Back to results
US 2015/0090328 A1Published application
Epitaxial silicon solar cells with moisture barrier
AssigneeSunPower Corporation
InventorDavid D. SMITH
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thin epitaxial silicon solar cell includes one or more layers of doped oxides on the backside. A silicon nitride layer that serves as a moisture barrier is formed on the one or more layers of doped oxides. The doped oxides provide dopants for forming doped regions in an epitaxial silicon layer. Metal contacts are electrically coupled to the doped regions through the silicon nitride layer and the one or more layers of doped oxides.
Claims20
A solar cell comprising:
- an epitaxial silicon layer;
- a doped oxide on the epitaxial silicon layer;
- a silicon nitride layer on the doped oxide;
- and
- a metal contact on a backside of the solar cell, wherein the metal contact is electrically coupled to a doped region of the solar cell via a contact opening through the silicon nitride layer and the doped oxide.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
- forming an epitaxial silicon layer on a source silicon wafer;
- forming an oxide P-type dopant source on the epitaxial silicon layer;
- forming a silicon nitride layer on the oxide P-type dopant source;
- diffusing P-type dopants from the oxide P-type dopant source into the epitaxial silicon layer to form a P-type doped region in the epitaxial silicon layer;
- and
- releasing the source silicon wafer from the epitaxial silicon layer.
3 more elements
A solar cell comprising:
- an epitaxial silicon layer;
- an oxide stack comprising a plurality of doped oxide layers on the epitaxial silicon layer;
- a silicon nitride layer on the oxide stack;
- and
- a first metal contact that is electrically coupled to a first doped region on a backside of the solar cell through the oxide stack and the layer of silicon nitride.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.