Floating emitter solar cell

• US 4,665,277 A
• Filed: 03/11/1986
• Issued: 05/12/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Sah, Chih, Cheng, Li-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US06/838,648
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 136/255, 136/249 TJ, 136/249 MS, 357/30, 357/35
• US Class Current: 136/255
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0475 PV cell arrays made by cells in a planar, e.g. repetitive, configuration on a single semiconductor substrate; PV cell microarrays PV modules composed of a plurality of thin film solar cells deposited on the same substrate H01L31/046
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1105 the device being a bipolar phototransistor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

Front surface contact floating emitter solar cell "transistors" having a semiconductor body (n-type) and floating emitter sections (p-type) diffused or implanted in the front surface are provided with sections diffused or implanted in the front surface between the floating emitter sections, but isolated from the floating emitter sections, for use either as a base contact to the n-type semiconductor body, in which case the section is doped n⁺, or as a collector for the adjacent emitter sections, in which case the section is doped p⁺. In the first case, the structure is provided with p⁺ semiconductor material on the back to serve as a collector, and in the second case with n⁺ semiconductor material on the back to serve as a base contact. In either case, the semiconductor material on the back may be a starting substrate of suitably doped semiconductor material. In the case of the substrate being the collector, a groove is etched to isolate the collector junctions from saw damage on the edge. Using ion implantation techniques, floating emitter solar cell "transistor" structures may be fabricated in an implanted well (n-type for p-n-p transistors) to obviate the need for a groove.

Claims

1. A solar cell comprising a semiconductor body of one conductivity type having parallel front and back surfaces, a plurality of floating emitter sections of opposite conductivity type forming a p-n junction in said semiconductor body at the front thereof, front sections in said semiconductor body at the front surface thereof between adjacent ones of said floating emitter sections, said front sections being separated from said floating emitter sections, and a back surface layer, each of said front sections and said back surface layer being of opposite conductivity type to each other, one being of the same conductivity type as said floating emitter sections to function as a collector for said floating emitter sections and the other being of the same conductivity type as said semiconductor body to function as a contact section to said semiconductor body, said semiconductor body functioning as a common base for said floating emitter sections.

2. A solar cell as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said front sections in said semiconductor body between floating emitter sections is of a conductivity type opposite said floating emitter sections to function as a contact section to said semiconductor body serving as a common base to said floating emitter sections, and said back surface layer is of the same conductivity type as said floating emitter sections to function as a collector for said floating emitter sections.

3. A solar cell as defined in claim 2 wherein said semiconductor body is epitaxially grown on said back surface layer and doped opposite said back surface layer to form a p-n junction therebetween, and said back surface layer comprises a thick substrate, and including a groove etched through the semiconductor body from the front surface and into said back surface layer substrate to isolate the aforesaid p-n junctions from saw damage at the edge of said semiconductor body.

4. A solar cell as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said front sections diffused into said semiconductor body between floating emitter sections is of the same conductivity type as said floating emitter sections to function as a collector section for adjacent floating emitter sections, and said back surface layer is of a conductivity type opposite said floating emitter sections to function as a contact to said semiconductor body serving as a common base to said solar cell.

5. A solar cell as defined in claim 4 wherein said semiconductor body functioning as a common base is epitaxially grown on said back surface layer, and said back surface layer is a thick substrate.

6. A solar cell comprising a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type;

a layer of said semiconductor over said substrate heavily doped with impurities of said one conductivity type;

a top layer of said semiconductor over said heavily doped layer, said top layer being either lightly doped with impurities of said one conductivity type or not doped;

a well in said top layer extending down into said heavily doped layer, said well being doped with impurities of a conductivity type opposite said one conductivity type and comprising;

(1) foating emitter sections heavily doped with impurities of said one conductivity type, said emitter sections being embedded in the front surface of said well (2) a base section heavily doped with impurities of said opposite conductivity type, said floating emitter sections and said base section being separated from each other and the walls of said well, (3) a metal contact formed on said base section; and

a metal contact formed on the entire back surface of said substrate to serve as a collector contact for said floating emitter solar cell.

7. A solar cell comprising a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type;

a layer of said semiconductor over said substrate heavily doped with impurities of said one conductivity type;

a top layer of said semiconductor over said heavily doped layer either lightly doped with impurities of said one conductivity type or not doped with any impurities;

a well in said top layer doped with impurities of a conducitvity type opposite said one conductivity type, said well extending into said top layer to a depth sufficient for the well to form a junction with said heavily doped layer and comprising;

(1) floating emitter sections heavily doped with impurities of said one conductivity type, (2) a base section heavily doped in said well with impurities of said opposite conductivity type, said floating emitter sections and said base section being separated from each other and from the walls of said well, (3) a metal contact formed on said base section; and

a metal contact formed on the entire back side of said substrate to serve as a collector contact for said floating emitter solar cell.

8. A solar cell comprising a semiconductor substrate heavily doped with impurities of one conductivity type;

a layer of said semoconductor over said substrate either lightly doped with impurities of said one conductivity type or not doped;

a well doped with impurities of a conductivity type opposite said one conductivity type, said well extending down through said layer over said substrate and into said substrate to form a junction between said well and said substrate and comprising;

(1) floating sections heavily doped with impurities of said one conductivity type, said emitter sections being embedded in the front surface of said well, (2) a base section heavily doped with impurities of said opposite conductivity type, said floating emitter sections and said base section being separated from each other and the walls of said well (3) a metal contact formed on said base section; and

a metal contact formed on the entire back surface of said substrate to serve as a collector contact for said floating emitter solr cell.

9. A solar cell comprising a semiconductor substrate heavily doped with impurities of one conductivity type;

a layer of said semiconductor over said substrate either lightly doped with impurities of said one conductivity type or not doped;

a well doped with impurities of a conductivity type opposite said one conductivity type, said cell extending into said layer over said substrate to a depth sufficient to form a junction with said substrate and comprising;

(1) floating emitter sections heavily doped with impurities of said one conductivity type, (2) a base section heavily doped in said well with impurities of said opposite conductivity type, said floating emitter sections and said base section being separated from each other and from the walls of said well, (3) a metal contact formed on said base section; and

a metal contact formed on the entire back side of said substrate to serve as a collector contact for said floating emitter solar cell.