# US 2014/0196776 A1 · Solar cell apparatus and method of fabricating the same

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- Number: US 2014/0196776 A1
- Document ID: US20140196776A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/123,462
- Filed: 2012-05-30
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-30
- Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kyung Eun Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196776A1

## CPC

- H10F 77/147: {Shapes of bodies}
- H10F 10/11: Photovoltaic cells having point contact potential barriers (H10F10/18 takes precedence)
- H10F 10/14: Photovoltaic cells having only PN homojunction potential barriers
- H10F 10/167: comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells
- H10F 10/17: Photovoltaic cells having only PIN junction potential barriers
- H10F 19/37: comprising means for obtaining partial light transmission through the integrated devices, or the assemblies of multiple devices, e.g. partially transparent thin-film photovoltaic modules for windows
- H10F 77/126: {comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS]}
- H10F 71/121: {The active layers comprising only Group IV materials}
- H10F 71/138: {Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. transparent conductive oxides [TCO] or indium tin oxide [ITO] electrodes}
- Y02E 10/541: CuInSe2 material PV cells
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- Y02E 10/548: Amorphous silicon PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Disclosed are a solar cell apparatus and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell apparatus includes a substrate, a first electrode layer on the substrate, a plurality of light absorbing columns on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer on the light absorbing columns.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar cell apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a first electrode layer on the substrate;
a plurality of light absorbing columns on the first electrode layer; and
a second electrode layer on the light absorbing columns.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of buffer layers interposed between the light absorbing columns and the second electrode layer, respectively.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of high resistance buffer layers interposed between the buffer layers and the second electrode layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 3, wherein the high resistance buffer layers are inserted into the second electrode layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrode layers are transparent.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrode layers include one selected from the group consisting of al doped zinc oxide (AZO), indium tin oxide (ITO), and indium zinc oxide (IZO).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light absorbing columns are spaced apart from each other.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transparent insulating layer interposed between the light absorbing columns.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transparent insulating layer includes polymer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transparent insulating layer surrounds the light absorbing columns.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light absorbing columns protrude from a top surface of the transparent insulating layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a buffer layer to cover a top surface of the transparent insulating layer and the light absorbing columns, wherein the buffer layer is interposed between the light absorbing columns and the second electrode layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a high resistance buffer layer to cover a top surface of the transparent insulating layer and the buffer layer, wherein the high resistance buffer layer is interposed between the buffer layer and the second electrode layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light absorbing columns comprise:
a first conductive part having a first conductive type on the first electrode layer; and
a second conductive part having a second conductive type on the first conductive part.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The solar cell apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first conductive part includes silicon doped with P type impurities, and the second conductive part includes silicon doped with N type impurities.

### Claim 16

A method of fabricating a solar cell apparatus, the method comprising:
forming a first electrode layer on a substrate;
forming a plurality of light absorbing columns on the first electrode layer;
forming a transparent insulating layer between the light absorbing columns; and
forming a second electrode layer on the transparent insulating layer and the light absorbing columns.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the forming of the transparent insulating layer comprises:
coating resin composition between the light absorbing columns and on the first electrode layer; and
curing the resin composition.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the forming of the transparent insulating layer comprises etching a part of a preliminary transparent insulating layer formed by curing a coated resin composition.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein, in the etching of the part of the preliminary transparent insulating layer, an upper portion of the light absorbing columns is exposed.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the forming of the light absorbing columns comprises:
forming a mask layer including a plurality of through holes on the first electrode layer;
forming the light absorbing columns in the through holes; and
removing the mask layer.