公开(公告)号：US09419166B2

公开(公告)日：2016-08-16

申请号：US14975175

申请日：2015-12-18

申请人： Scott Harrington ,  Venkatasubramani Balu ,  Westerberg Staffan ,  Peter John Cousins

发明人： Scott Harrington ,  Venkatasubramani Balu ,  Westerberg Staffan ,  Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L21/00 ,  H01L31/18

CPC分类号： H01L31/1804 ,  H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/035281 ,  H01L31/0747 ,  H01L31/075 ,  H01L31/202 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y02E10/548 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： A method of fabricating a solar cell can include forming a first dopant region over a silicon substrate and an oxide region over the first dopant region. In an embodiment, the oxide region can protect the first dopant region from a first etching process. In an embodiment, a second dopant region can be formed over the silicon substrate, where a mask can be formed to protect a first portion of the second dopant region from the first etching process. In an embodiment, the first etching process can be performed to expose portions of the silicon substrate and/or a silicon region. A second etching process can be performed to form a trench region to separate a first and second doped region of the solar cell. A third etching process can be performed to remove contaminants from the solar cell and remove any remaining portions of the oxide region.

摘要翻译： 制造太阳能电池的方法可以包括在硅衬底上形成第一掺杂剂区域和在第一掺杂剂区域上形成氧化物区域。 在一个实施例中，氧化物区域可以保护第一掺杂剂区域免受第一蚀刻工艺的影响。 在一个实施例中，可以在硅衬底上形成第二掺杂剂区域，其中可以形成掩模以保护第一掺杂剂区域的第一部分不受第一蚀刻工艺的影响。 在一个实施例中，可以执行第一蚀刻工艺以暴露硅衬底和/或硅区域的部分。 可以执行第二蚀刻工艺以形成分离太阳能电池的第一和第二掺杂区域的沟槽区域。 可以进行第三蚀刻工艺以从太阳能电池去除污染物并去除氧化物区域的任何剩余部分。

公开(公告)号：US08409902B1

公开(公告)日：2013-04-02

申请号：US13486095

申请日：2012-06-01

申请人： Gabriel Harley ,  Taeseok Kim ,  Peter John Cousins

发明人： Gabriel Harley ,  Taeseok Kim ,  Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L21/00

CPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/384 ,  B23K26/40 ,  B23K26/402 ,  B23K2103/172 ,  B23K2103/50 ,  H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y10S438/94

摘要： A dielectric film stack of a solar cell is ablated using a laser. The dielectric film stack includes a layer that is absorptive in a wavelength of operation of the laser source. The laser source, which fires laser pulses at a pulse repetition rate, is configured to ablate the film stack to expose an underlying layer of material. The laser source may be configured to fire a burst of two laser pulses or a single temporally asymmetric laser pulse within a single pulse repetition to achieve complete ablation in a single step.

摘要翻译： 使用激光烧蚀太阳能电池的电介质膜堆叠。 电介质膜堆叠包括在激光源的工作波长中吸收的层。 以脉冲重复频率激发激光脉冲的激光源被配置为烧蚀膜堆以暴露下层材料。 激光源可以被配置为在单个脉冲重复中触发两个激光脉冲或单个时间不对称激光脉冲的脉冲，以在单个步骤中实现完全消融。

公开(公告)号：US07820475B2

公开(公告)日：2010-10-26

申请号：US11643743

申请日：2006-12-20

申请人： Denis De Ceuster ,  Peter John Cousins ,  Richard M. Swanson ,  Jane E. Manning

发明人： Denis De Ceuster ,  Peter John Cousins ,  Richard M. Swanson ,  Jane E. Manning

IPC分类号： H01L21/225 ,  H01L31/0224

CPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/022433 ,  H01L31/02363 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  H01L31/1804 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： In one embodiment, active diffusion junctions of a solar cell are formed by diffusing dopants from dopant sources selectively deposited on the back side of a wafer. The dopant sources may be selectively deposited using a printing method, for example. Multiple dopant sources may be employed to form active diffusion regions of varying doping levels. For example, three or four active diffusion regions may be fabricated to optimize the silicon/dielectric, silicon/metal, or both interfaces of a solar cell. The front side of the wafer may be textured prior to forming the dopant sources using a texturing process that minimizes removal of wafer material. Openings to allow metal gridlines to be connected to the active diffusion junctions may be formed using a self-aligned contact opening etch process to minimize the effects of misalignments.

摘要翻译： 在一个实施例中，太阳能电池的有源扩散接合通过从掺杂源选择性地沉积在晶片的背面上的掺杂剂扩散而形成。 可以使用例如印刷方法选择性地沉积掺杂剂源。 可以使用多种掺杂剂源来形成具有不同掺杂浓度的有源扩散区域。 例如，可以制造三个或四个有源扩散区以优化太阳能电池的硅/电介质，硅/金属或两个界面。 在使用使晶片材料的去除最小化的纹理化工艺形成掺杂剂源之前，可以对晶片的前侧进行纹理化。 允许金属网格线连接到有源扩散结的开口可以使用自对准的接触开口蚀刻工艺形成，以最小化未对准的影响。

公开(公告)号：US20100075234A1

公开(公告)日：2010-03-25

申请号：US12234970

申请日：2008-09-22

申请人： Peter John Cousins

发明人： Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： G03F1/06 ,  B41J31/00

CPC分类号： H01L31/022425 ,  H01L31/18 ,  Y02E10/50

摘要： A contact mask for inkjet printing on a solar cell substrate may be generated by creating a printing bitmap of contacts to be printed on the solar cell substrate. The contacts may be located on the solar cell substrate by mapping coordinates of the printing bitmap to coordinates of the solar cell substrate as positioned in the inkjet printer. The location of the contacts on the solar cell substrate may be defined relative to a location on the solar cell substrate, such as relative to center of mass. The contact mask may be printed by the inkjet printer using the printing bitmap and location information of the contacts.

摘要翻译： 可以通过产生要印刷在太阳能电池基板上的触点的打印位图来生成用于太阳能电池基板上的喷墨打印的接触掩模。 通过将打印位图的坐标映射到位于喷墨打印机中的太阳能电池基板的坐标，可以将触点放置在太阳能电池基板上。 可以相对于太阳能电池基板上的位置（例如相对于质心）来限定太阳能电池基板上的触点的位置。 可以使用打印位图和触点的位置信息由喷墨打印机打印接触掩模。

公开(公告)号：US20180069136A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-08

申请号：US15794406

申请日：2017-10-26

申请人： Gabriel Harley ,  David Smith ,  Tim Dennis ,  Ann Waldhauer ,  Taeseok Kim ,  Peter John Cousins

发明人： Gabriel Harley ,  David Smith ,  Tim Dennis ,  Ann Waldhauer ,  Taeseok Kim ,  Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/18

CPC分类号： H01L31/02168 ,  H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  H01L31/1804 ,  Y02E10/52 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： Contact holes of solar cells are formed by laser ablation to accommodate various solar cell designs. Use of a laser to form the contact holes is facilitated by replacing films formed on the diffusion regions with a film that has substantially uniform thickness. Contact holes may be formed to deep diffusion regions to increase the laser ablation process margins. The laser configuration may be tailored to form contact holes through dielectric films of varying thicknesses.

公开(公告)号：US20170288068A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-05

申请号：US15085594

申请日：2016-03-30

申请人： Peter John Cousins

发明人： Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L31/028 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/18

CPC分类号： H01L31/0284 ,  H01L31/02168 ,  H01L31/022425 ,  H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/0443 ,  H01L31/1804 ,  Y02E10/50

摘要： Voltage breakdown devices for solar cells are described. For example, a solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A plurality of conductive contacts is coupled to the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. A voltage breakdown device is disposed above the substrate. The voltage breakdown device includes one of the plurality of conductive contacts in electrical contact with one of the N-type semiconductor regions and with one of the P-type semiconductor regions of the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions disposed in or above the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20170179310A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-22

申请号：US14971846

申请日：2015-12-16

申请人： Staffan Westerberg ,  Alejandro Levander ,  Peter John Cousins

发明人： Staffan Westerberg ,  Alejandro Levander ,  Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/047 ,  H01L31/0216

CPC分类号： H01L31/02366 ,  H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/02363 ,  H01L31/047 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  H01L31/1804 ,  H01L31/1864 ,  H01L31/1868 ,  Y02E10/547

摘要： Solar cell fabrication using laser patterning of ion-implanted etch-resistant layers, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes an N-type single crystalline silicon substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. Alternating continuous N-type emitter regions and segmented P-type emitter regions are disposed on the back surface of the N-type single crystalline silicon substrate, with gaps between segments of the segmented P-type emitter regions. Trenches are included in the N-type single crystalline silicon substrate between the alternating continuous N-type emitter regions and segmented P-type emitter regions and in locations of the gaps between segments of the segmented P-type emitter regions. An approximately Gaussian distribution of P-type dopants is included in the N-type single crystalline silicon substrate below the segmented P-type emitter regions. A maximum concentration of the approximately Gaussian distribution of P-type dopants is approximately in the center of each of the segmented P-type emitter regions between first and second sides of each of the segmented P-type emitter regions. Substantially vertical P/N junctions are included in the N-type single crystalline silicon substrate at the trenches formed in locations of the gaps between segments of the segmented P-type emitter regions.

公开(公告)号：US20170062640A1

公开(公告)日：2017-03-02

申请号：US15348215

申请日：2016-11-10

申请人： Gabriel Harley ,  Michael Morse ,  Peter John Cousins

发明人： Gabriel Harley ,  Michael Morse ,  Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L31/05 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/048 ,  H01L31/028

CPC分类号： H01L31/0516 ,  H01L31/02168 ,  H01L31/02363 ,  H01L31/028 ,  H01L31/047 ,  H01L31/0475 ,  H01L31/048 ,  H01L31/0504 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  H01L31/186 ,  H01L31/1876 ,  Y02E10/50 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： Solar cells having a plurality of sub-cells coupled by metallization structures, and singulation approaches to forming solar cells having a plurality of sub-cells coupled by metallization structures, are described. In an example, a solar cell, includes a plurality of sub-cells, each of the sub-cells having a singulated and physically separated semiconductor substrate portion. Adjacent ones of the singulated and physically separated semiconductor substrate portions have a groove there between. The solar cell also includes a monolithic metallization structure. A portion of the monolithic metallization structure couples ones of the plurality of sub-cells. The groove between adjacent ones of the singulated and physically separated semiconductor substrate portions exposes a portion of the monolithic metallization structure.

摘要翻译： 描述了具有通过金属化结构耦合的多个子单元的太阳能电池，以及用于形成具有通过金属化结构耦合的多个子单元的太阳能电池的单独方法。 在一个示例中，太阳能电池包括多个子单元，每个子单元具有单个化和物理分离的半导体衬底部分。 相邻的分离和物理分离的半导体衬底部分之间具有凹槽。 太阳能电池还包括单片金属化结构。 单片金属化结构的一部分耦合多个子单元中的一个。 单个化和物理分离的半导体衬底部分中相邻的半导体衬底部分之间的凹槽暴露了整体式金属化结构的一部分。

公开(公告)号：US20160284923A1

公开(公告)日：2016-09-29

申请号：US14866239

申请日：2015-09-25

申请人： Michael C. Johnson ,  Taiqing Qiu ,  David D. Smith ,  Peter John Cousins ,  Staffan Westerberg

发明人： Michael C. Johnson ,  Taiqing Qiu ,  David D. Smith ,  Peter John Cousins ,  Staffan Westerberg

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224

CPC分类号： H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/02363 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  H01L31/1804 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： Methods of fabricating solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described herein. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a substrate by radical oxidation or plasma oxidation of the surface of the substrate. The method also involves forming a silicon layer over the thin dielectric layer. The method also involves forming a plurality of emitter regions from the silicon layer.

摘要翻译： 本文描述了制造太阳能电池的方法和所得到的太阳能电池。 在一个示例中，制造太阳能电池的方法包括通过基底表面的自由基氧化或等离子体氧化在基板的表面上形成薄的电介质层。 该方法还涉及在薄介电层上形成硅层。 该方法还涉及从硅层形成多个发射极区域。

公开(公告)号：US09070804B2

公开(公告)日：2015-06-30

申请号：US12392003

申请日：2009-02-24

申请人： Peter John Cousins

发明人： Peter John Cousins

IPC分类号： H01L31/00 ,  H01L31/0352 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/028 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/18

CPC分类号： H01L31/035281 ,  H01L31/022425 ,  H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/028 ,  H01L31/03529 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  H01L31/1804 ,  Y02E10/547 ,  Y02P70/521

摘要： A solar cell uses a sliver of a silicon wafer as a substrate. The sliver has a front side that faces the sun during normal operation. The front side of the sliver includes a surface from along a thickness of the wafer, allowing for more efficient use of silicon. Metal contacts are formed on the back side of the sliver. The metal contacts electrically connect to the emitter and base of the solar cell, which may be formed within the sliver or be made of polysilicon. The emitter of the solar cell may be a P-type doped region and the base of the solar cell may be an N-type doped region, for example. The solar cell may include an anti-reflective coating formed on the front side of the sliver. The anti-reflective coating may be over a textured surface on the front side of the sliver.

摘要翻译： 太阳能电池使用硅晶片的条子作为基板。 在正常操作期间，条子具有面向太阳的前侧。 纱条的前侧包括沿着晶片厚度的表面，允许更有效地使用硅。 金属触点形成在条子的背面。 金属触点电连接到太阳能电池的发射极和基极，其可以形成在条子内或由多晶硅制成。 太阳能电池的发射极可以是P型掺杂区域，例如，太阳能电池的基底可以是N型掺杂区域。 太阳能电池可以包括形成在条子的前侧上的抗反射涂层。 防反射涂层可以在纱条的前侧上的纹理表面上。