SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20130122635A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Seongeun
• Granted Patent: US 8,759,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02167 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1876 Particular processes or apparatus for batch treatment of the devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• 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

The present invention relates to a solar cell. The solar cell includes a substrate of a first conductive type, an emitter layer of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type on the substrate, first and second anti-reflection layers that are sequentially positioned on the emitter layer, a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter layer, first to third passivation layers that are sequentially positioned on the substrate, each of the first to third passivation layers including a plurality of exposed portions, and a plurality of second electrodes electrically connected to portions of the substrate exposed by the plurality of exposed portions.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a solar cell comprising:

forming an emitter layer of a second conductive type opposite a first conductive type on a substrate of the first conductive type;

sequentially positioning the substrate in a plurality of chambers to form an anti-reflection layer on the emitter layer and to form a passivation layer including at least one exposed portion on a rear surface of the substrate opposite an incident surface of the substrate;

coating a first paste on the anti-reflection layer to form a first electrode pattern;

coating a second paste on the passivation layer and on a portion of the substrate exposed by the exposed portion to form a second electrode conductive layer pattern; and

performing a thermal process on the substrate having the first electrode pattern and the second electrode conductive layer pattern to form a plurality of first electrodes electrically connected to the emitter layer and to form a second electrode conductive layer including at least one second electrode electrically connected to the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of chambers is equal to a sum of a number of layers constituting the anti-reflection layer and a number of layers constituting the passivation layer,

wherein a different source gas is injected into each of the plurality of chambers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the anti-reflection layer includes first and second anti-reflection layers each having a different refractive index.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first anti-reflection layer is formed of silicon nitride (SiNx:

H), and the second anti-reflection layer is formed of silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the passivation layer includes first, second, and third passivation layers each having a different refractive index.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first passivation layer positioned closest to the substrate has a maximum refractive index, and the third passivation layer positioned farthest away from the substrate has a minimum refractive index.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first passivation layer is formed of silicon oxide (SiOx), the second passivation layer is formed of silicon nitride (SiNx:

H), and the third passivation layer is formed of silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy).

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the forming of the anti-reflection layer and the passivation layer comprises independently performing a layer formation process in each of the plurality of chambers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming of the anti-reflection layer and the passivation layer comprises positioning a mask including at least one opening and at least one blocking portion on the substrate and performing the layer formation process on the substrate using the mask to form the first, second, and third passivation layers,

wherein the same mask is used to form the first, second, and third passivation layers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the layer formation process uses a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.