THIN-FILM PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20060213550A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Arai, Yasuyuki, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Application Number:
  US11/422,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20060213550A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/252
• 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 31/02363 of the semiconductor body itself, e.g. textured active layers
• 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: H01L 31/186 Particular post-treatment for the devices, e.g. annealing, impurity gettering, short-circuit elimination, recrystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1872 Recrystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a thin-film solar cell, comprising the steps of: forming an amorphous silicon film on a substrate; placing a metal element that accelerates the crystallization of silicon in contact with the surface of the amorphous silicon film; subjecting the amorphous silicon film to a heat treatment to obtain a crystalline silicon film; depositing a silicon film to which phosphorus has been added in contact with the crystalline silicon film; and subjecting the crystalline silicon film and the silicon film to which phosphorus has been added to a heat treatment to getter the metal element from the crystalline film.

Claims

1. A thin-film device comprising:

a semiconductor film formed over a substrate; and

an n-type semiconductor film formed over the semiconductor film, wherein the n-type semiconductor film contains a metal element.

2. A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor film comprises a crystalline silicon.

3. A thin-film device according to claim 1, further comprising silicon oxide between the substrate and the semiconductor film.

4. A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein the metal element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt and platinum.

5. A thin-film device according to claim 1, wherein the thin-film device is a solar cell.

6. A thin-film device comprising:

a semiconductor film formed over a substrate, wherein the semiconductor film contains a metal element at a concentration not higher than 5×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³; and

an n-type semiconductor film formed over the semiconductor film, wherein the n-type semiconductor film contains the metal element.

7. A thin-film device according to claim 6, wherein the semiconductor film comprises a crystalline silicon.

8. A thin-film device according to claim 6, further comprising silicon oxide between the substrate and the semiconductor film.

9. A thin-film device according to claim 6, wherein the metal element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt and platinum.

10. A thin-film device according to claim 6, wherein the thin-film device is a solar cell.

11. A thin-film device comprising:

a semiconductor film formed over a substrate; and

an n-type semiconductor film formed over the semiconductor film, wherein the n-type semiconductor film contains phosphorus and a metal element.

12. A thin-film device according to claim 11, wherein the semiconductor film comprises a crystalline silicon.

13. A thin-film device according to claim 11, further comprising silicon oxide between the substrate and the semiconductor film.

14. A thin-film device according to claim 11, wherein the metal element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt and platinum.

15. A thin-film device according to claim 11, wherein the thin-film device is a solar cell.

16. A thin-film device comprising:

a semiconductor film formed over a substrate;

an n-type semiconductor film formed over the semiconductor film, wherein the n-type semiconductor film contains a metal element; and

a transparent electrode formed over the n-type semiconductor film.

17. A thin-film device according to claim 16, wherein the semiconductor film comprises a crystalline silicon.

18. A thin-film device according to claim 16, further comprising silicon oxide between the substrate and the semiconductor film.

19. A thin-film device according to claim 16, wherein the metal element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt and platinum.

20. A thin-film device according to claim 16, wherein the transparent electrode comprises indium tin oxide.

21. A thin-film device according to claim 16, wherein the thin-film device is a solar cell.

22. A thin-film device comprising:

a semiconductor film formed over a substrate, wherein the semiconductor film contains a metal element at a concentration not higher than 5×

10¹⁸ atoms/cm³;

an n-type semiconductor film formed over the semiconductor film, wherein the n-type semiconductor film contains the metal element; and

a transparent electrode formed over the n-type semiconductor film.

23. A thin-film device according to claim 22, wherein the semiconductor film comprises a crystalline silicon.

24. A thin-film device according to claim 22, further comprising silicon oxide between the substrate and the semiconductor film.

25. A thin-film device according to claim 22, wherein the metal element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt and platinum.

26. A thin-film device according to claim 22, wherein the transparent electrode comprises indium tin oxide.

27. A thin-film device according to claim 22, wherein the thin-film device is a solar cell.

28. A thin-film device comprising:

a semiconductor film formed over a substrate;

an n-type semiconductor film formed over the semiconductor film, wherein the n-type semiconductor film contains phosphorus and a metal element; and

a transparent electrode formed over the n-type semiconductor film.

29. A thin-film device according to claim 28, wherein the semiconductor film comprises a crystalline silicon.

30. A thin-film device according to claim 28, further comprising silicon oxide between the substrate and the semiconductor film.

31. A thin-film device according to claim 28, wherein the metal element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt and platinum.

32. A thin-film device according to claim 28, wherein the transparent electrode comprises indium tin oxide.

33. A thin-film device according to claim 28, wherein the thin-film device is a solar cell.