Ion implantation of dopants for forming spatially located diffusion regions of solar cells

A method of forming diffusion regions of a solar cell, the method comprising:

• forming a blanket layer of film comprising dopants of a first conductivity type;
• implanting ions of dopants of a second conductivity type, which is opposite to the first conductivity type, in select regions of the blanket layer of film to form dopant source regions of dopants of the second conductivity type in the blanket layer of film;
• diffusing dopants of the first conductivity type from the blanket layer of film into an underlying silicon material to form diffusion regions of the first conductivity type of the solar cell in the silicon material;
• and
• diffusing dopants of the second conductivity type from the blanket layer of film into the silicon material to form diffusion regions of the second conductivity type of the solar cell in the silicon material.

A solar cell comprising:

• a blanket film layer comprising a first set of regions comprising P-type dopants and a second set of regions comprising N-type dopants and P-type dopants;
• a plurality of P-type diffusion regions directly under the first set of regions of the blanket film layer;
• and
• a plurality of N-type diffusion regions directly under the second set of regions of the blanket film layer.