SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20110073173A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HWANG, Sung-Ho
• Application Number:
  US12/727,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20110073173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035227 the quantum structure being quantum wires, or nanorods carbon nanotubes H10K85/211
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035236 Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03845 comprising semiconductor nanoparticles embedded in a semiconductor matrix in insulating matrix H01L31/0384
• 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 solar cell including a first semiconductor layer including a first impurity, a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer including a second impurity, a first electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer, and a second electrode electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer, wherein the first semiconductor layer includes a plurality of impurity-doped regions including a third impurity, wherein a type of the third impurity is the same as a type of the second impurity.

Claims

1. A solar cell, the solar cell comprising:

a first semiconductor layer comprising a first impurity;

a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer comprising a second impurity;

a first electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer,

wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises a plurality of impurity-doped regions comprising a third impurity, wherein a type of the third impurity is the same as a type of the second impurity.

2. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the plurality of impurity-doped regions are discontinuously disposed.

3. The solar cell of claim 2, wherein the plurality of impurity-doped regions are disposed in substantially a same plane as each other.

4. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the plurality of impurity-doped regions comprises a quantum well, a quantum wire, a quantum dot, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

5. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of impurity-doped regions has a dimension of about 8 nanometers to about 150 nanometers.

6. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor layer comprises a first surface contacting the second semiconductor layer and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, and

the plurality of impurity-doped regions are disposed within a distance of about 10 micrometers from the second surface of the first semiconductor layer.

7. The solar cell of claim 6, wherein the plurality of impurity-doped regions are disposed at a distance of about 3 micrometers to about 4 micrometers from the second surface of the first semiconductor layer.

8. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the plurality of impurity-doped regions absorb light having a wavelength of equal to or greater than about 1000 nanometers.

9. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first impurity is a p-type impurity and the second impurity is an n-type impurity.

10. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the second impurity comprises the same type of material as the third impurity.

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

providing a first semiconductor layer comprising a first impurity;

providing a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and comprising a second impurity;

providing a plurality of impurity-doped regions comprising a third impurity in a portion of the first semiconductor layer, wherein a type of the third impurity is the same as a type of the second impurity;

providing a first electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer; and

providing a second electrode electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing a plurality of impurity-doped regions is performed by ion implantation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing a plurality of impurity-doped regions comprises:

providing a photosensitive layer having a plurality of openings on a surface of the first semiconductor layer; and

ion implanting the third impurity while using the photosensitive layer as a mask.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing a plurality of impurity-doped regions comprises ion implanting, and the ion implanting disposes the third impurity within a distance of about 10 micrometers from the surface of the first semiconductor layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the ion implanting disposes the third impurity a distance of about 3 micrometers to about 4 micrometers from a surface of the first semiconductor layer.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the openings of the photosensitive layer have a dimension of about 8 nanometers to about 150 nanometers.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first impurity is a p-type impurity and the second impurity is an n-type impurity.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the second impurity comprises the same material as the third impurity.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the third impurity is an n-type impurity.