Maskless Doping Technique for Solar Cells

• US 20090317937A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Renau, Anthony, Gupta, Atul, Carlson, Charles, Murphy, Paul, Bateman, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/200,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20090317937A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31701 Ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3172 Maskless patterned ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/265 producing ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/068 the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• 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

A improved, lower cost method of producing solar cells utilizing selective emitter design is disclosed. The contact regions are created on the substrate without the use of lithography or masks. The method utilizes ion implantation technology, and the relatively low accuracy requirements of the contact regions to reduce the process steps needed to produce a solar cell. In some embodiments, the current of the ion beam is selectively modified to create the highly doped contact regions. In other embodiments, the ion beam is focused, either through the use of an aperture or via adjustments to the beam line components to create the necessary doping profile. In still other embodiments, the wafer scan rate is modified to create the desired ion implantation pattern.

Claims

1. A method of implanting ions into a substrate so as to create a non-uniform dopant dose without a fixed masking layer on said substrate, comprising:

a. Providing an ion implantation system for forming an ion beam having one dimension greater than its second dimension;

b. Exposing a first portion of said substrate to said ion beam;

c. Implanting a first dose of ions in said first portion;

d. Exposing a second portion of said substrate to said ion beam; and

e. Implanting a second dose of ions in said second portion, where said second dose of ions is different than said first dose of ions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor material used to make a solar cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implantation system comprises a substrate holder for holding said substrate and moving said substrate relative to said ion beam, said method further comprising:

a. Moving said substrate holder at a first rate when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate, and

b. Moving said substrate holder at a second rate when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate, wherein said first and second rates are different.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implantation system comprises a substrate holder for holding said substrate and moving said substrate relative to said ion beam, said method further comprising:

a. Moving said substrate holder at a variable rate between a minimum rate and a maximum rate, such that the minimum rate occurs when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion and said maximum rate occurs when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implanter system comprises an adjustable beamline component, wherein an adjustment of said component changes the effective beam current incident on said substrate, said method further comprising:

a. Adjusting said component to a first setting when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Adjusting said component to a second setting when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said beamline component comprises an element selected from the group consisting of extraction electrodes, focusing lenses, acceleration/deceleration elements and magnets, and said adjustment comprises varying the voltage applied to said element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implanter system comprises a scanner for producing a scanned ion beam, and wherein the waveform of said scanned ion beam is controlled by a scanning waveform supplied to said scanner, said method further comprising:

a. Applying a first scanning waveform to said scanner when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Applying a second scanning waveform to said scanner when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion beam comprises a ribbon beam.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implantation system comprises an adjustable aperture, adapted to block all or a portion of said ion beam, said method comprising:

a. Adjusting said aperture to a first setting when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Adjusting said aperture to a second setting when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said ion implantation system comprises a device adapted to create said adjustable aperture, said method comprising:

a. Providing slits on opposing sides of said device; and

b. Rotating said device about an axis normal to the direction of and in the path of said ion beam, whereby said rotation varies the alignment of said slits and said beam, thereby allowing said beam to pass through said device during portions of said rotation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implanter system comprises an adjustable beamline component, wherein an adjustment of said component changes the effective beam current incident on said substrate, and wherein said ion implanter system comprises an electrostatic scanner controlled by a scanning waveform, said method further comprising:

a. Adjusting said component to a first setting when the amplitude of said scanning waveform is at a first level; and

b. Adjusting said component to a second setting when said amplitude of said scanning waveform is at a second level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion implanter system comprises an electrostatic scanner controlled by a scanning waveform, said method further comprising:

a. Modifying said scanning waveform so as to vary the speed at which said scanner directs ions across said substrate.

13. A method of implanting ions into a substrate, so as to create a non-uniform dopant dose on the implant surface, comprising:

a. Providing an ion implantation system, capable of producing an ion beam having one dimension greater than a second dimension, and comprising a substrate holder to move a substrate relative to said ion beam;

b. Exposing the entire surface of said substrate to a uniform dose of ions by moving said substrate relative to said ion beam until entire wafer has been exposed;

c. Exposing a first portion of said substrate to a second dose of ions;

d. Moving said substrate relative to said ion beam; and

e. Exposing a second portion of said substrate to a third dose of ions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor material used to make a solar cell.

15. The method of claim 13, said method further comprising:

a. Moving said substrate holder at a first rate when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate, and

b. Moving said substrate holder at a second rate when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate, wherein said first and second speeds are different.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said ion implantation system comprises a substrate holder for holding said substrate and moving said substrate relative to said ion beam, said method further comprising:

a. Moving said substrate holder at a variable rate between a minimum rate and a maximum rate, such that the minimum rate occurs when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion and said maximum rate occurs when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said ion implanter system comprises an adjustable beamline component, wherein an adjustment of said component changes the effective beam current incident on said substrate, said method further comprising:

a. Adjusting said component to a first setting when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Adjusting said component to a second setting when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said beamline component comprises an element selected from the group consisting of extraction electrodes, focusing lenses, acceleration/deceleration elements and magnets, and said adjustment comprises varying the voltage and/or current applied to said element.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said ion implanter system comprises a scanner for producing a scanned ion beam, and wherein the waveform of said scanned ion beam is controlled by a scanning waveform supplied to said scanner, said method further comprising:

a. Applying a first scanning waveform to said scanner when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Applying a second scanning waveform to said scanner when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said ion beam comprises a ribbon beam.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said ion implantation system comprises an adjustable aperture, adapted to block all or a portion of said ion beam, said method comprising:

a. Adjusting said aperture to a first setting when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Adjusting said aperture to a second setting when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said ion implantation system comprises a device adapted to create said adjustable aperture, said method comprising:

a. Providing slits on opposing sides of said device; and

b. Rotating said device about an axis normal to the direction of and in the path of said ion beam, whereby said rotation varies the alignment of said slits and said beam, thereby allowing said beam to pass through said device during portions of said rotation.

23. A method of varying beam transmission in an ion implanter system, wherein said ion implanter system comprises an adjustable beamline component, wherein an adjustment of said component changes the effective beam current incident on said substrate, said method comprising:

a. Adjusting said component to a first setting when said ion beam is exposed to said first portion of said substrate; and

b. Adjusting said component to a second setting when said ion beam is exposed to said second portion of said substrate.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said ion implanter system comprises a scanner for producing a scanned ion beam, and wherein the waveform of said scanned ion beam is controlled by a scanning waveform supplied to said scanner, wherein said adjustments are based on the amplitude of said scanning waveform.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said ion implanter system comprises a substrate holder for holding said substrate and moving said substrate relative to said ion beam, wherein said adjustments are based on the position of said substrate relative to said ion beam.