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OwnerShivkumar Chiruvolu, Neeraj Pakala +2inventors
InventorsShivkumar Chiruvolu, Neeraj Pakala, Scott Ferguson, Kieran Drain
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Photovoltaic elements can be formed by in-motion processing of a silicon ribbon. In some embodiments, only a single surface of a silicon ribbon is processed in-motion. In other embodiments both surfaces of a silicon ribbon is processed in-motion. In-motion processing can include, but is not limited to, formation of patterned or uniform doped regions within or along the silicon ribbon as well as the formation of patterned or uniform dielectric layers and/or electrically conductive elements on the silicon ribbon. After performing in-motion processing, additional processing steps can be performed after the ribbon is cut into portions. Furthermore, post-cut processing can include, but is not limited to, the formation of solar cells, photovoltaic modules, and solar panels.
A silicon ribbon processing apparatus comprising:
A method for the formation of a passivation layer on a silicon sheet, the method comprising:
A method for forming a highly doped surface layer on a silicon sheet, the method comprising:
A method for forming a protective polymer layer on a silicon sheet, the method comprising laminating a polymer sheet onto a moving front surface of a silicon ribbon an average width from about 1 cm to about 30 cm, an average thickness from about 60 microns to about 750 microns.
A ribbon material comprising a doped silicon ribbon and an inorganic dielectric coating on a surface of the silicon ribbon, the ribbon material having a length of at least about 15 meters, an average width from about 1 cm to about 30 cm, an average thickness from about 60 microns to about 750 microns and a dopant concentration from about 1.0×1018 to about 5×1020 dopant atoms per cubic centimeter and the inorganic dielectric coating having an average thickness from about 10 nm to 800 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.