Structure and fabrication process for an aluminum alloy junction self-aligned back contact silicon solar cell

• US 5,641,362 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Suniva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ebara Solar, Inc.
• Inventors: Meier, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisstuch, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US08/561,761
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 136/255, 136/256, 437/2, 437/4-5
• US Class Current: 136/256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022441 Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02363 of the semiconductor body itself, e.g. textured active layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0443 comprising bypass diodes integrated or directly associated with the devices, e.g. bypass diodes integrated or formed in or on the same substrate as the photovoltaic cells
• 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 31/1804 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

An improved solar cell design and method of fabrication that primarily uses two materials, n-type doped silicon and aluminum to form a p-n alloy junction back contact solar cell. The aluminum alloy junctions are placed on the back (unilluminated) side of the cell, thereby combining the desirable features of aluminum (as a dopant, contact metal and light reflector), with the advantages of a back contact cell. The cell design and method of fabrication includes such features as surface texturing, front and back surface field minority carrier mirrors, surface passivation using oxidation layers, use of Al contacts as light reflectors, intrinsic protection against reverse bias due to contiguous n⁺ and p⁺ regions, and an improved bus bar contact design suitable for interconnecting cells using a surface mount technology. An improved method of ohmic contact formation uses a self-alignment technique for forming the ohmic contacts.

Claims

1. A back-contact solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor bulk layer of a first conductivity type having a front surface and a back surface;

a plurality of spaced doped semiconductor regions of opposite conductivity type formed in said bulk layer near said back surface and forming a plurality of semiconductor junctions therewith;

said front surface being entirely of said first conductivity type;

a first set of spaced ohmic contacts connected to said plurality of spaced doped semiconductor regions and located along said back surface, said first set of spaced ohmic contacts comprising an alloy of said bulk layer semiconductor material and a Group III metal comprising the acceptor dopant for said plurality of spaced doped semiconductor regions;

a second set of ohmic contacts connected to said back surface of said bulk layer in the spaces between said first set of ohmic contacts; and

insulator means for electrically isolating said first set of spaced ohmic contacts from said second set of ohmic contacts.

2. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein said first set of ohmic contacts is in the form of substantially mutually parallel conductive stripes.

3. The solar cell according to claim 2, wherein said conductive stripes are joined at one end to form a bus bar contact.

4. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor bulk layer has a thickness no greater than the diffusion length of the minority carriers of said first conductivity type.

5. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein said bulk layer is formed of n-type silicon.

6. The solar cell according to claim 5 wherein said n-type silicon is dendritic web silicon.

7. The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein said Group III metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium, and indium.

8. The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein said insulator means comprises an insulative layer covering said first set of ohmic contacts.

9. The solar cell according to claim 1, further including an anti-reflective coating on said front surface.

10. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein said bulk layer is formed of n-type material, and said front and back surfaces are initially doped n⁺.

11. The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein said second set of ohmic contacts is comprised of an ohmic metal selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum, copper, titanium, and palladium.

12. The solar cell according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said front and back surfaces is textured to increase light trapping in said bulk layer.

13. A method of manufacturing a back-contact solar cell with self-aligning ohmic contacts, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a semiconductor bulk layer of a first conductivity type, said bulk layer having a front surface entirely of said first conductivity type and a back surface;

(b) forming a plurality of semiconductor doped regions of opposite conductivity type in said bulk layer near said back surface only;

(c) forming a first set of spaced ohmic contacts for said doped regions on said back surface using an ohmic contact metal material, said steps (b) and (c) being concurrently performed by applying a patterned layer containing a Group III metal to the back surface of said bulk layer, heating at least the back surface and adjacent interior regions of said bulk layer so that the bulk layer material in said interior regions and said patterned layer form an alloy, and allowing the alloy to cool so that said doped regions are formed using the Group III metal as an acceptor and the first set of contacts is formed from the cooled alloy remaining at the back surface;

(d) electrically insulating said first set of ohmic contacts from the spaces therebetween; and

(e) forming a second set of ohmic contacts on said back surface in said spaces using an ohmic contact metal material, said second set of ohmic contacts being electrically insulated from said first set of ohmic contacts.

14. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said step (a) of providing is performed with n-type silicon.

15. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said step (a) of providing is performed with n-type silicon having an n⁺ surface diffusion layer on the front surface thereof.

16. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said step (a) of providing is performed with n-type silicon having an n⁺ surface diffusion layer on the front and back surfaces thereof.

17. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said steps (b) and (c) are concurrently performed.

18. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said patterned layer comprises a mixture of Group III metal and the bulk layer material.

19. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 18 wherein said mixture comprises aluminum and silicon.

20. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said patterned layer comprises a plurality of individual stripes.

21. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 20 wherein said stripes are substantially mutually parallel.

22. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said patterned layer is applied by screen printing.

23. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13 wherein said step (d) of electrically insulating is performed by forming an insulative layer over said first set of ohmic contacts and spaces therebetween, and selectively removing portions of said insulative layer overlying said spaces from said back surface of said bulk layer, so that said insulative layer covers substantially only said first set of ohmic contacts and the spaces are exposed.

24. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 23 wherein said step of selectively removing comprises the step of etching the portions of said insulative layer overlying said spaces.

25. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 24 wherein said step of etching is chemical.

26. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 24 wherein said step of etching is reactive ion etching.

27. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 23 wherein said step of selectively removing comprises the step of sandblasting the portions of said insulative layer overlying said spaces.

28. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 23 wherein said step of selectively removing comprises the step of ion milling the portions of said insulative layer overlying said spaces.

29. The method of manufacturing a back contact solar cell according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of texturing at least one of said front and back surfaces of said bulk layer.

30. The method of manufacturing a back contact cell according to claim 13 further comprising the step of applying an anti-reflective coating on said front surface.