SOLAR CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
First Claim
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1. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:
- preparing a substrate having a plurality of cell areas and a cell isolation area between two adjacent cell areas;
forming a first conductive layer on the substrate;
forming a semiconductor layer on the first conductive layer;
forming a first mask pattern over the semiconductor layer, wherein the first mask pattern includes at least one first opening corresponding to the cell isolation area;
patterning the semiconductor layer using the first mask pattern to form a preliminary semiconductor pattern, and removing the first conductive layer from the cell isolation area by using the first mask pattern to form bottom electrodes in the cell areas;
etching the first mask pattern to form a second mask pattern having second openings;
patterning the preliminary semiconductor pattern using the second mask pattern to form a semiconductor pattern and to expose the bottom electrodes at locations corresponding to the second openings; and
forming upper electrodes electrically connected with the exposed bottom electrodes on the semiconductor pattern.
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Abstract
In a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the solar cell, when a semiconductor pattern, bottom electrodes and top electrodes are patterned, a first mask pattern having different thicknesses according to location, a second mask pattern formed by etching back the first mask pattern, and a third mask pattern by etching back the second mask pattern are used etch masks. The first mask pattern may be easily manufactured using an imprint method utilizing a mold.
7 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:
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preparing a substrate having a plurality of cell areas and a cell isolation area between two adjacent cell areas; forming a first conductive layer on the substrate; forming a semiconductor layer on the first conductive layer; forming a first mask pattern over the semiconductor layer, wherein the first mask pattern includes at least one first opening corresponding to the cell isolation area; patterning the semiconductor layer using the first mask pattern to form a preliminary semiconductor pattern, and removing the first conductive layer from the cell isolation area by using the first mask pattern to form bottom electrodes in the cell areas; etching the first mask pattern to form a second mask pattern having second openings; patterning the preliminary semiconductor pattern using the second mask pattern to form a semiconductor pattern and to expose the bottom electrodes at locations corresponding to the second openings; and forming upper electrodes electrically connected with the exposed bottom electrodes on the semiconductor pattern. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A solar cell comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of cell areas and a cell isolation area between two adjacent cell areas; a bottom electrode provided on the substrate in each cell area; a semiconductor pattern provided on the bottom electrodes, wherein a space is defined between the bottom electrodes in the cell isolation area between the two adjacent cell areas; and a plurality of top electrodes provided on the semiconductor pattern. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A solar cell comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of cell areas and a cell isolation area between two adjacent cell areas; a bottom electrode provided on the substrate in each cell area; an undercut section formed in the cell isolation area, wherein the undercut section defines a space between the bottom electrodes in the two adjacent cell areas; a semiconductor pattern provided on the bottom electrodes; and a plurality of top electrodes provided on the semiconductor layer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification