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US 10,593,818 B2Granted
Multijunction solar cell having patterned emitter and method of making the solar cell
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsChristopher M. Fetzer, Peter Hebert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multijunction solar cell includes a base substrate comprising a Group IV semiconductor and a dopant of a first carrier type. A patterned emitter is formed at a first surface of the base substrate. The patterned emitter comprises a plurality of well regions doped with a dopant of a second carrier type in the Group IV semiconductor. The base substrate including the patterned emitter form a first solar subcell. The multijunction solar cell further comprises an upper structure comprising one or more additional solar subcells over the first solar subcell. Methods of making a multijunction solar cell are also described.
Claims28
A multijunction solar cell, comprising:
- a base substrate comprising a Group IV semiconductor and a background dopant of a first carrier type at a first dopant concentration;
- a patterned emitter formed at a first surface of the base substrate, the patterned emitter comprising a plurality of well regions doped with a dopant of a second carrier type in the Group IV semiconductor, the base substrate including the patterned emitter forming a first solar subcell, the first surface of the base substrate including the plurality of well regions and inter-well regions between the plurality of well regions;
- and
- an upper structure comprising one or more additional solar subcells over the first solar subcell, the upper structure further comprising a device layer disposed in direct physical contact with both the plurality of well regions and the inter-well regions of the first surface of the base substrate, the device layer being chosen from an epitaxial grown semiconductor layer and a conduction layer positioned between the patterned emitter and the one or more additional solar subcells.
1 more element
A method of making a multijunction solar cell, the method comprising:
- providing a base substrate comprising a Group IV semiconductor and a background dopant of a first carrier type at a first dopant concentration, the base substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
- forming a patterned emitter at the first surface of the base substrate, the patterned emitter comprising a plurality of well regions doped with a dopant of a second carrier type in the Group IV semiconductor, the base substrate including the patterned emitter forming a first solar subcell, the first surface of the base substrate including the plurality of well regions and inter-well regions between the plurality of well regions;
- forming an upper structure comprising one or more additional solar subcells over the first solar subcell, the upper structure further comprising a device layer disposed in direct physical contact with both the plurality of well regions and the inter-well regions of the first surface of the base substrate, the device layer being chosen from an epitaxial grown semiconductor layer and a conduction layer positioned between the patterned emitter and the one or more additional solar subcells.
A multijunction solar cell, comprising:
- a base substrate comprising a Group IV semiconductor and a background dopant of a first carrier type at a first dopant concentration;
- a patterned emitter formed at a first surface of the base substrate, the patterned emitter comprising a plurality of well regions doped with a dopant of a second carrier type in the Group IV semiconductor, the base substrate including the patterned emitter forming a first solar subcell, the first surface of the base substrate including the plurality of well regions and inter-well regions between the plurality of well regions;
- an upper structure comprising one or more additional solar subcells over the first solar subcell, the upper structure comprising a device layer spanning the plurality of well regions and inter-well regions, the device layer comprising a non-epitaxial upper junction, and
- a passivation layer between the base substrate and the one or more additional solar subcells, the passivation layer comprising an insulating material, a conduction via extending through the passivation layer to electrically connect each of the plurality of well regions of the patterned emitter to the one or more additional solar subcells.
1 more element
A method of making a multijunction solar cell, the method comprising:
- providing a base substrate comprising a Group IV semiconductor and a background dopant of a first carrier type at a first dopant concentration;
- forming a patterned emitter at a first surface of the base substrate, the patterned emitter comprising a plurality of well regions doped with a dopant of a second carrier type in the Group IV semiconductor, the base substrate including the patterned emitter forming a first solar subcell, the first surface of the base substrate including the plurality of well regions and inter-well regions between the plurality of well regions;
- forming a passivation layer;
- and
- forming an upper structure comprising one or more additional solar subcells over the first solar subcell, the upper structure comprising a device layer spanning the plurality of well regions and inter-well regions, the device layer comprising a non-epitaxial upper junction, and
- wherein the passivation layer is disposed between the base substrate and the one or more additional solar subcells, the passivation layer comprising an insulating material, a conduction via extending through the passivation layer to electrically connect each of the plurality of well regions of the patterned emitter to the one or more additional solar subcells.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.