Flexible Monocrystalline Thin Silicon Cell
AssigneeAmberwave, Inc.
InventorsAnthony Lochtefeld, Chris Leitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device, system, and method for solar cell construction and layer transfer are disclosed herein. An exemplary method of solar cell construction involves providing a silicon donor substrate. A porous layer is formed on the donor substrate. A first portion of a solar cell is constructed on the porous layer of the donor substrate. The solar cell and donor substrate are bonded to a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate and the first portion of a solar cell are then separated from the donor substrate at the porous layer. A second portion of a solar cell may then be constructed on the first portion of a solar cell providing a single completed solar cell.
Claims41
A method of solar cell construction, the method comprising:
- providing a silicon donor substrate;
- forming a porous layer on the silicon donor substrate;
- constructing a first portion of a solar cell on the porous layer of the silicon donor substrate;
- bonding the solar cell to a flexible substrate;
- separating the flexible substrate and the first portion of the solar cell from the silicon donor substrate at the porous layer;
- and
- constructing a second portion of the solar cell on the first portion of the solar cell.
A solar cell device, comprising:
- a low porosity layer silicon donor substrate;
- a n+ doped epitiaxial silicon film on the porous layer;
- a n− doped epitiaxial silicon film on the n+ doped epitiaxial silicon film;
- a passivation layer with openings on top of the n− doped epitiaxial silicon film;
- an aluminum layer with emitters within the openings;
- and
- a flexible substrate wherein a metal coating bonds the flexible substrate to the aluminum layer.
A method of solar cell construction, the method comprising:
- providing silicon donor substrate;
- forming porous layer on the silicon donor substrate;
- constructing a first portion of a solar cell on the porous layer of the silicon donor substrate;
- plating a metal support film on a surface of the first portion of the solar cell;
- and
- separating the metal support film and the first portion of the solar cell from the silicon donor substrate at the porous layer.
A method of solar cell construction, the method comprising:
- providing silicon donor substrate;
- forming porous layer on the silicon donor substrate;
- depositing the absorber layer on the porous layer;
- constructing a first portion of a Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin (HIT) solar cell on the absorber layer;
- bonding the silicon donor substrate and the first portion of the HIT solar cell to a conductive carrier substrate with a solder or eutectic bond;
- separating the conductive carrier substrate and the first portion of the HIT solar cell from the silicon donor substrate at the porous layer;
- and
- constructing a second portion of the HIT solar cell on the porous layer of the conductive carrier substrate and the first portion of the HIT solar cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.