WO2009094564A2 - Contacts ponctuels pour une cellule solaire à émetteur en silicium polycristallin - Google Patents

Contacts ponctuels pour une cellule solaire à émetteur en silicium polycristallin Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009094564A2
WO2009094564A2 PCT/US2009/031868 US2009031868W WO2009094564A2 WO 2009094564 A2 WO2009094564 A2 WO 2009094564A2 US 2009031868 W US2009031868 W US 2009031868W WO 2009094564 A2 WO2009094564 A2 WO 2009094564A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
point contacts
solar cell
substrate
dielectric layer
contacts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2009/031868
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English (en)
Other versions
WO2009094564A3 (fr
Inventor
Peter Borden
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Applied Materials Inc
Original Assignee
Applied Materials Inc
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Applied Materials Inc filed Critical Applied Materials Inc
Publication of WO2009094564A2 publication Critical patent/WO2009094564A2/fr
Publication of WO2009094564A3 publication Critical patent/WO2009094564A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
    • H10F77/00—Constructional details of devices covered by this subclass
    • H10F77/20—Electrodes
    • H10F77/206—Electrodes for devices having potential barriers
    • H10F77/211—Electrodes for devices having potential barriers for photovoltaic cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
    • H10F10/00—Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells
    • H10F10/10—Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells having potential barriers
    • H10F10/11—Photovoltaic cells having point contact potential barriers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
    • H10F10/00—Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells
    • H10F10/10—Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells having potential barriers
    • H10F10/16—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers
    • H10F10/164—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells
    • H10F10/165—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells the heterojunctions being Group IV-IV heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC photovoltaic cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10F—INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
    • H10F10/00—Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells
    • H10F10/10—Individual photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar cells having potential barriers
    • H10F10/16—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers
    • H10F10/164—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells
    • H10F10/165—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells the heterojunctions being Group IV-IV heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC photovoltaic cells
    • H10F10/166—Photovoltaic cells having only PN heterojunction potential barriers comprising heterojunctions with Group IV materials, e.g. ITO/Si or GaAs/SiGe photovoltaic cells the heterojunctions being Group IV-IV heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC photovoltaic cells the Group IV-IV heterojunctions being heterojunctions of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. silicon heterojunction [SHJ] photovoltaic cells
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to electrical contacts in a semiconductor device
  • Examples include the PERL cell from the
  • FIG. 1 shows one conventional junction contact structure. As shown in FIG. 1, a
  • passivating oxide layer 104 is formed on a bulk material 100 to minimize recombination on the
  • the present invention relates to electrical contacts in a semiconductor device
  • the invention uses a dielectric layer
  • junction current can flow.
  • the benefit is that the metal grid conductors do not need to align to
  • the invention includes a conductive layer formed over a substrate, the conductive layer providing
  • cell includes forming a conductive layer over a substrate, the conductive layer providing for junction current flow between the underlying
  • the dielectric layer that enables the junction current flow through the dielectric layer.
  • FIG. 1 shows a point contact emitter structure commonly used in conventional
  • FIG. 2 shows a solar cell structure for conventional HIT and poly emitter type
  • FIGs. 3A to 3F illustrate an example process flow incorporating inclusion
  • FIGs. 4A to 4F illustrate an example process flow incorporating screen printing
  • FIGs. 5A to 5E illustrate an example process flow incorporating laser ablation
  • FIGs. 6A and 6B illustrate an example solar cell having point contacts in
  • FIG. 2 shows how the top structure of such cells are substantially similar.
  • a thin passivation layer such as amorphous silicon 202a (HIT) or a tunneling oxide 202b (PE) is applied directly to the silicon 200 surface.
  • a conductor such as a transparent conductive oxide 204a (TCO), as in the case of the HIT cell, or doped polysilicon 204b, as in the case of the PE cell, is applied over the passivation layer 202a/202b.
  • TCO transparent conductive oxide
  • these cells benefit from improved contact passivation, they do not show additional gains from higher current density that are possible with point contacts.
  • the present invention therefore uses a dielectric layer interposed between the substrate and a conductive layer to provide a limited area over which junction current can flow, which improves current density.
  • the metal grid conductors do not need to align to the contacts of the present invention, and can be applied freely without registration.
  • FIGs. 3 to 5 show various ways in which a solar cell having point contacts can be made according to aspects of the invention. It should be noted that the principles of the invention can be applied to both HIT and poly emitter solar cell structures. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the contact passivating layer described below can comprise amorphous silicon for the HIT cell and either a tunnel oxide or direct contact for the PE cell, and the conductor layer can comprise a TCO for the HIT cell or doped polysilicon for the PE cell.
  • a dielectric layer 302 is first formed on the surface of the substrate (FIGs. 3 A, 4A and 5A).
  • This is preferably a thermal silicon dioxide, formed as either a rapid thermal oxide or as a conventional grown layer.
  • This layer may be relatively thin, on the order of 50 to 150 A thick, so that it does not influence the optical properties of the front surface.
  • dielectric layer 302 preferably provides similar aspects of a passivating layer, such as the further purpose of reducing recombination of carriers at the surface.
  • FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the invention, referred to herein as inclusion patterning.
  • inclusions 306 are mixed into a masking resist layer 304, which may be any material that resists the subsequent etching of the dielectric layer. Such materials include lacquer films, photoresists, and chemical resins.
  • Inclusions 306 may be particles such as aluminum or calcium chloride. Particles that contaminate silicon or interface layers, such as sodium salts, are less desirable.
  • the inclusions should be of a size on the order of the contact holes, and much larger than the thickness of the resist, e.g., 10 ⁇ m inclusions for a 1 ⁇ m film.
  • the inclusions 306 have the property that they dissolve or otherwise disrupt the masking action of the resist, allowing etching in their vicinity. Accordingly, as shown in FIG.
  • holes 308 are etched into the layer 302 in the vicinity of the inclusions 308.
  • the opening fraction of the surface area should not exceed about 1%, or current crowding at the contacts will cause series resistance losses.
  • a resist layer 404 is screen printed on the surface and the resist is patterned using conventional photolithography techniques to form pre-defined openings 420, as shown in FIG. 4B.
  • the resist is removed after patterning using a solvent or resist strip solution.
  • the dielectric layer is etched through the patterned resist layer 404 to define contact holes 408.
  • a laser is used to cut holes directly in the dielectric layer 302. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5B, contact holes 508 are formed directly.
  • the laser damage must be etched away in an additional process step as shown in FIG. 5C.
  • a picosecond laser is preferably used to perform the laser ablation as it tends to cause the least laser damage.
  • an anti-reflection coating is typically needed as well. This is most simply applied as a deposition following the formation of the contacts.
  • FIGs. 3 to 5 show the contact holes 308 aligned with the grid contacts
  • FIG. 6A is a top view of an example solar cell 600 having metal conducting grid lines 312. It should be noted that the drawings are intended to illustrate aspects of the invention, and are not necessarily to scale. That said, an example solar cell may have grid lines about 80 ⁇ m wide and spaced about 2.5 mm apart.
  • FIG. 6B provides a magnified view of a portion of solar cell 600. As shown in FIG.
  • point contacts 308 formed according to embodiments of the invention can be randomly dispersed with respect to grid lines 312. It should be noted, however, that contacts can also be regularly dispersed in other embodiments. In any event, the grid lines need not be registered to the contacts.

Landscapes

  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention porte sur des contacts électriques dans un dispositif à semi-conducteur, et plus particulièrement sur des procédés et sur des appareils pour fournir des contacts ponctuels dans une cellule solaire à émetteur en silicium polycristallin ou de type HIT. Selon certains aspects, l'invention utilise une couche diélectrique interposée entre le substrat et une couche conductrice pour fournir une zone limitée sur laquelle un courant de jonction peut circuler. L'avantage est que les conducteurs de grille métallique n'ont pas besoin de s'aligner sur les contacts, et peuvent être appliqués librement sans alignement. Un autre avantage de l'invention est qu'elle fournit un rendement accru pour les cellules à émetteur en silicium polycristallin et de type HIT par l'utilisation de contacts ponctuels pour augmenter une densité de courant. Un autre avantage est que la formation de motif peut être accomplie à l'aide de procédés à faible coût, tels qu'un masquage par inclusion, une sérigraphie ou une ablation laser. Un autre avantage est que les contacts finaux n'ont pas besoin d'un alignement sur les contacts ponctuels, éliminant un alignement requis pour les conceptions de contacts ponctuels classiques.
PCT/US2009/031868 2008-01-24 2009-01-23 Contacts ponctuels pour une cellule solaire à émetteur en silicium polycristallin Ceased WO2009094564A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US2333608P 2008-01-24 2008-01-24
US61/023,336 2008-01-24

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2009094564A2 true WO2009094564A2 (fr) 2009-07-30
WO2009094564A3 WO2009094564A3 (fr) 2009-09-24

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Country Link
WO (1) WO2009094564A2 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9087941B2 (en) 2013-09-19 2015-07-21 International Business Machines Corporation Selective self-aligned plating of heterojunction solar cells

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4703553A (en) * 1986-06-16 1987-11-03 Spectrolab, Inc. Drive through doping process for manufacturing low back surface recombination solar cells
US5011565A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-04-30 Mobil Solar Energy Corporation Dotted contact solar cell and method of making same
DE10020541A1 (de) * 2000-04-27 2001-11-08 Univ Konstanz Verfahren zur Herstellung einer Solarzelle und Solarzelle
US7375378B2 (en) * 2005-05-12 2008-05-20 General Electric Company Surface passivated photovoltaic devices

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9087941B2 (en) 2013-09-19 2015-07-21 International Business Machines Corporation Selective self-aligned plating of heterojunction solar cells
US9209325B2 (en) 2013-09-19 2015-12-08 International Business Machines Corporation Selective self-aligned plating of heterojunction solar cells
US9577141B2 (en) 2013-09-19 2017-02-21 International Business Machines Corporation Selective self-aligned plating of heterojunction solar cells

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2009094564A3 (fr) 2009-09-24

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