METHOD FOR ANNEALING PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS

• US 20080075840A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Dubois, Sebastien, Enjalbert, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,935,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/74
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1864 Annealing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1868 Passivation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Method for annealing at least one photovoltaic cell comprising a substrate based on silicon with a first type of conductivity, a layer doped with a second type of conductivity produced in the substrate and forming a front face of the substrate, an antireflection layer produced on the front face of the substrate and forming a front face of the photovoltaic cell, at least one metallization on the front face of the cell and at least on metallization on a rear face of the substrate. This method comprises at least the steps of:

• • a) a first annealing of the photovoltaic cell at a temperature between around 700° C. and 900° C.,
  • b) a second annealing of the photovoltaic cell at a temperature between around 200° C. and 500° C., at ambient pressure and in ambient air,
  • with hydrogen being diffused in the substrate during the process.

Claims

1. Method for annealing at least one photovoltaic cell comprising a substrate based on silicon with a first type of conductivity, a layer doped with a second type of conductivity produced in the substrate and forming a front face of the substrate, an antireflection layer produced on the front face of the substrate and forming a front face of the photovoltaic cell, at least one metallization on the front face of the photovoltaic cell and at least on metallization on a rear face of the substrate, which method comprising at least the steps of:

a) a first annealing of the photovoltaic cell at a temperature between around 700°

C. and 900°

C.,

b) a second annealing of the photovoltaic cell at a temperature between around 200°

C. and 500°

C., at ambient pressure and in ambient air,

with hydrogen being diffused in the substrate during the process.

2. Method according to claim 1, the antireflection layer being rich in hydrogen.

3. Method according to claim 1, the hydrogen diffused in the substrate being obtained by a step of hydrogenation of the substrate.

4. Method according to claim 1, the first and/or the second annealing operation being performed in an infrared passage furnace.

5. Method according to claim 1, the layer doped with the second type of conductivity being an N+ doped layer.

6. Method according to claim 1, the antireflection layer being based on silicon nitride.

7. Method according to claim 1, the substrate being a substrate based on multicrystalline silicon.

8. Method according to claim 1, the metallization produced on the front face of the photovoltaic cell being based on silver.

9. Method according to claim 1, the metallization produced on the rear face of the substrate being based on aluminium.

10. Method according to claim 1, the metallization on the front face and/or the metallization on the rear face being performed by serigraphy.

11. Method for producing at least one photovoltaic cell, comprising at least the steps of:

texturising the surfaces of a substrate based on silicon with a first type of conductivity,

forming a layer doped with a second type of conductivity in the substrate forming a front face of the substrate,

depositing an antireflection layer on the front face of the substrate, which layer forms a front face of the photovoltaic cell,

producing at least one metallization on the front face of the photovoltaic cell,

producing at least one metallization on a rear face of the substrate,

implementing an annealing method according to claim 1,

removing at least a portion of the layer doped with the second type of conductivity electrically coupling the metallization of the front face to the metallization of the rear face of the photovoltaic cell.

12. Method according to claim 11, when the hydrogen diffused in the substrate is obtained from a step of hydrogenation of the substrate, said hydrogenation step being performed before and/or after the deposition of the antireflection layer.

13. Method according to claim 11, the texturisation step being performed with a potassium hydroxide-based solution.

14. Method according to claim 11, the layer doped with a second type of conductivity being an N+ layer formed by the diffusion of phosphorus in the substrate.

15. Method according to claim 11, the antireflection layer being a silicon nitride-based layer deposited by PECVD.