Etching Of Solar Cell Materials
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A solar cell is fabricated by etching one or more of its layers without substantially etching another layer of the solar cell. In one embodiment, a copper layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer comprising tin. For example, an etchant comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be employed to etch the copper layer selective to the tin layer. A particular example of the aforementioned etchant is a Co-Bra Etch® etchant modified to comprise about 1% by volume of sulfuric acid, about 4% by volume of phosphoric acid, and about 2% by volume of stabilized hydrogen peroxide. In one embodiment, an aluminum layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching the tin layer. For example, an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide may be employed to etch the aluminum layer without substantially etching the tin layer.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1-18. -18. (canceled)
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19. A method of etching a layer of material in a solar cell, the method comprising:
etching a metal layer without substantially etching a tin layer of a solar cell, wherein the metal layer comprises aluminum. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of etching a layer of material in a solar cell, the method comprising:
etching an aluminum layer selective to a tin layer using an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24-27. -27. (canceled)
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28. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:
etching a first layer comprising aluminum without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer of a solar cell. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
Specification