Etching processes for solar cell fabrication

A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:

• forming a silicon region over the silicon substrate;
• forming a first dopant region on the silicon region;
• forming an oxide region on the first dopant region, wherein a first portion of the oxide region protects the first dopant region from a first etching process;
• forming a second dopant region on the silicon region;
• driving dopants from the first and second dopant regions to the silicon region, wherein the driving forms first and second doped regions in the silicon region;
• forming a mask on a first portion of the second dopant region, wherein the mask protects the first portion of the second dopant region from the first etching process;
• performing the first etching process to expose portions of the silicon region and remove a first portion of the oxide region and the mask;
• performing a texturing process to form a textured region on an exposed region of the silicon substrate;
• performing a second etching process to remove the oxide region and contaminants from the silicon substrate;
• and
• performing a drying process on the silicon substrate.

A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:

• forming a first dopant region over a silicon substrate;
• forming an oxide region over the first dopant region, wherein the oxide region protects the first dopant region from a first etching process;
• forming a second dopant region over the silicon substrate;
• forming a mask over a first portion of the second dopant region, wherein the mask protects the first portion of the second dopant region from the first etching process;
• and
• performing the first etching process to expose portions of the silicon substrate.