Selective emitter photovoltaic device
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBahman Hekmatshoartabari, Ali Khakifirooz, Devendra K. Sadana, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Davood Shahrjerdi
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Abstract
A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes forming a patterned layer on a doped emitter portion of the photovoltaic device, the patterned layer including openings that expose areas of the doped emitter portion and growing an epitaxial layer over the patterned layer such that a crystalline phase grows in contact with the doped emitter portion and a non-crystalline phase grows in contact with the patterned layer. The non-crystalline phase is removed from the patterned layer. Conductive contacts are formed on the epitaxial layer in the openings to form a contact area for the photovoltaic device.
Claims22
A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising:
- forming a patterned layer on a doped emitter portion of the photovoltaic device, the patterned layer including openings that expose areas of the doped emitter portion;
- growing an epitaxial layer over the patterned layer such that a crystalline phase grows in contact with the doped emitter portion and a non-crystalline phase grows in contact with the patterned layer;
- removing the non-crystalline phase from the patterned layer;
- forming a passivation layer on the epitaxial layer;
- and
- forming conductive contacts on the passivation layer to the epitaxial layer in the openings to form a contact area of the photovoltaic device, wherein the passivation layer is only between the epitaxial layer and the conductive contacts.
A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising:
- forming a first emitter on a monocrystalline substrate;
- forming a patterned layer on the first emitter, the patterned layer including openings that expose areas of the first emitter;
- growing an epitaxial layer over the patterned layer such that a crystalline phase grows in contact with the first emitter and a non-crystalline phase grows in contact with the patterned layer;
- removing the non-crystalline phase from the patterned layer such that the crystalline form in contact with the first emitter forms a second emitter;
- forming a passivation layer on the epitaxial layer;
- and
- forming metal fingers on the passivation layer to the epitaxial layer in the openings to form a contact area of the photovoltaic device, wherein the passivation layer is only between the epitaxial layer and the conductive contacts.
A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device, comprising:
- forming a first emitter on a monocrystalline substrate;
- forming a patterned layer on the first emitter, the patterned layer including openings that expose areas of the first emitter, the patterned layer including one or more of a passivation layer and an anti-reflection coating;
- doping portions of the first emitter to form highly doped diffusion regions having a dopant concentration greater than other portions of the first emitter, the highly doped diffusion regions corresponding with locations of the openings in the patterned layer;
- growing an epitaxial layer over the patterned layer such that a crystalline phase grows in contact with the first emitter and a non-crystalline phase grows in contact with the patterned layer;
- removing the non-crystalline phase from the patterned layer such that the crystalline form in contact with the first emitter forms a second emitter;
- forming a passivation layer on the epitaxial layer;
- and
- forming metal fingers on the passivation layer to the epitaxial layer in the openings to form a contact area of the photovoltaic device, wherein the passivation layer is only between the epitaxial layer and the conductive contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.