COUNTERDOPING FOR SOLAR CELLS
First Claim
1. A method of creating regions of opposite conductivity on the surface of a solar cell comprising:
- utilizing a semiconductor substrate;
performing a blanket doping of a first dopant on said surface of said substrate, such that said surface comprises a uniformly doped region;
performing a patterned doping of a second dopant on a portion of said surface, wherein said portion is less than the entirety of said surface, said first dopant and said second dopant comprising opposite conductivities, and said portion undergoing said patterned doping maintaining the conductivity of said second dopant; and
applying a mask in front of said substrate prior to said patterned doping.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of counterdoping a solar cell, particularly an IBC solar cell are disclosed. One surface of a solar cell may require portions to be n-doped, while other portions are p-doped. Traditionally, a plurality of lithography and doping steps are required to achieve this desired configuration. In contrast, one lithography step can be eliminated by the use of a blanket doping of one conductivity and a mask patterned counterdoping process of the opposite conductivity. The areas dosed during the masked patterned doping receive a sufficient dose so as to completely reverse the effect of the blanket doping and achieve a conductivity that is opposite the blanket doping. In another embodiment, the counterdoping is performed by means of a direct patterning technique, thereby eliminating the remaining lithography step. Various methods of direct counterdoping processes are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of creating regions of opposite conductivity on the surface of a solar cell comprising:
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utilizing a semiconductor substrate; performing a blanket doping of a first dopant on said surface of said substrate, such that said surface comprises a uniformly doped region; performing a patterned doping of a second dopant on a portion of said surface, wherein said portion is less than the entirety of said surface, said first dopant and said second dopant comprising opposite conductivities, and said portion undergoing said patterned doping maintaining the conductivity of said second dopant; and applying a mask in front of said substrate prior to said patterned doping. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of creating regions of opposite conductivity on the surface of a solar cell comprising:
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utilizing a semiconductor substrate; performing a blanket doping of a first dopant on said surface of said substrate, such that said surface comprises a uniformly doped region; performing a direct patterned doping of a second dopant on a portion of said surface, wherein said portion is less than the entirety of said surface, said first dopant and said second dopant comprising opposite conductivities, and said portion undergoing said patterned doping maintaining the conductivity of said second dopant, whereby said blanket doping and said direct patterned doping are performed without the application of a mask onto said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of creating regions of opposite conductivity on the surface of a solar cell comprising:
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utilizing a semiconductor substrate; performing a blanket doping of a first dopant on said surface of said substrate, such that said surface comprises a uniformly doped region; performing a patterned ion implant of a second dopant on a portion of said surface, wherein said portion is less than the entirety of said surface, said first dopant and said second dopant comprising opposite conductivities, and said portion undergoing said patterned implant maintaining the conductivity of said second dopant; and applying a mask in front of said substrate prior to said patterned ion implant.
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Specification