| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090110808 | MOLTEN METAL SPRAYING FOR METALLIZATION APPLICATION IN SOLAR CELLS - The present invention provides a method of making back side contacts and back surface fields in photovoltaic devices such as silicon solar cells. According to one aspect, the process of the present invention is a non-contact process, overcoming many of the problems of the prior art. According to certain aspects, molten aluminum is used to form the contact regions as opposed to the screen printing process of the prior art. According to additional aspects, the process can be used to form the distributed point contacts and localized back surface fields for dielectric passivated back surface. According to still further aspects, molten aluminum spray and/or atomization is used for the back side metallization. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20100227431 | CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS ON LOW PURITY SUBSTRATE - A method is provided for making a crystalline silicon solar cell on a low purity substrate by depositing p+-p-n+, or n+-n-p+ layers of amorphous silicon, depending on the type of wafer, on a crystalline silicon substrate, such as an upgraded metallurgical grade silicon substrate, with substrate vias of varying diameters formed thereon, annealing the stack of amorphous silicon layers to cause solid phase epitaxial crystallization, and metallizing the substrate assembly using standard metallization techniques. One embodiment of the present invention provides depositing a passivation layer onto the third deposited silicon layer subsequent to the crystallization. Another embodiment provides depositing a passivation layer on the back side of the substrate subsequent to crystallization and punching selected regions at the substrate vias prior to back metallization. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100304522 | ION IMPLANTATION FABRICATION PROCESS FOR THIN-FILM CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS - A front contact thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film crystalline silicon substrate. Emitter regions, selective emitter regions, and a back surface field are formed through ion implantation processes. In yet another embodiment, a back contact thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film crystalline silicon substrate. Emitter regions, selective emitter regions, base regions, and a front surface field are formed through ion implantation processes. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20110021008 | Directional Solid Phase Crystallization of Thin Amorphous Silicon for Solar Cell Applications - Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for converting a doped amorphous silicon layer deposited onto a crystalline silicon substrate into crystalline silicon having the same grain structure and crystal orientation as the underlying crystalline silicon substrate upon which the amorphous silicon was initially deposited. Additional embodiments of the present invention provide depositing a dielectric passivation layer onto the amorphous silicon layer prior to the conversion. A temperature gradient is provided at a temperature and for a time period sufficient to provide a desired p-n junction depth and dopant profile. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20120028399 | LASER PROCESSING FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY THIN CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELL FABRICATION - Laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, and metal ablation. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120122272 | HIGH-THROUGHPUT FLAT TOP LASER BEAM PROCESSING FOR BACK CONTACT SOLAR CELLS - Flat top beam laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, back surface field formation, selective doping, and metal ablation. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120171804 | PATTERNING OF SILICON OXIDE LAYERS USING PULSED LASER ABLATION - Various laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, metal ablation, annealing to improve passivation, and selective emitter doping via laser heating of aluminum. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero junction solar cells. Laser ablation techniques are disclosed that leave the underlying silicon substantially undamaged. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, or other cleavage techniques such as ion implantation and heating, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120178203 | LASER ANNEALING FOR ALUMINUM DOPING AND FORMATION OF BACK-SURFACE FIELD IN SOLAR CELL CONTACTS - Various laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, metal ablation, annealing to improve passivation, and selective emitter doping via laser heating of aluminum. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero junction solar cells. Laser ablation techniques are disclosed that leave the underlying silicon substantially undamaged. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, or other cleavage techniques such as ion implantation and heating, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120225515 | LASER DOPING TECHNIQUES FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR SOLAR CELLS - Various laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, metal ablation, annealing to improve passivation, and selective emitter doping via laser heating of aluminum. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. Laser ablation techniques are disclosed that leave the underlying silicon substantially undamaged. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, or other cleavage techniques such as ion implantation and heating, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 09-06-2012 |
| 20130130430 | SPATIALLY SELECTIVE LASER ANNEALING APPLICATIONS IN HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS - Various laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction emitter and homo-junction emitter solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, metal ablation, annealing to improve passivation, and selective emitter doping via laser heating of aluminum. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. Laser ablation techniques are disclosed that leave the underlying silicon substantially undamaged. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, or other cleavage techniques such as ion implantation and heating, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130164883 | LASER ANNEALING APPLICATIONS IN HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS - Various laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, metal ablation, annealing to improve passivation, and selective emitter doping via laser heating of aluminum. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. Laser ablation techniques are disclosed that leave the underlying silicon substantially undamaged. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, or other cleavage techniques such as ion implantation and heating, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130171767 | ION IMPLANTATION AND ANNEALING FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY BACK-CONTACT BACK-JUNCTION SOLAR CELLS - A back contact back junction thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film semiconductor solar cell. Preferably the thin film semiconductor material comprises crystalline silicon. Emitter regions, selective emitter regions, and a back surface field are formed through ion implantation and annealing processes. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130213469 | HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELL STRUCTURES AND MANUFACTURING METHODS - Fabrication methods and structures relating to multi-level metallization for solar cells as well as fabrication methods and structures for forming back contact solar cells are provided. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130217172 | LASER PROCESSING FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY THIN CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELL FABRICATION - Laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, and metal ablation. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130288425 | END POINT DETECTION FOR BACK CONTACT SOLAR CELL LASER VIA DRILLING - Methods and structures for fabricating photovoltaic back contact solar cells having multi-level metallization using laser via drilling end point detection are provided. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130330872 | ION IMPLANTATION FABRICATION PROCESS FOR THIN-FILM CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS - A front contact thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film silicon solar cell. Emitter regions, selective emitter regions, and a back surface field are formed through ion implantation processes. In one embodiment, front contact thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film silicon solar cell. Emitter regions, selective emitter regions, base regions, and a back surface field are formed through ion implantation processes. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20140017846 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED LIGHT TRAPPING IN SOLAR CELLS - Methods for improving the light trapping characteristics of crystalline silicon solar cells are provided. In one embodiment, the backside surface of a crystalline silicon solar cell substrate is textured with a pulsed laser beam. The textured backside surface of the crystalline silicon solar cell substrate is then annealed to remove damage from the laser texturization process. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140158193 | STRUCTURES AND METHODS OF FORMATION OF CONTIGUOUS AND NON-CONTIGUOUS BASE REGIONS FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY BACK-CONTACT SOLAR CELLS - Fabrication methods and structures relating to back contact solar cells having patterned emitter and non-nested base regions are provided. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140360567 | BACK CONTACT SOLAR CELLS USING ALUMINUM-BASED ALLOY METALLIZATION - Methods and structures for photovoltaic back contact solar cells having multi-level metallization with at least one aluminum-silicon alloy metallization layer are provided. | 12-11-2014 |
| 20150020877 | HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS AND MODULES USING THIN CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR ABSORBERS - Fabrication methods and structures relating to backplanes for back contact solar cells that provide for solar cell substrate reinforcement and electrical interconnects as well as Fabrication methods and structures for forming thin film back contact solar cells are described. | 01-22-2015 |
