# US 10,312,386 B2 · Solar cell and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 10,312,386 B2
- Document ID: US10312386B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/416,673
- Filed: 2017-01-26
- Published: 2017-08-03
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-28
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Kwangsun Ji; Sehwon Ahn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312386B2

## CPC

- H10F 77/219: {Arrangements for electrodes of back-contact photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 10/146: {Back-junction photovoltaic cells, e.g. having interdigitated base-emitter regions on the back side}
- H10F 71/129: {Passivating}
- H10F 71/134: {Irradiation with electromagnetic or particle radiation}
- H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies}
- H10F 77/215: {Geometries of grid contacts}
- H10F 77/935: {for photovoltaic devices or modules}
- Y02E 10/52: PV systems with concentrators
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor region positioned at a front surface or a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and doped with impurities of a first conductive type, a first electrode connected to the first semiconductor region, and a second electrode connected to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate. The second electrode is formed of a metal foil, and an air gap is formed between the second electrode formed of the metal foil and the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar cell comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a first semiconductor region positioned on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and doped with impurities of a first conductive type;
a second semiconductor region positioned on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate and doped with impurities of a second conductive type;
a back passivation layer on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, at least a portion of the back passivation layer overlapping with the first and second semiconductor regions;
a first electrode connected to the first semiconductor region; and
a second electrode connected to the second semiconductor region,
wherein the second electrode is formed of a metal foil, and an air gap is formed between the second electrode formed of the metal foil and a back surface of the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the second electrode formed of the metal foil includes:
a contact portion contacting the back surface of the second semiconductor region; and
a non-contact portion that is spaced apart from the back surface of the second semiconductor region to form the air gap between the second electrode and the back surface of the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The solar cell of claim 2, wherein the contact portion of the second electrode formed of the metal foil is in point contact or line contact with the back surface of the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The solar cell of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the non-contact portion of the second electrode formed of the metal foil is 20 μm to 30 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The solar cell of claim 2, wherein the contact portion of the second electrode formed of the metal foil is further recessed toward the semiconductor substrate than the non-contact portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the second electrode formed of the metal foil is made of at least one of Ag, Al, Au, W, Mo, Ni, Pt, Cu, Ti, Cr, and Fe, or an alloy thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1,
wherein the first electrode is formed of a metal foil covering the first semiconductor region, and
wherein an air gap is formed between the first electrode formed of the metal foil and the first semiconductor region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The solar cell of claim 7, wherein the first electrode formed of the metal foil includes a first contact portion contacting a back surface of the first semiconductor region and a first non-contact portion that is spaced apart from the first semiconductor region to form the air gap between the first electrode and the first semiconductor region, and
wherein the second electrode formed of the metal foil includes a second contact portion contacting a back surface of the second semiconductor region and a second non-contact portion that is spaced apart from the second semiconductor region to form the air gap between the second electrode and the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The solar cell of claim 8, wherein the first contact portion is in point contact or line contact with the back surface of the first semiconductor region, and
wherein the second contact portion is in point contact or line contact with the back surface of the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The solar cell of claim 8, wherein a thickness of each of the first and second contact portions is 20 μm to 30 μm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The solar cell of claim 8, wherein the first and second contact portions are further recessed toward the semiconductor substrate than the first and second non-contact portions, respectively.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The solar cell of claim 7, wherein the first and second electrodes formed of the metal foil are made of at least one of Ag, Al, Au, W, Mo, Ni, Pt, Cu, Ti, Cr, and Fe, or an alloy thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are physically disconnected from each other on the back passivation layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is in direct physical contact with a back surface of the first semiconductor region, and the second electrode is in direct physical contact with the back surface of the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the air gap is equal to a thickness of the back passivation layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, further comprising an intrinsic semiconductor region between the first and second semiconductor regions, and the back passivation layer is positioned on the intrinsic semiconductor region.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the air gap contacts the back surface of the second semiconductor region.