Fast turn on/off photovoltaic generator for photovoltaic relay

• US 6,787,693 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Lizotte, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US10/309,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 136/249, 136/255, 136/261, 136/256, 257/466, 257/464, 257/461, 257/446, 257/443
• US Class Current: 136/261
• 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: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

A photovoltaic generator constructed on an SOI N⁻ layer subdivided into a series of connected isolated tubs whereby the isolated tubs are subdivided by a matrix of trenched wells. A P⁺ junction is formed into the top surface of each well to define a photovoltaic generator junction for its respective well.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic generator comprising an insulation support wafer;

a layer of monocrystalline silicon of one conductivity type disposed atop and insulated from said support wafer;

a dielectric barrier web extending through said layer of silicon and dividing said layer of silicon into a plurality of laterally separated wells;

each of said wells containing a shallow diffusion of a second conductivity type, thereby to define a junction to produce an output voltage in response to the illumination of the surface of said photovoltaic generator; and

a plurality of spaced trenched wells extending from the top surface through at least a portion of the full thickness of said layer of silicon.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said layer of silicon has a thickness greater than about 10 μ

m.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said trenched wells are spaced from one another by about 5 microns to about 20 microns, center to center.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein each of said trenched wells has a rectangular crossection.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said laterally separated wells are electrically connected in series.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the bottoms of each of said cells laterally separated wells in said silicon layer are lined with a highly doped thin layer of said one conductivity type.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said silicon layer is an epitaxially formed layer.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said dielectric web is polysilicon.

9. The device of claim 2 wherein said trenched wells are spaced from one another by about 5 microns to about 20 microns, center to center.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said trenched wells are spaced from one another by about 5 microns to about 20 microns, center to center.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein each of said trenched wells has a maximum thickness in any direction of about 3 microns.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said silicon layer is an epitaxially formed layer.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said dielectric barrier web is polysilicon.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said laterally separated wells are electrically connected in series.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the bottoms of each of said laterally separated wells in said silicon layer are lined with a highly doped thin layer of said conductivity type.

16. A photovoltaic generator comprising an insulation support wafer;

a layer of monocrystalline silicon of one conductivity type disposed atop and insulated from said support wafer;

a dielectric barrier web extending through said layer of silicon and dividing said layer of silicon into a plurality of laterally separated wells;

each of said wells containing a shallow diffusion of a second conductivity type, thereby to define a junction to produce an output voltage in response to the illumination of the surface of said photovoltaic generator; and

a plurality of spaced trenched wells formed from the bottom surface of the SOI silicon layer that do not extend through the entire silicon layer.