Use of chained implants in solar cell
AssigneeVarian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
InventorsNicholas P. T. Bateman, Atul Gupta, Paul Sullivan, Paul J. Murphy
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Abstract
The manufacture of solar cells is simplified and cost reduced through by performing successive ion implants, without an intervening thermal cycle. In addition to reducing process time, the use of chained ion implantations may also improve the performance of the solar cell. In another embodiment, two different species are successively implanted without breaking vacuum. In another embodiment, the substrate is implanted, then flipped such that it can be and implanted on both sides before being annealed. In yet another embodiment, one or more different masks are applied and successive implantations are performed without breaking the vacuum condition, thereby reducing the process time.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a solar cell using a substrate comprising:
- creating a vacuum;
- performing a first ion implantation on a first surface of said substrate using a first species at a first energy;
- introducing a mask having a plurality of apertures configured to cover said first surface of said substrate, said mask being a stencil mask or a shadow mask;
- and
- performing a second ion implantation with a second species through said mask at a second energy different from said first energy, wherein said second species is implanted through said plurality of apertures in said mask and a portion of said first surface is implanted, and wherein said first ion implantation and said second ion implantation are performed without breaking said vacuum.
A method of manufacturing a solar cell using a substrate comprising:
- creating a vacuum around said substrate, said substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to said first surface;
- performing a first ion implantation on said first surface of said substrate using a first species;
- flipping said substrate to expose said second surface;
- introducing a first mask having a plurality of apertures configured to cover said second surface of said substrate, said first mask being a stencil mask or a shadow mask;
- performing a second ion implantation with a second species through said first mask, wherein said second species is implanted through said plurality of apertures in said first mask and a first portion of said second surface is implanted;
- introducing a second mask having a plurality of apertures configured to cover said second surface of said substrate, said second mask being a stencil mask or a shadow mask;
- and
- performing a third ion implantation with a third species through said second mask, wherein said third species is implanted through said plurality of apertures in said second mask and a second portion of said second surface different from said first portion is implanted, and wherein said first ion implantation, said second ion implantation, and said third ion implantation are performed without breaking said vacuum.
A method of manufacturing a solar cell using a substrate comprising:
- creating a vacuum around said substrate, said substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposed to said first surface;
- introducing a first mask having a plurality of apertures configured to cover said first surface of said substrate, said first mask being a stencil mask or a shadow mask;
- performing a first ion implantation with a first species through said first mask, wherein said first species is implanted through said plurality of apertures in said first mask and a first portion of said first surface is implanted;
- flipping said substrate to expose said second surface;
- introducing a second mask having a plurality of apertures configured to cover said second surface of said substrate, said second mask being a stencil mask or a shadow mask;
- and
- performing a second ion implantation with a second species through said second mask, wherein said second species is implanted through said plurality of apertures in said second mask and a second portion of said second surface is implanted, and wherein said first ion implantation and said second ion implantation are performed without breaking said vacuum, and wherein one of said first species and said second species is an n-type dopant and the other of said first species and said second species is a p-type dopant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.