring to Figure 12E, the intermediate structure 1270 is obtained as a result of depositing the TCO layer 1260 on the buffer layer 1250 (for example, by PVD). For example, the TCO layer 1260 can correspond to the TCO layer 610 in Figure 6. The TCO layer 1260 can be deposited using a deposit-up method. In some embodiments, the intermediate structure 1270 includes a recombination layer placed between the perovskite solar cell and the HJT solar cell.

[0070] Figures 13A and 13B illustrate the manufacturing of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation in a fourth step according to several embodiments. Referring to Figure 13A, electrodes 1310-1 and 1310-2 are printed on the intermediate structure 1270 (for example, by printed elements). Referring to Figure 13B, in some embodiments, the intermediate structure 1270 is flipped over (for example, by a substrate flipper), and electrodes 1310-3 and 1310-4 are printed on the intermediate structure 1270, resulting in the tandem solar cell device 1320. For example, electrodes 1310-1 and 1310-2 can correspond to electrodes 410-1 and 410-2 in Figure 4D, and electrodes 1310-3 and 1310-4 can correspond to electrodes 410-3 and 410-4 in Figure 4D.

[0071] Figures 14A and 14B illustrate the manufacturing of a tandem solar cell device using device-level encapsulation in a fifth step according to several embodiments. Referring to Figure 14A, the tandem solar cell device 1320 is placed in a tray 1410 for processing in a processing chamber capable of performing TFE. In some embodiments, the processing chamber is a CVD chamber. A mask layer 1420 can be placed on electrodes 1310-3 and 1310-4 of the tandem solar cell device 1320 and on the edges of the tray 1410. For example, the mask layer 1420 may correspond to the mask layer 430 in Figure 4B. Referring to Figure 14B, an encapsulated device 1440 is obtained as a result of depositing an encapsulation layer 1430 to encapsulate the top and / or sides of the tandem solar cell device 1320. For example, the encapsulation layer 1430 may correspond to the encapsulation layer 120 in Figure 1 or the encapsulation layer 440 in Figure 4. Next, the mask layer 1420 can be removed, and the encapsulated device 1440 can be taken out of the tray 1410. In some embodiments, the encapsulated device 1440 is placed in a module containing multiple tandem solar cell devices (for example, as shown in Figures 2-3).

[0072] Figure 15 shows an exemplary module 1500 that includes tandem solar cell devices formed using device-level encapsulation according to several embodiments. As shown, module 1500A may include multiple tandem solar cell devices, including the tandem solar cell device 1440 described above with reference to Figure 14B. Although three tandem solar cell devices are shown in Figure 15, module 1500 may include any preferred number of tandem solar cell devices.

[0073] On each tandem solar cell device, a device-level encapsulation layer is formed as a separate encapsulation layer. In some embodiments, multiple device-level encapsulation layers are formed simultaneously during a deposition process (e.g., a TFE process). In some embodiments, at least one device-level encapsulation layer is formed during a separate deposition process. As further shown, electrical connections, including electrical connections 1510-1 to 1510-3, can be formed in relation to each electrode to obtain a base module for electrically connecting adjacent tandem solar cell devices among the tandem solar cell devices of module 1500. Module 1500 can be encapsulated using module-level encapsulation as described above with reference to Figures 3 and 8B. Further details on how to manufacture the device module 1500 are described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8B and Figures 10A to 14B.

[0074] Figure 16 shows an exemplary computer system 1600 that can be used to carry out the method described herein. The computer system 1600 can be connected to other computing devices in a LAN, intranet, extranet, and / or the Internet. The computer system 1600 can operate as a server machine in a client-server network environment. The computer system 1600 can be provided by a personal computer (PC), a set-top box (STB), a server, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing (sequentially or otherwise) a set of instructions that specify the actions to be taken by such a machine. Furthermore, although only a single computing device is shown, the term “computer system” shall also be considered to include any group of computing devices that individually or jointly execute a set (or more) of instructions for carrying out the method discussed herein. In a descriptive example, the computer system 1600 may represent the controller 720 in Figure 7.

[0075] The computer system 1600 may include a processing device 1602, main memory 1604 (e.g., synchronous dynamic random access memory (DRAM), read-only memory (ROM)), and static memory 1605 (e.g., flash memory and data storage device 1618), which can communicate with each other via bus 1630.

[0076] The processing device 1602 can be provided by one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor or a central processing unit. In a descriptive example, the processing device 1602 may comprise a composite instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor that implements other instruction sets, or a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 1602 may also comprise one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a network processor. The processing device 1602 can be configured to perform a method of managing a computing system according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0077] The computer system 1600 may further include a network interface device 1608 that can communicate with the network 1620. The computer system 1600 may also include a video display unit 1610 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 1612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 1614 (e.g., a mouse), and / or an acoustic signal generating device 1615 (e.g., a speaker). In one embodiment, the video display unit 1610, the alphanumeric input device 1612, and the cursor control device 1614 can be combined into a single component or device (e.g., an LCD touchscreen).

[0078] The data storage device 1618 may include a computer-readable storage medium 1628 capable of storing one or more sets of instructions (for example, instructions for an automated communication review method according to one or more aspects of the Disclosure) that perform one or more of the methods or functions described herein. These instructions may also reside entirely or at least partially in the main memory 1604 and / or processing device 1602 while they are being executed by the computer system 1600, and the main memory 1604 and processing device 1602 also constitute computer-readable media. These instructions may be further transmitted or received by the network 1620 via the network interface device 1608.

[0079] In descriptive examples, computer-readable storage medium 1628 is shown as a single medium, but the term “computer-readable storage medium” shall be considered to include a single or multiple mediums that store one or more sets of instructions (for example, a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers). The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall also be considered to include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for machine execution, causing a machine to perform the methods described herein. Thus, the term “computer-readable storage medium” shall be considered to include, but not limited to, solid memory, optical media, and magnetic media.

[0080] Some parts of the detailed description above are presented with respect to algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits in computer memory. These descriptions and representations of algorithms are the way used by those skilled in the data processing technique to most effectively communicate the nature of their work to others skilled in the technique. An algorithm, in general, is considered herein to be a set of self-consistent operations that produce a desired result. These operations require the physical manipulation of physical quantities. While not usually necessary, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. For reasons of common use, it is sometimes more convenient to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc.

[0081] However, it should be noted that all these and similar terms relate to appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to those quantities. This disclosure may refer to actions and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that manipulate and convert data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memory of a computer system to other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the memory or registers or other such information storage systems of a computer system.

[0082] This disclosure also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the operations described herein. This apparatus may include a general-purpose computer that can be built specifically for the intended purpose or that can be selectively started or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, each of which may be coupled to a computer system bus.

[0083] The algorithms and representations presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems can be used with the programs taught herein, or it may be advantageous to construct more specialized devices to implement the methods. Various structures for these systems are conceivable as described below. Furthermore, this disclosure is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be understood that various programming languages ​​can be used to implement the teachings of this disclosure as described herein.

[0084] This disclosure may be provided as a computer program product or software that includes a machine-readable medium, the machine-readable medium storing instructions that can be used to program a computer system (or other electronic device) to perform the processes of this disclosure. The machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storing information in a form that is readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). In some embodiments, the machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium includes machine-readable storage media such as read-only memory ("ROM"), random-access memory ("RAM"), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, and flash memory components.

[0085] The above description provides numerous specific details, such as examples of specific systems, components, and methods, to give a good understanding of some embodiments of the Disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some embodiments of the Disclosure can be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in the form of simple block diagrams, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the Disclosure. Thus, the specific details described are merely illustrative. Certain embodiments may vary from these exemplary details and may still be intended to be within the scope of the Disclosure.

[0086] Throughout this specification, any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to that embodiment are included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, instances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” appearing in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” When the terms “about” or “approximately” are used herein, this is intended to mean that the nominal values ​​presented are within a precision of ±10%.

[0087] When the method operations of this specification are illustrated and described in a specific order, the order of the operations of each method can be changed, and therefore certain operations can be performed in reverse order, or certain operations can be performed at least partially simultaneously with other operations. In another embodiment, the commands or subordinate operations of separate operations can be intermittent and / or alternating.

[0088] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art if the above description is read and understood. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure shall be determined by reference to the appended claims, together with the full scope of the equivalents given to such claims.

Claims

1. To obtain one set of tandem solar cell devices, On each of the tandem solar cells in the set of tandem solar cells, a deposition process is used to form individual encapsulation layers deposited along the top and side surfaces of the tandem solar cells. A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deposition process is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deposition process is a thin-film encapsulation (TFE) process.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deposition process is carried out at a temperature of approximately 150°C or lower.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual encapsulation layer comprises at least one of aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbonitride, or hexamethyldisiloxane.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of tandem solar cell devices corresponds to a module, and the method further comprises completing the manufacture of the module.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising completing the manufacturing of the module by performing module-level encapsulation.

8. Implementing module-level encapsulation is Forming an encapsulating material on the module, Forming a pair of glass layers on the encapsulating material and The method according to claim 7, including the method described in claim 7.

9. Each of the tandem solar cell devices in the aforementioned set of tandem solar cell devices is The first solar cell and A second solar cell is placed on the first solar cell, A first set of electrodes arranged on the first solar cell, A second set of electrodes arranged on the second solar cell and The method according to claim 1, comprising:

10. Forming the aforementioned individual encapsulation layers Forming a mask layer on each electrode of the second set of electrodes, The deposition process is initiated after forming the respective mask layers on each electrode of the second set of electrodes. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first solar cell is a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second solar cell is a perovskite solar cell.

13. A set of tandem solar cell devices, wherein each of the set of tandem solar cell devices comprises a first solar cell, a second solar cell, a recombination layer disposed between the first solar cell and the second solar cell, a first set of electrodes disposed on the first solar cell, and a second set of electrodes disposed on the second solar cell, For each tandem solar cell in the set of tandem solar cell devices, an individual encapsulation layer is disposed on the top and side surfaces of the tandem solar cell device. A device equipped with the following features.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the individual encapsulation layer comprises at least one of aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbonitride, or hexamethyldisiloxane.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first solar cell comprises a stack of alternately overlapping semiconductor layers arranged on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the first solar cell is a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein the second solar cell comprises a stack of layers including an electron transport layer (ETL) disposed on an active layer.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the active layer includes a perovskite layer and the second solar cell is a perovskite solar cell.

19. The device according to claim 13, wherein the set of tandem solar cell devices is a plurality of tandem solar cell devices configured within a module.

20. Further including module-level encapsulation, the module-level encapsulation is The encapsulating material placed on the module, A pair of glass layers arranged on the encapsulating material and The device according to claim 19, including the device described in claim 19.

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