Method to make electrical contact to a bonded face of a photovoltaic cell
First Claim
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1. A method for forming a photovoltaic assembly, the method comprising:
- bonding a first surface of a semiconductor donor body to a receiver element, with zero, one, or more layers intervening;
cleaving a semiconductor lamina from the donor body at a cleave plane, wherein the first surface of the donor body is the first surface of the lamina and remains bonded to the receiver element, and wherein a second surface is created by cleaving, the second surface opposite the first;
after the cleaving step, forming first conductive fingers and second conductive fingers, wherein the lamina is between the first fingers and the receiver element, and between the second fingers and the receiver element; and
forming a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic assembly comprises the lamina, the receiver element, and the photovoltaic cell,wherein, during normal operation of the cell, photocurrent flows from the first fingers to the second fingers or from the second fingers to the first fingers, crossing both the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor lamina.
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Abstract
A photovoltaic cell is formed by bonding a donor body to a receiver element and cleaving a thin lamina from the donor body. Electrical contact is made to the bonded surface of the lamina through vias formed in the lamina. In some embodiments the emitter exists only at the bonded surface or only at the cleaved surface face; the emitter does not wrap through the vias between the surfaces. Wiring contacting each of the two surfaces is formed only at the cleaved face, and one set of wiring contacts the bonded surface through conductive material formed in the vias, insulated from the via sidewalls.
7 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for forming a photovoltaic assembly, the method comprising:
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bonding a first surface of a semiconductor donor body to a receiver element, with zero, one, or more layers intervening; cleaving a semiconductor lamina from the donor body at a cleave plane, wherein the first surface of the donor body is the first surface of the lamina and remains bonded to the receiver element, and wherein a second surface is created by cleaving, the second surface opposite the first; after the cleaving step, forming first conductive fingers and second conductive fingers, wherein the lamina is between the first fingers and the receiver element, and between the second fingers and the receiver element; and forming a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic assembly comprises the lamina, the receiver element, and the photovoltaic cell, wherein, during normal operation of the cell, photocurrent flows from the first fingers to the second fingers or from the second fingers to the first fingers, crossing both the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor lamina. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for forming a photovoltaic assembly, the method comprising:
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bonding a first surface of a semiconductor donor body to a receiver element, with zero, one, or more layers intervening; cleaving a semiconductor lamina from the donor body at a cleave plane, wherein the first surface of the donor body is the first surface of the lamina and remains bonded to the receiver element, and wherein a second surface is created by cleaving, the second surface opposite the first; after the cleaving step, forming vias through the lamina; forming first conductive fingers, the lamina between the first conductive fingers and the receiver element, wherein the first conductive fingers are in electrical contact with the first surface by way of conductive material in the vias; and forming a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises the lamina. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for forming a photovoltaic assembly, the method comprising:
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bonding a first surface of a semiconductor donor body to a receiver element, with zero, one, or more layers intervening; cleaving a semiconductor lamina from the donor body at a cleave plane, wherein the first surface of the donor body is the first surface of the lamina and remains bonded to the receiver element, and wherein a second surface is created by cleaving, the second surface opposite the first; after the cleaving step, forming vias through the lamina, the vias having sidewalls; forming a conductive material in the vias, the conductive material electrically insulated from the via sidewalls; forming first conductive fingers, the lamina between the first conductive fingers and the receiver element; and fabricating a photovoltaic cell, wherein, during normal operation of the completed photovoltaic cell, photocurrent flows from the first fingers to the first surface, or from the first surface to the first fingers, by way of the conductive material in the vias. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification