公开(公告)号：US11374145B2

公开(公告)日：2022-06-28

申请号：US16704983

申请日：2019-12-05

申请人： SunPower Corporation ,  Total Marketing Services

发明人： Yu-Chen Shen ,  Périne Jaffrennou ,  Gilles Olav Tanguy Sylvain Poulain ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  Seung Bum Rim

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0747

摘要： Methods of fabricating solar cells using UV-curing of light-receiving surfaces of the solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described herein. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a passivating dielectric layer on a light-receiving surface of a silicon substrate. The method also includes forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer below the passivating dielectric layer. The method also includes exposing the ARC layer to ultra-violet (UV) radiation. The method also includes, subsequent to exposing the ARC layer to ultra-violet (UV) radiation, thermally annealing the ARC layer.

公开(公告)号：US20180138354A1

公开(公告)日：2018-05-17

申请号：US15807915

申请日：2017-11-09

申请人： SUNPOWER CORPORATION ,  TOTAL MARKETING SERVICES

发明人： Périne Jaffrennou ,  Gilles Olav Tanguy Sylvain Poulain ,  Kieran Mark Tracy ,  Taiqing Qiu ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  Seung Bum Rim

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0216

CPC分类号： H01L31/1864 ,  H01L31/02168 ,  H01L31/022441 ,  H01L31/1868

摘要： A curing tool for fabricating solar cells using UV-curing of light-receiving surfaces of the solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described herein. In an example, a curing tool combines a UV-exposure stage and one or more of a deposition or an annealing stage to fabricate a solar cell. For example, a radiation curing stage can precede a back end processing stage used to perform operations on a back contact solar cell. The curing tool can therefore be used to perform a method to improve UV stability of solar cells.

公开(公告)号：US20190051769A1

公开(公告)日：2019-02-14

申请号：US16163384

申请日：2018-10-17

申请人： SunPower Corporation ,  Total Marketing Services

发明人： Seung Bum Rim ,  Genevieve A. Solomon ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  Jérôme Damon-Lacoste ,  Antoine Marie Olivier Salomon

IPC分类号： H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0747 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0745

摘要： Methods of passivating light-receiving surfaces of solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a silicon substrate having a light-receiving surface. An intrinsic silicon layer is disposed above the light-receiving surface of the silicon substrate. An N-type silicon layer is disposed on the intrinsic silicon layer. A non-conductive anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer is disposed on the N-type silicon layer. In another example, a solar cell includes a silicon substrate having a light-receiving surface. A tunneling dielectric layer is disposed on the light-receiving surface of the silicon substrate. An N-type silicon layer is disposed on the tunneling dielectric layer. A non-conductive anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer is disposed on the N-type silicon layer.

公开(公告)号：US20220293801A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17829152

申请日：2022-05-31

申请人： Sunpower Corporation ,  Total Marketing Services

发明人： Yu-Chen Shen ,  Perine Jaffrennou ,  Gilles Olav Tanguy Sylvain Poulain ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  Seung Bum Rim

IPC分类号： H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0747

摘要： Methods of fabricating solar cells using UV-curing of light-receiving surfaces of the solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described herein. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a passivating dielectric layer on a light-receiving surface of a silicon substrate. The method also includes forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer below the passivating dielectric layer. The method also includes exposing the ARC layer to ultra-violet (UV) radiation. The method also includes, subsequent to exposing the ARC layer to ultra-violet (UV) radiation, thermally annealing the ARC layer.

公开(公告)号：US20200251601A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-06

申请号：US16853437

申请日：2020-04-20

申请人： SunPower Corporation

发明人： Seung Bum Rim ,  Michael C. Johnson

IPC分类号： H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/0352 ,  H01L31/0747

摘要： Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell can include a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first doped region of a first conductivity type, wherein the first doped region is disposed in a first portion of the back surface. A first thin dielectric layer disposed over the back surface of the substrate, where a portion of the first thin dielectric layer is disposed over the first doped region of the first conductivity type. A first semiconductor layer disposed over the first thin dielectric layer. A second doped region of a second conductivity type in the first semiconductor layer, where the second doped region is disposed over a second portion of the back surface. A first conductive contact disposed over the first doped region and a second conductive contact disposed over the second doped region.

公开(公告)号：US09825191B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-21

申请号：US14317686

申请日：2014-06-27

申请人： SUNPOWER CORPORATION

发明人： Michael C. Johnson ,  Kieran Mark Tracy ,  Seung Bum Rim ,  Jara Fernandez Martin ,  Périne Jaffrennou ,  Julien Penaud

IPC分类号： H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/068

CPC分类号： H01L31/02167 ,  H01L31/02363 ,  H01L31/0682 ,  Y02E10/547

摘要： Methods of passivating light-receiving surfaces of solar cells with high energy gap (Eg) materials, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface. A passivating dielectric layer is disposed on the light-receiving surface of the substrate. A Group III-nitride material layer is disposed above the passivating dielectric layer. In another example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface. A passivating dielectric layer is disposed on the light-receiving surface of the substrate. A large direct band gap material layer is disposed above the passivating dielectric layer, the large direct band gap material layer having an energy gap (Eg) of at least approximately 3.3. An anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer disposed on the large direct band gap material layer, the ARC layer comprising a material different from the large direct band gap material layer.

公开(公告)号：US10957809B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-23

申请号：US16692890

申请日：2019-11-22

申请人： SunPower Corporation

发明人： Richard M. Swanson ,  Marius M. Bunea ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  David D. Smith ,  Yu-Chen Shen ,  Peter J. Cousins ,  Tim Dennis

IPC分类号： H01L21/00 ,  H01L31/0747 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0745 ,  H01L31/072 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0236

摘要： Solar cells having emitter regions composed of wide bandgap semiconductor material are described. In an example, a method includes forming, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell. The semiconductor substrate has a bandgap. Without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a semiconductor layer is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US09997652B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-12

申请号：US14866239

申请日：2015-09-25

申请人： SUNPOWER CORPORATION

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

IPC分类号： H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/0236 ,  H01L31/068

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.

公开(公告)号：US20200091366A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-19

申请号：US16692890

申请日：2019-11-22

申请人： SunPower Corporation

发明人： Richard M. Swanson ,  Marius M. Bunea ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  David D. Smith ,  Yu-Chen Shen ,  Peter J. Cousins ,  Tim Dennis

IPC分类号： H01L31/0747 ,  H01L31/068 ,  H01L31/0745 ,  H01L31/072 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  H01L31/18 ,  H01L31/0224 ,  H01L31/0236

摘要： Solar cells having emitter regions composed of wide bandgap semiconductor material are described. In an example, a method includes forming, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell. The semiconductor substrate has a bandgap. Without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a semiconductor layer is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10230329B2

公开(公告)日：2019-03-12

申请号：US15425709

申请日：2017-02-06

申请人： SUNPOWER CORPORATION

发明人： Xiuwen Tu ,  David Aitan Soltz ,  Michael C. Johnson ,  Seung Bum Rim ,  Taiqing Qiu ,  Yu-Chen Shen ,  Kieran Mark Tracy

IPC分类号： G01N21/64 ,  H02S50/15

摘要： Methods of testing a semiconductor, and semiconductor testing apparatus, are described. In an example, a method for testing a semiconductor can include applying light on the semiconductor to induce photonic degradation. The method can also include receiving a photoluminescence measurement induced from the applied light from the semiconductor and monitoring the photonic degradation of the semiconductor from the photoluminescence measurement.