Method of producing a solar cell; a solar cell and a method of producing a semiconductor device

• US 6,093,882 A
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Arimoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIGGINS, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/352,607
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 136/252, 136/255, 136/256, 136/261, 438/57, 438/353, 438/354, 438/355, 438/403, 438/404, 438/405, 438/39, 438/29, 438/71, 257/452, 257/466
• US Class Current: 136/252
• 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 31/022441 Electrode arrangements specially adapted for back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022458 for emitter wrap-through [EWT] type solar cells, e.g. interdigitated emitter-base back-contacts
• 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 31/0682 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

Abstract

A solar cell and a method of producing the same which realizes electrical separation of the p n junction in a simple manner, and a method of producing a semiconductor device a method of producing a semiconductor device in which an electrode is formed by using a metallic paste material on a substrate covered with a silicon nitride film or a titanium oxide film, wherein a glass paste 104 composed mainly of glass which has a property of melting silicon is provided on an n type diffusion layer 101 in the p n junction; the substrate is baked so that penetration of the n type diffusion layer 101 is effected by the glass paste; aluminum is diffused in the n type diffusion layer 101 below a p electrode 103 formed of an aluminum silver paste to thereby form a p type inversion layer 105 inverted to a p type, whereby the electrical separation of the p n junction can be realized. Further, when a metallic paste material is provided on an insulating film and the metallic paste material is baked, the material penetrates the insulating film to electrically contact with the semiconductor substrate.

Claims

1. A solar cell which comprises a p n junction comprising a substrate and a thin layer of an electrical conductive type opposite to that of the substrate which is formed on a front surface, or both a front surface and a rear surface, or the entire surface including edges of the substrate, and a p type electrode and an n type electrode which are formed on the p n junction, the solar cell being characterized in that a material comprising glass which is capable of electrically separating the p n junction, is provided wholly between the p type electrode and the n type electrode.

2. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the p-type electrode contains aluminum and silver.

3. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the glass material has a width of 0.5 mm-2 mm.

4. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the solar cell further comprises an antireflection film selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, titanium oxide, silicon oxide, and a double layer of titanium oxide and silicon oxide.

5. The solar cell according to claim 4, wherein the antireflection film has a thickness of several hundred Å

to 1000 Å

.

6. The solar cell according to claim 4, wherein the antireflection film is a double layer of titanium oxide and silicon oxide.

7. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the substrate layer contains viaholes.

8. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the glass material comprises 5-30% Pb, 5-10% B, 5-15% Si and 30-60% O.

9. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the material comprising glass extends about 0.5 microns into the substrate.