SOLAR CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20100078069A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: IDE, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022441 Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03529 Shape of the potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a solar cell, including: forming a first conductivity type semiconductor layer extending along a predetermined direction on aback surface of a semiconductor substrate that has a light-receiving surface and the back surface opposite to the light-receiving surface, the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer being divided into plural island-shaped sections arranged side by side in the predetermined direction; forming a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type in the predetermined direction on the back surface; and forming conductive layers respectively on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer by using a conductive paste, the conductive layer to be formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer being formed by a printing method such that the conductive layer to be formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer extends on a line of the plural island-shaped sections to bridge adjacent two of the plural island-shaped sections.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising:

a step A of forming a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type extending along a predetermined direction on a back surface of a semiconductor substrate that includes a light-receiving surface and the back surface located on the opposite side to the light-receiving surface, the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer being divided into plural island-shaped sections arranged side by side in the predetermined direction;

a step B of forming a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type in the predetermined direction on the back surface; and

a step C of forming conductive layers respectively on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer by using a conductive paste, the conductive layer to be formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer being formed by a printing method such that the conductive layer to be formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer extends on a line of the plural island-shaped sections to bridge adjacent two of the plural island-shaped sections.

2. The method of manufacturing a solar cell according to claim 1, wherein, in the step A, the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is formed using a metal mask including:

plural slits corresponding to the plural island-shaped sections; and

a divide portion between adjacent two of the slits.

3. The method of manufacturing a solar cell according to claim 1, wherein

a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type is used as the semiconductor substrate, and

in the step B, the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is formed so as to have a width that is larger than the width of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer.

4. The method of manufacturing a solar cell according to claim 2, wherein

a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type is used as the semiconductor substrate, and

in the step B, the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is formed so as to have a width that is larger than the width of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer.

5. A solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including a light-receiving surface and a back surface located on the opposite side to the light-receiving surface;

a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type extending along a predetermined direction on the back surface, the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer being divided into plural island-shaped sections arranged side by side in the predetermined direction;

a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type extending along the predetermined direction on the back surface; and

conductive layers that are respectively formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, wherein the conductive layer to be formed on the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is made of a conductive paste such that the conductive layer to be formed on the first-conductive-type semiconductor layer extends on a line of the plural island-shaped sections to bridge adjacent two of the plural island-shaped sections.

6. The solar cell according to claim 5, wherein

the semiconductor substrate is made of a semiconductor of the first conductivity type, and

the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer has a width that is larger than the width of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer.