# US 2013/0153023 A1 · Solar cell and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 2013/0153023 A1
- Document ID: US20130153023A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/769,940
- Filed: 2013-02-19
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-24
- Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Mori; Takahiro Mishima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153023A1

## CPC

- H10F 77/219: {Arrangements for electrodes of back-contact photovoltaic cells}
- H10F 10/146: {Back-junction photovoltaic cells, e.g. having interdigitated base-emitter regions on the back side}
- H10F 77/703: {of the semiconductor bodies, e.g. textured active layers}
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A solar cell includes a solar cell substrate. The solar cell substrate includes a semiconductor substrate, a surface of a p-type region and a surface of an n-type region exposed on a first principal surface of the solar cell substrate. The solar cell substrate includes a p-side electrode formed on the surface of the p-type region, and an n-side electrode formed on the surface of the n-type region. The semiconductor substrate includes linear grooves extending in a first direction on a surface on a first principal surface side. Each of the p-side electrode and the n-side electrode includes a linear portion extending in the first direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar cell comprising:
a solar cell substrate including a semiconductor substrate and having a surface of a p-type region and a surface of an n-type region on a first principal surface's side of the solar cell substrate;
a p-side electrode formed on the surface of the p-type region; and
an n-side electrode formed on the surface of the n-type region, wherein
the semiconductor substrate includes linear grooves extending in a first direction on a surface on a first principal surface side, and
each of the p-side electrode and the n-side electrode includes one or more linear portions extending in the first direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the one or more linear portions of the p-side electrode and the one or more linear portions of the n-side electrode are arranged next to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the linear grooves are saw marks.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein each of the surface of the p-type region and the surface of the n-type region includes one or more linear portions extending in the first direction, corresponding to the one or more linear portions of each of the p-side electrode and the n-side electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more linear portions of the p-side electrode and the one or more linear portions of the n-side electrode includes a conductive paste layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell substrate includes, on the first principal surface, linear grooves corresponding to the linear grooves of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell substrate includes a p-type semiconductor layer formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and forming the p-type region, and an n-type semiconductor layer formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and forming the n-type region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell substrate includes a p-type dopant diffusion region forming the p-type region in the semiconductor substrate, and an n-type dopant diffusion region forming the n-type region in the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 9

A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising the:
preparing a semiconductor substrate including a principal surface with linear grooves extending in a first direction;
forming, by use of the semiconductor substrate, a solar cell substrate on which a surface of a p-type region and a surface of an n-type region are on a principal surface side; and
forming a p-side electrode on the surface of the p-type region and forming an n-side electrode on the surface of the n-type region such that each of the p-side electrode and the n-side electrode includes one or more linear portions extending in the first direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 9, wherein the one or more linear portions are formed of a conductive paste.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 9, wherein the step of forming the solar cell substrate comprises forming a first semiconductor layer of one conductivity type on a first region of the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, and forming a second semiconductor layer of another conductivity type on a second region, other than the first region, of the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor layer forming one of the p-type region and the n-type region, the second semiconductor layer forming the other of the p-type region and the n-type region.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming the first semiconductor layer comprises forming a semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and applying an etchant to a portion other than a portion above the first region of the semiconductor substrate, thereby etching the layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming the first semiconductor layer comprises forming a semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, forming a mask layer on the first region on a surface of the semiconductor layer, and then etching a region exposed from the mask layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 9, wherein
the p-type region is formed by applying a first diffusion agent containing a p-type dopant to a first region of the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate and diffusing the p-type dopant in the first region, and
the n-type region is formed by applying a second diffusion agent containing an n-type dopant to a second region, other than the first region, of the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate and diffusing the n-type dopant in the second region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor substrate is formed by cutting a semiconductor ingot by using a wire saw.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of manufacturing the solar cell according to claim 15, wherein the wire saw is a fixed abrasive wire saw.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The solar cell according to claim 2, wherein the one or more linear portions of the p-side electrode comprises a plurality of linear portions of the p-side electrode and the one or more linear portions of the n-side electrode comprises a plurality of linear portions of the n-side electrode, and
the linear portions of the p-side electrode and the linear portions of the n-side electrode are alternatively arranged each other.