# US 10,312,402 B2 · P-type diffusion layer forming composition

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- Number: US 10,312,402 B2
- Document ID: US10312402B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/262,719
- Filed: 2014-04-26
- Published: 2014-08-14
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-05
- Assignees: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Youichi Machii; Masato Yoshida; Takeshi Nojiri; Kaoru Okaniwa; Mitsunori Iwamuro; Shuichiro Adachi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312402B2

## CPC

- H10F 71/128: {Annealing}
- H10F 71/121: {The active layers comprising only Group IV materials}
- H10F 77/211: {for photovoltaic cells}
- H10P 32/141: {the applied layer comprising oxides only}
- H10P 32/171: {being group IV material}
- H10P 32/19: {Diffusion sources}
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer in accordance with the present invention contains an acceptor element-containing glass powder and a dispersion medium. A p-type diffusion layer and a photovoltaic cell having a p-type diffusion layer are prepared by applying the composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer, followed by a thermal diffusion treatment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a photovoltaic cell, including:
applying, on a semiconductor substrate, from 0.01 g/m2 to 100 g/m2 of a composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer, the composition comprising an acceptor element-containing glass powder and a dispersion medium; and
subjecting the substrate to a thermal diffusion treatment at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1000° C. to form a p-type diffusion layer,
wherein the acceptor element is included in the glass powder such that vaporization of the acceptor element is suppressed,
wherein the softening point of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is from 300° C. to 900° C.,
wherein the p-type diffusion layer has a sheet resistance of from 35Ω/□ to 190Ω/□, and
wherein the shape of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is selected from the group consisting of a substantially spherical shape, a flat shape, a block shape, a plane shape, and a scale-like shape.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, further including forming an electrode on the p-type diffusion layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, wherein the acceptor element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al) and gallium (Ga).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1, wherein the acceptor element-containing glass powder comprises an acceptor element-containing material and a glass component material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 4, wherein the acceptor element-containing material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of B2O3, Al2O3 and Ga2O3.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 4, wherein the glass component material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of SiO2, K2O, Na2O, Li2O, BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO, ZnO, PbO, CdO, V2O5, SnO, ZrO2, and MoO3.

### Claim 7

A method for producing a p-type diffusion layer, including:
applying, on a semiconductor substrate, from 0.01 g/m2 to 100 g/m2 of a composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer, the composition comprising an acceptor element-containing glass powder and a dispersion medium; and
conducting a thermal diffusion treatment at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1000° C.,
wherein the acceptor element is included in the glass powder such that vaporization of the acceptor element is suppressed,
wherein the softening point of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is from 300° C. to 900° C.,
wherein the p-type diffusion layer has a sheet resistance of from 35Ω/□ to 190Ω/□, and
wherein the shape of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is selected from the group consisting of a substantially spherical shape, a flat shape, a block shape, a plane shape, and a scale-like shape.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 7, further including forming an electrode on the p-type diffusion layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 7, wherein the acceptor element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al) and gallium (Ga).

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 7, wherein the acceptor element-containing glass powder comprises an acceptor element-containing material and a glass component material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 10, wherein the acceptor element-containing material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of B2O3, Al2O3 and Ga2O3.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 10, wherein the glass component material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of SiO2, K2O, Na2O, Li2O, BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO, ZnO, PbO, CdO, V2O5, SnO, ZrO2 and MoO3.