# US 9,520,517 B2 · Solar cell

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- Number: US 9,520,517 B2
- Document ID: US9520517B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/542,206
- Filed: 2014-11-14
- Published: 2015-03-05
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-14
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Hyunjin Yang; Heonmin Lee; Junghoon Choi; Kwangsun Ji
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520517B2

## CPC

- H10F 77/164: Polycrystalline semiconductors
- H10F 10/146: {Back-junction photovoltaic cells, e.g. having interdigitated base-emitter regions on the back side}
- H10F 10/166: the Group IV-IV heterojunctions being heterojunctions of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. silicon heterojunction [SHJ] photovoltaic cells
- H10F 10/174: comprising monocrystalline or polycrystalline materials
- H10F 77/1642: {including only Group IV materials}
- H10F 77/244: {made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. transparent conductive oxide [TCO] layers}
- H10F 77/311: {for photovoltaic cells}
- Y02E 10/546: Polycrystalline silicon PV cells
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A solar cell including a non-amorphous semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type; at least a first semiconductor layer on the non-amorphous semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor layer including a portion that is amorphous and a plurality of portions having crystal lumps, so that the plurality of portions having the crystal lumps are distributed in the first semiconductor layer; a first electrode on the semiconductor substrate; and a second electrode on the semiconductor substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar cell, comprising:
a single crystalline silicon substrate of a first conductive type;
an emitter layer of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type, the emitter layer forming a hetero junction with the single crystalline silicon substrate and including a first crystalline portion;
a back surface field layer of the first conductive type, the back surface field layer forming a hetero junction with the single crystalline silicon substrate and including a second crystalline portion;
a first electrode portion on the emitter layer; and
a second electrode portion on the back surface field layer,
wherein the back surface field layer has a crystallinity greater than a crystallinity of the emitter layer,
wherein the emitter layer and the back surface field layer are on a back surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate and are spaced apart from each other, and
wherein a first passivation layer is located on the back surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate between the emitter layer and the back surface field layer and is not located between the emitter layer and the back surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate and between the back surface field layer and the back surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, further comprising a second passivation layer including a third crystalline portion on the single crystalline silicon substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The solar cell of claim 2, wherein the second passivation layer has a crystallinity equal to or less than 10%.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the crystallinity of the back surface field layer is equal to or less than 30%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the crystallinity of the emitter layer is equal to or less than 10%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The solar cell of claim 2, wherein the first passivation layer includes a fourth crystalline portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The solar cell of claim 6, wherein the first passivation layer has a crystallinity equal to or less than 10%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solar cell of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second electrode portions comprises a transparent conductive layer and a metal electrode.