METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR FABRICATING SOLAR CELLS USING A THICK LAYER TRANSFER PROCESS
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating a photovoltaic cell using a large scale implant process, the method comprising:
- providing a tile shaped semiconductor substrate, the tile shaped semiconductor substrate having a surface region, a cleave region and a first thickness of material to be removed between the surface region and the cleave region;
introducing through the surface region a plurality of hydrogen particles operable in substantially a protonic mode within a vicinity of the cleave region using a high energy implantation process;
coupling the surface region of the tile shaped semiconductor substrate to a first surface region of a substrate, the substrate comprising the first surface region and a second surface region;
cleaving the semiconductor substrate to remove the first thickness of material from the tile shaped semiconductor substrate; and
forming a solar cell from at least first thickness of material characterized by the tile shape overlying the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A photovoltaic cell device, e.g., solar cell, solar panel, and method of manufacture. The device has an optically transparent substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface. A first thickness of material (e.g., semiconductor material, single crystal material) having a first surface region and a second surface region is included. In a preferred embodiment, the surface region is overlying the first surface of the optically transparent substrate. The device has an optical coupling material provided between the first surface region of the thickness of material and the first surface of the optically transparent material.
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Citations
70 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating a photovoltaic cell using a large scale implant process, the method comprising:
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providing a tile shaped semiconductor substrate, the tile shaped semiconductor substrate having a surface region, a cleave region and a first thickness of material to be removed between the surface region and the cleave region; introducing through the surface region a plurality of hydrogen particles operable in substantially a protonic mode within a vicinity of the cleave region using a high energy implantation process; coupling the surface region of the tile shaped semiconductor substrate to a first surface region of a substrate, the substrate comprising the first surface region and a second surface region; cleaving the semiconductor substrate to remove the first thickness of material from the tile shaped semiconductor substrate; and forming a solar cell from at least first thickness of material characterized by the tile shape overlying the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
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providing a semiconductor substrate having a lattice orientation normal to a major surface and a plurality of gettering sites or defect regions formed in a subsurface cleave plane by implantation of hydrogen; and applying energy from a beam to impart fracture stress at the cleave plane and perform a controlled cleaving process to release a free standing film. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
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providing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of gettering sites or defect regions formed in a subsurface cleave plane; and applying energy to the semiconductor substrate from a thermal beam to impart fracture stress in a direction along the cleave plane and perform a controlled cleaving process to release a free standing film. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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57. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
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providing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of gettering sites or defect regions formed in a subsurface cleave plane; and applying energy to the semiconductor substrate from a thermal beam to impart a thermal gradient and a shear force in a direction perpendicular to the cleave plane and perform a controlled cleaving process to release a free standing film.
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58. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
applying an ion beam to a semiconductor substrate to form a subsurface cleave plane having a plurality of gettering sites or defect regions, wherein thermal energy from the ions creates a thermal gradient and a fracture stress, such that a controlled cleaving process is performed to release a free standing film.
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59. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
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providing a semiconductor substrate having a surface layer of water and a plurality of gettering sites or defect regions formed in a subsurface cleave plane; and applying laser energy to the semiconductor substrate to create a plasma confined by the water layer, such that a shock wave from the plasma imparts a fracture stress at the cleave plane to perform a controlled cleaving process to release a free standing film.
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60. An assembly comprising:
a reusable donor substrate in the form of a bulk ingot or boule of semiconductor material, the reusable donor substrate having a surface and a plurality of subsurface gettering sites or defect regions, the surface of the reusable donor substrate bonded to a final substrate. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A system comprising:
an ion source in vacuum communication with a surface of a reusable donor substrate in the form of a bulk ingot or boule of a semiconductor material, the ion source configured to implant hydrogen ions into the surface to create a plurality of subsurface gettering sites or defect regions. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70)
Specification