Hybrid silicon solar cells and method of fabricating same

Abstract

A solar cell is provided in which an amorphous semiconductor layer (15) is located on a back surface of a crystalline silicon structure to form a heterojunction. A first contact structure contacts the crystalline layer (14) and a second contact structure contacts the amorphous layer (15). A method of forming the heterojunction solar cell is also provided in which a doped amorphous semiconductor layer (15) is formed on an oppositely doped crystalline silicon layer (14), to form a rear surface heterojunction with the crystalline silicon layer (14). Subsequently a rear surface contact (16) is formed, to contact to the amorphous semiconductor layer (15), and a heavily doped region (13) of the same conductivity type as the crystalline silicon layer (14) is formed in contact with the crystalline silicon layer (14) wherever metal contacts (10) are required contact the crystalline silicon layer (14) to facilitate contact with the subsequently formed metal contact (10).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.