SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20160197204A1
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Seungjik, JI, Kwangsun, LEE, Yujin, AHN, Sehwon
• Application Number:
  US14/988,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022441 Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0745 comprising a AIVBIV heterojunction, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0747 comprising a heterojunction of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1872 Recrystallisation
• 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 and a method for manufacturing the same are discussed. The solar cell includes a crystalline semiconductor substrate containing impurities of a first conductive type, a tunnel layer positioned on the crystalline semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor layer which is formed on the tunnel layer, has a crystallinity less than the crystalline semiconductor substrate, and includes a first doped region of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type and a second doped region containing impurities of the first conductive type at a higher concentration than that of the crystalline semiconductor substrate, a first electrode connected to the first doped region, and a second electrode connected to the second doped region.

Claims

1. A solar cell comprising:

a crystalline semiconductor substrate containing impurities of a first conductive type;

a tunnel layer positioned on the crystalline semiconductor substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on the tunnel layer, the semiconductor layer having a crystallinity less than a crystallinity of the crystalline semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor layer including a first doped region of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type and a second doped region containing impurities of the first conductive type at a higher concentration than that of the crystalline semiconductor substrate;

a first electrode connected to the first doped region; and

a second electrode connected to the second doped region,

wherein at least one of the first doped region or the second doped region includes a first portion having a first specific resistance and a second portion having a second specific resistance, the first specific resistance being larger than the second specific resistance.

2. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first portion has a first impurity doping concentration, and the second portion has a second impurity doping concentration higher than the first impurity doping concentration.

3. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first specific resistance of the first portion is 8.75×

10<sup>−

4</sup> to 1.0×

10<sup>−

2</sup> Ω

cm, and the second specific resistance of the second portion is 1.75×

10<sup>−

3</sup> to 5.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Ω

cm.

4. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first specific resistance of the first portion is 8.7×

10<sup>−

3</sup> to 1.0×

10<sup>−

2</sup> Ω

cm, and the second specific resistance of the second portion is 2.5×

10<sup>−

3</sup> to 5.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Ω

cm.

5. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein a crystallinity of the first portion is less than a crystallinity of the second portion.

6. The solar cell of claim 5, wherein the crystallinity of the first portion is equal to or less than about 40 vol %, and the crystallinity of the second portion exceeds about 40 vol %.

7. The solar cell of claim 6, wherein the crystallinity of the second portion is about 70 vol % to about 90 vol %.

8. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first portion is in the plural, and the second portion is positioned between the plurality of first portions, and

wherein the second portion is positioned on the first electrode or the second electrode.

9. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions each have a dot shape, and the second portion is positioned inside the first portion.

10. The solar cell of claim 1, further comprising a third doped region on a front surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate.

11. The solar cell of claim 10, further comprising an intrinsic semiconductor layer formed between the first doped region and the second doped region and positioned on the tunnel layer, on which the first doped region and the second doped region are not formed.

12. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer is an amorphous silicon layer or a polycrystalline silicon layer.

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

preparing a crystalline semiconductor substrate containing impurities of a first conductive type;

forming a tunnel layer on the crystalline semiconductor substrate;

forming an intrinsic semiconductor layer on the tunnel layer;

diffusing impurities of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type into the intrinsic semiconductor layer to form a first doped region having a crystallinity less than a crystallinity of the crystalline semiconductor substrate; and

diffusing impurities of the first conductive type into the intrinsic semiconductor layer to form a second doped region having a crystallinity less than the crystallinity of the crystalline semiconductor substrate,

wherein the forming of the first doped region or the second doped region includes forming an impurity layer containing impurities of the second conductive type or impurities of the first conductive type at the intrinsic semiconductor layer, irradiating a laser onto the impurity layer, and diffusing the impurity layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the diffused impurity layer forms the first doped region or the second doped region through thermal processing.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the crystallinity of the first doped region or the second doped region is about 40 vol % to about 90 vol %.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first doped region or the second doped region includes a first portion and a second portion each having a different specific resistance depending on an amount of laser irradiation.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first doped region or the second doped region includes a first portion and a second portion each having a different crystallinity depending on an amount of laser irradiation.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first doped region and the second doped region are simultaneously formed.

19. A method for manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:

doping a second impurity layer of a second conductive type opposite a first conductive type on a back surface of a semiconductor substrate containing impurities of the first conductive type to form a first doped region;

doping a first impurity layer containing impurities of the first conductive type on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a second doped region; and

additionally doping the first impurity layer or the second impurity layer on the first doped region or the second doped region to form a first portion or a second portion each having a different impurity doping concentration,

wherein an impurity doping concentration of the first portion is lower than an impurity doping concentration of the second portion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first portion or the second portion is formed through laser irradiation.