Solar cells formed via aluminum electroplating
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
InventorsMeng Tao, Wen-Cheng Sun, Xiaofei Han
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electroplating of aluminum may be utilized to form electrodes for solar cells. In contrast to expensive silver electrodes, aluminum allows for reduced cell cost and addresses the problem of material scarcity. In contrast to copper electrodes which typically require barrier layers, aluminum allows for simplified cell structures and fabrication steps. In the solar cells, point contacts may be utilized in the backside electrodes for increased efficiency. Solar cells formed in accordance with the present disclosure enable large-scale and cost-effective deployment of solar photovoltaic systems.
Claims15
A method for electroplating aluminum onto a N-type silicon wafer, the method comprising:
- preparing an ionic liquid;
- cleaning the N-type silicon wafer with at least one of hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen peroxide, or ammonium hydroxide;
- diffusing at least one of phosphorus or arsenic onto a front side of the N-type silicon wafer, forming a first layer with a depth, and the first layer is an N+ surface field;
- firing an aluminum electrode on the back side of the N-type silicon wafer at a temperature of between 700° C. and 800° C. to form a P+ back emitter;
- washing the N-type silicon wafer with alcohol and deionized water;
- and
- annealing the aluminum electrode of the back side at an annealing temperature of between 200° C. and 450° C. to prevent aluminum doping into the N-type silicon wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.