Manufacturing Method of Solar Cell

• US 20100330730A1
• Filed: 06/28/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lu-Sheng Hong, Sino-American Silicon Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lu-Sheng Hong, Sino-American Silicon Products Incorporated
• Inventors: HONG, Lu-Sheng, Hsu, Wen-Ching, Ho, Szu-Hua
• Granted Patent: US 7,927,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/72
• 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 31/0236 Special surface textures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02363 of the semiconductor body itself, e.g. textured active layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/028 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03762 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0682 back-junction, i.e. rearside emitter, solar cells, e.g. interdigitated base-emitter regions back-junction cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/075 the potential barriers being only of the PIN type, e.g. amorphous silicon PIN solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/202 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing a solar cell by forming two electrode layers on the same side of a wafer, and avoiding sunlight incident to another side from being blocked by the electrode layers to enhance the photoelectric conversion efficiency, and each electrode layer is formed by using a mask layer to perform a vapor deposition process, without requiring any mask lithography or etching process. Of course, the issue of a high-temperature process that deteriorates the quality of the wafer no longer exists.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a solar cell, and the solar cell comprising a wafer, and first and second electrode layers having a different polarity from one another, and the manufacturing method forming a base portion of the two electrode layers on a same side of the wafer by a vapor deposition process, and the two electrode layers having an interval apart.

2. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 1, wherein each electrode layer is disposed on a bottom side of the wafer.

3. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 2, wherein the wafer includes a wavy shaped microstructure formed on a top side of the wafer.

4. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 3, wherein the microstructure includes a second passivation layer disposed on a surface of the microstructure.

5. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 4, wherein the second passivation layer includes an anti-reflective protecting layer disposed on a surface of the second passivation layer.

6. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second electrode layers include a plurality of first and second electrode bases, first and second conductive transparent oxide layers, and first and second metal electrodes respectively, and each metal electrode is disposed on top of each respective conductive transparent oxide layer.

7. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 6, wherein the first electrode bases and the second electrode bases are arranged with an interval apart from each other.

8. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 6, wherein the vapor deposition process includes a first mask layer, and the first mask layer includes a plurality of first apertures, and the first mask layer is placed on a side of the wafer for performing a vapor deposition process, such that the wafer includes a first electrode base disposed at a position opposite to each first aperture of the first mask layer.

9. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 8, wherein the wafer is formed on the same side of the first electrode base, and a second mask layer having a plurality of second apertures is used for depositing a second electrode base adjacent to the first electrode base.

10. A manufacturing method of solar cell, and the solar cell comprising a wafer, and the manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

performing a vapor deposition process to a side of the wafer for at least two times to form first and second electrode layers having a different polarity from one another on a same side of the wafer same side, and each vapor deposition process using a mask layer with a plurality of apertures for the vapor deposition process, and each mask layer having an aperture ratio determined by an interval between the first and second electrode layers.

11. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 10, wherein the first and second electrode layers include a plurality of first and second electrode bases, first and second conductive transparent oxide layers and first and second metal electrodes respectively, and each metal electrode is installed on top of each respective conductive transparent oxide layer.

12. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 11, wherein the first electrode bases and the second electrode bases are arranged with an interval from one another.

13. A manufacturing method of a solar cell, comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a wafer;

(B) performing a vapor deposition process to a side of the wafer, wherein the vapor deposition process includes performing a vapor deposition twice to facilitate depositing the first and second electrode layers on the same side of the wafer, and the two electrode layers have an interval apart.

14. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 13, wherein the wafer is an n-type monosilicon wafer.

15. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 13, further comprising a Step C1 between the Step A and the Step B, and the Step C1 forming first and second passivation layers on a bottom side and a top side of the wafer respectively.

16. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 15, further comprising a Step D between the Step C1 and the Step B, and the Step D depositing an anti-reflective protecting layer on a surface of the second passivation layer.

17. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 13, further comprising a Step C2 and a Step C1 arranged sequentially between the Step A and the Step B, and the Step C2 forming a wavy-shaped microstructure on a top side of the wafer, and the Step C1 forming first and second passivation layers on microstructures at a bottom side and a top side of the wafer respectively.

18. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 13, wherein the first and second electrode layers comprise a plurality of first and second electrode bases, first and second conductive transparent oxide layers, and first and second metal electrodes respectively, and the Step B comprising the steps of:

(B1) using a first mask layer to perform a first-time vapor deposition, for depositing a first electrode base onto a bottom side of the wafer;

(B2) using a second mask layer to perform a second-time vapor deposition, for depositing a second electrode base adjacent to the first electrode base;

(B3) using a third mask layer to form first and second conductive transparent oxide layers on top of the first and second electrode bases respectively; and

(B4) similarly, using a third mask layer to form first and second metal electrodes on top of the first and second conductive transparent oxide layers respectively.

19. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 18, wherein the Step B3 forms first and second conductive transparent oxide layers by a splattering or co-evaporation method.

20. The manufacturing method of a solar cell as recited in claim 18, wherein the Step B4 forms first and second metal electrode by using a vapor deposition, a screen printing or an ink-jet printing method.