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US 7,737,357 B2Granted
Solar cell having doped semiconductor heterojunction contacts
AssigneeSunPower Corporation
InventorPeter John Cousins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A silicon solar cell has doped amorphous silicon contacts formed on a tunnel silicon oxide layer on a surface of a silicon substrate. High temperature processing is unnecessary in fabricating the solar cell.
Claims14
A solar cell comprising:
- a) a single crystalline silicon substrate having first and second opposing major surfaces, wherein the first major surface is the light incident side;
- b) a dielectric layer on the second surface, the dielectric layer comprising a tunnel oxide;
- c) a first pattern of acceptor doped semiconductor material forming a plurality of emitters of a first type over the tunnel oxide on the second surface, a second pattern of donor doped semiconductor material forming a plurality of emitters of a second type over the tunnel oxide on the second surface and interleaved with the first pattern, and a dielectric layer lying over a portion of the first pattern and lying under a portion of the second pattern, wherein the semiconductor material is selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon-germanium, and III-V compound semiconductors;
- and
- d) a first conductive pattern interconnecting the acceptor doped semiconductor material and a second conductive pattern interconnecting the donor doped semiconductor material.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a silicon solar cell, the method comprising:
- a) providing a single crystalline silicon substrate having first and second opposing major surfaces, wherein the first major surface is the light incident side;
- b) forming a dielectric layer on the second surface, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a tunnel silicon oxide;
- c) forming a first pattern of acceptor doped semiconductor material for a plurality of emitters of a first type over the tunnel oxide on the second surface, forming a second pattern of donor doped semiconductor material for a plurality of emitters of a second type over the tunnel oxide on the second surface and interleaved with the first pattern, and forming a dielectric layer lying over a portion of the first pattern and lying under a portion of the second pattern, wherein the semiconductor material is selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon-germanium, and III-V compound semiconductors;
- and
- d) forming a first conductive pattern interconnecting the acceptor doped semiconductor material and a second conductive pattern interconnecting the donor doped semiconductor material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.