Solar cell and fabrication method thereof

• US 6,130,380 A
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazuyo
• Primary Examiner(s): CODD, BERNARD P
• Application Number:
  US09/066,822
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 136/258 AM, 136/255, 136/261, 438/83, 438/87, 438/96
• US Class Current: 136/255
• 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 31/036 characterised by their crystalline structure or particular orientation of the crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/061 the potential barriers being of the point-contact type H01L31/07 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/548 Amorphous silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

In a solar cell, a crystal defect layer by ion implantation or an amorphous layer by ion implantation is formed between p type diffusion layers provided in an island-like manner at a side opposite to a light receiving surface of a low concentration p type semiconductor single crystalline substrate. The element of the ion implantation may be at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon. The constituent substance of the semiconductor substrate, such as Si is preferably used for the ion implantation. In such a solar cell structure having the crystal defect or amorphous layer, relatively long wavelength light that could not effectively be utilized in the prior art solar cell may be utilized so that the photoelectric conversion efficiency may be improved.

Claims

1. A solar cell comprising:

a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

an n type diffusion layer formed at a light receiving side of said substrate,

p type diffusion layers at a second concentration formed locally at a side opposite to the light receiving side of said semiconductor substrate,

a layer having a crystal defect or being amorphous by ion implantation, formed at a region between said locally formed p type diffusion layers, and

electrodes connected to the respective diffusion layer;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

2. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a substance used for said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

3. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein said amorphous layer is formed by ion implantation of silicon or germanium at a dose level of at least 3×

10¹⁴ cm^-2.

4. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes a substance that forms a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate.

5. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes germanium that forms a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate when said substrate is a silicon substrate.

6. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the substance used for said ion implantation includes silicon and at least one component selected from hydrogen, fluorine, oxygen and carbon.

7. The solar cell according to claim 1, wherein the first concentration is of at least 1×

10¹³ cm^-3 of a p type dopant; and

the second concentration is at least 1×

10¹⁷ cm^-3 of a p type dopant.

8. A solar cell comprising:

a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

p type diffusion layers at a second concentration and n type diffusion layers, which are locally formed and spaced apart at a side opposite to a light receiving surface of said semiconductor substrate,

a layer having a crystal defect or being amorphous by ion implantation, formed between said locally formed diffusion layers, and

electrodes connected with respect to the respective diffusion layers at the side opposite to the light receiving surface;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

9. The solar cell according to claim 8, wherein a substance used for said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

10. The solar cell according to claim 8, wherein said amorphous layer is formed by ion implantation of silicon or germanium at a dose level of at least 3×

10¹⁴ cm^-2.

11. The solar cell according to claim 8, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes a substance that forms a forbidden band width that is smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate.

12. The solar cell according to claim 8, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes germanium forming a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate when said substrate is a silicon substrate.

13. The solar cell according to claim 8, wherein the first concentration is at least 1×

10¹³ cm^-3 of a p type dopant; and

the second concentration is at least 1×

10¹⁷ cm^-3 of a p type dopant.

14. A solar cell comprising:

a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

an n type diffusion layer formed at a light receiving side of said substrate,

p type diffusion layers at a second concentration formed locally at a side opposite to the light receiving side of said substrate,

an n type diffusion layer present in an electrically floating state at a region between said locally formed p type diffusion layers,

a layer having a crystal defect or being amorphous by ion implantation, formed at a region between said locally formed p type diffusion layers at the side opposite to the light receiving side, and

electrodes connected respectively to said n type diffusion layer at the light receiving side and said p type diffusion layers at the side opposite to the light receiving side;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

15. The solar cell according to claim 14, wherein a substance used for said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

16. The solar cell according to claim 14, wherein said amorphous layer is formed by implanting ions of silicon or germanium at a dose level of at least 3×

10¹⁴ cm^-2.

17. The solar cell according to claim 14, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes a substance that forms a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate.

18. The solar cell according to claim 14, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes germanium forming a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate when said substrate is a silicon substrate.

19. The solar cell according to claim 14, wherein the first concentration is at least 1×

10¹³ cm^-3 of a p type dopant; and

the second concentration is at least 1×

10¹⁷ cm^-3 of a p type dopant.

20. A solar cell comprising:

a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

an n type diffusion layer formed at a light receiving side of said substrate,

p type diffusion layers at a second concentration and n type diffusion layers which are locally formed and spaced apart at the side opposite to the light receiving side of said substrate,

a layer having a crystal defect or being amorphous by ion implantation, formed between said locally formed diffusion layers, and

electrodes provided respectively at said n type diffusion layers at the light receiving side and at the opposite side, and said p type diffusion layers at the side opposite to the light receiving side;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

21. The solar cell according to claim 20, wherein a substance of ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

22. The solar cell according to claim 20, wherein said amorphous layer is formed by implanting ions of silicon or germanium at a dose level of at least 3×

10¹⁴ cm^-2.

23. The solar cell according to claim 20, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes a substance that forms a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate.

24. The solar cell according to claim 20, wherein a substance of ion implantation for forming said amorphous layer includes germanium forming a forbidden band width smaller than the forbidden band width of said substrate when said substrate is a silicon substrate.

25. The solar cell according to claim 20, wherein the first concentration is at least 1×

10¹³ cm^-3 of a p type dopant; and

the second concentration is at least 1×

10¹⁷ cm^-3 of a p type dopant.

31. The method of fabricating a solar cell according to claim 23, wherein a substance of said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

33. The method of fabricating a solar cell according to claim 24, wherein a substance of said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

26. A method of fabricating a solar cell comprising the steps of:

forming an n type diffusion layer at a light receiving side of a semiconductor crystal substrate that includes first conductivity type impurities at a first concentration,

locally forming p type diffusion layers at a second concentration at an opposite side to the light receiving side of said substrate,

forming a layer having a crystal defect or an amorphous layer by ion implantation at a region between said locally formed p type diffusion layers, and

forming electrodes respectively to said n type diffusion layer at the light receiving side and to said p type diffusion layers at an opposite side to the light receiving side;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

27. The method of fabricating a solar cell according to claim 26, wherein a substance of said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

28. A method of fabricating a solar cell comprising the steps of:

forming an n type diffusion layer at a light receiving side of a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

locally forming p type diffusion layers at a second concentration at a side opposite to said light receiving side,

forming an n type diffusion layer present in an electrically floating state at a region between said locally formed diffusion layers,

forming a layer having a crystal defect or an amorphous layer by ion implantation at a region between said locally formed p type diffusion layers, and

forming electrodes respectively to said n type diffusion layer at said light receiving side and to said p type diffusion layers at said side opposite to said light receiving side;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

29. The method of fabricating a solar cell according to claim 28, wherein a substance of said ion implantation is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, silicon, germanium, fluorine, oxygen and carbon, and includes at least one of silicon and germanium.

30. A method of fabricating a solar cell comprising the steps of:

forming an n type diffusion layer at a light receiving side of a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

locally forming p type diffusion layers at a second concentration at a side opposite to said light receiving side,

locally forming n type diffusion layers between said locally formed p type diffusion layers,

forming a layer having a crystal defect or an amorphous layer by ion implantation at a region between said locally formed p and n type diffusion layers, and

forming electrodes to said n type diffusion layer at the light receiving side and said n type diffusion layers and said p type diffusion layers at said side opposite to said light receiving side;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.

32. A method of fabricating a solar cell comprising the steps of:

locally forming type diffusion layers at a second concentration at a side opposite to a light receiving side of a p type semiconductor crystal substrate at a first concentration,

locally forming an n type diffusion layer between said locally formed p type diffusion layers,

forming a layer having a crystal defect or an amorphous layer by ion implantation at a region between said locally formed p and n type diffusion layers, and

forming electrodes respectively to said p type diffusion layers and said n type diffusion layer at said side opposite to said light receiving side;

wherein the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.