Interdigitated back contact metal-insulator-semiconductor solar cell with printed oxide tunnel junctions

• US 10,670,187 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2018
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Kaiying New Materials Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zhejiang Kaiying New Materials Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hilali, Mohamed M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mershon, Jayne L
• Application Number:
  US16/003,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20180320821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0157 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/052 large (>1000 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/012 on or in the wall, e.g. ribs
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/033 Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/01 for fluid transport or storage
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 3/02 with provision for thermal insulation thermal insulation in general F16L59/00 ; refrigerators F25D; insulation specially adapted for cryogenic vessels F17C13/001; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons B61D5/00
• 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 31/035272 characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03529 Shape of the potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• 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 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• 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: H01L 33/44 characterised by the coatings, e.g. passivation layer or anti-reflective coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

Screen-printable metallization pastes for forming thin oxide tunnel junctions on the back-side surface of solar cells are disclosed. Interdigitated metal contacts can be deposited on the oxide tunnel junctions to provide all-back metal contact to a solar cell.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device interconnect comprising:

a silicon wafer comprising a back surface, wherein,

the back surface comprises a first region and a second region; and

the back surface is n-type silicon or p-type silicon;

a p-doped oxide layer overlying the first region;

an n-doped oxide layer overlying the second region;

a positive electrode grid overlying the p-doped oxide layer; and

a negative electrode grid overlying the n-doped oxide layer,

wherein each of the positive electrode grid and the negative electrode grid independently comprises;

a metal, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof; and

a metallic glass.

2. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the p-doped oxide layer comprises a silicon oxide.

3. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the n-doped oxide layer comprises aluminum oxide.

4. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein each of the p-doped oxide layer and the n-doped oxide layer is independently characterized by a thickness from 1 Å

to 45 Å

.

5. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the metallic glass comprises ZrCuNiAl, CuZr, CuZrAl, CuZrAg, CuZrAlAg, CuZrAlAgNi, CuZrAlNi, ZrTiNbCuNiAl, MgZn, MgCu, MgNi, MgNiY, MgCa, AlNiYLa, AlMg, AlMgCa, TiZrCuNi, NiNbZrTiPt, AlNiLa, ZrCuTiNiBe, MgCuYAg, AlLiCu, AlYFe, AgMgCa, AgMgCaCu, or a combination of any of the foregoing.

6. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the metal or metal alloy comprises copper, zirconium, aluminum, silver, nickel, or a combination of any of the foregoing.

7. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the metallic glass comprises an amorphous content from 50 wt % to about 99.9 wt %, wherein wt % is based on a total weight of the metallic glass.

8. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the metallic glass comprises a crystalline content from 1 wt % to 50 wt %, wherein wt % is based on a total weight of the metallic glass.

9. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein each of the positive electrode grid and the negative electrode grid independently comprises silver, a silver alloy, copper, a copper alloy, or a combination of any of the foregoing.

10. A silicon substrate comprising the interconnect of claim 1.

11. A semiconductor device comprising the interconnect of claim 1.

12. A solar cell comprising the interconnect of claim 1.

13. A metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) back contact solar cell comprising the interconnect of claim 1.