Etching of solar cell materials

• US 8,029,683 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxeon Solar Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: Sunpower Corporation (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Smith, David D., Uralwong, Pongsthorn, Rose, Douglas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Shamim
• Application Number:
  US12/251,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20090042330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 216/24, 216/41, 216/83, 252/79.1, 136/256
• US Class Current: 216/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02008 for solar cells or solar cell modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A solar cell is fabricated by etching one or more of its layers without substantially etching another layer of the solar cell. In one embodiment, a copper layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching a topmost metallic layer comprising tin. For example, an etchant comprising sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide may be employed to etch the copper layer selective to the tin layer. A particular example of the aforementioned etchant is a Co-Bra Etch® etchant modified to comprise about 1% by volume of sulfuric acid, about 4% by volume of phosphoric acid, and about 2% by volume of stabilized hydrogen peroxide. In one embodiment, an aluminum layer in the solar cell is etched without substantially etching the tin layer. For example, an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide may be employed to etch the aluminum layer without substantially etching the tin layer.

Claims

1. A method of etching a layer of material in a solar cell, the method comprising:

etching a metal layer selective to a tin layer of a solar cell using an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide, wherein the metal layer comprises aluminum.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal layer is etched using an etchant comprising about 1% by volume of potassium hydroxide in water.

3. A method of etching a layer of material in a solar cell, the method comprising:

etching an aluminum layer selective to a tin layer using an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the etchant comprises about 1% by volume of potassium hydroxide in water.

5. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:

etching a first layer comprising aluminum selective to a topmost metallic layer of a solar cell using an etchant comprising potassium hydroxide.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the topmost metallic layer comprises tin.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the etchant comprises about 1% by volume of potassium hydroxide in water.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the first layer is etched using an etchant that is selective to an oxide layer under the first layer.

9. A method of fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:

etching a first layer comprising aluminum selective to a topmost metallic layer of a solar cell using an etchant that is selective to an oxide layer under the first layer.