US 2023/0155039 A1Published application

Solar cells with differentiated p-type and n-type region architectures

AssigneeSunPower Corporation

InventorsSEUNG BUM RIM, MICHAEL C. JOHNSON

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Abstract

Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell can include a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first doped region of a first conductivity type, wherein the first doped region is disposed in a first portion of the back surface. A first thin dielectric layer disposed over the back surface of the substrate, where a portion of the first thin dielectric layer is disposed over the first doped region of the first conductivity type. A first semiconductor layer disposed over the first thin dielectric layer. A second doped region of a second conductivity type in the first semiconductor layer, where the second doped region is disposed over a second portion of the back surface. A first conductive contact disposed over the first doped region and a second conductive contact disposed over the second doped region.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A solar cell comprising:

a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface, wherein the substrate comprises a first portion and a second portion at the back surface of the substrate, and the first portion includes a first doped region of a first conductivity type;
a layer comprising a dopant over the first doped region;
a first insulator layer over the back surface of the substrate, wherein a first portion of the first insulator layer is over the layer comprising the dopant and the first doped region of the first conductivity type, and wherein a second portion of the first insulator layer is on the second portion of the substrate;
a first layer comprising silicon on the first insulator layer, wherein a first portion of the first layer comprising silicon is over the first portion of the first insulator layer, and wherein a second portion of the first layer comprising silicon is a second doped region of a second conductivity type that is over the second portion of the first insulator layer, such that the first doped region is formed in the first portion of the substrate at the back surface and the second doped region is formed over the second portion of the back surface of the substrate, wherein the second doped region is not laterally overlapping with the first doped region;
a first conductive contact over the first doped region;
and
a second conductive contact over the second doped region.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/099,802Filed 20 Jan 2023
Priority: 30 Sep 2016
Published: 18 May 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H10F 77/315
For photovoltaic cells: the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties
H10F 10/166
The heterojunctions being Group IV-IV heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC photovoltaic cells: the Group IV-IV heterojunctions being…
H10F 77/14
Semiconductor bodies: shape of semiconductor bodies; Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of semiconductor regions within semiconductor bodies
H10F 77/219
For photovoltaic cells: arrangements for electrodes of back-contact photovoltaic cells

Family

Application15/283,137Continuation · filed 30 Sep 2016
Application16/853,437Continuation · filed 20 Apr 2020
Application18/099,802Continuation
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.