Solar cell and method for manufacturing the same

• US 9,064,999 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shangrao Xinyuan Yuedong Technology Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Wonseok, Ji, Kwangsun, Lee, Heonmin, Syn, Hojung, Choi, Junghoon, Yang, Hyunjin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chern, Christina
• Application Number:
  US12/876,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20110056550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 136243-265
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02167 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02168 the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties for the solar cells
• 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 31/02366 of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0288 characterised by the doping material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03529 Shape of the potential jump barrier or surface barrier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0368 including polycrystalline semiconductors H01L31/0392 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0376 including amorphous semiconductors H01L31/0392 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/068 the potential barriers being only of the PN homojunction type, e.g. bulk silicon PN homojunction solar cells or thin film polycrystalline silicon PN homojunction solar cells
• 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 31/0747 comprising a heterojunction of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1804 comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/547 Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Abstract

A solar cell and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The solar cell includes a substrate that contains first impurities of a first conductive type and is formed of a crystalline semiconductor, a first field region that is positioned on an incident surface of the substrate and contains second impurities of a second conductive type, an emitter region that contains third impurities of a third conductive type, is formed of a non-crystalline semiconductor, and is positioned on a non-incident surface of the substrate opposite the incident surface of the substrate, a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter region, and a second electrode electrically connected to the substrate.

Claims

1. A solar cell, comprising:

a substrate that contains first impurities of a first conductive type, and is formed of a crystalline semiconductor;

a first passivation layer directly positioned on an incident surface of the substrate;

a first field region that is directly positioned on the first passivation layer, and contains second impurities of the first conductive type, the first field region being formed of amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon oxide, or amorphous silicon carbide;

an anti-reflection layer directly positioned on the first field region;

an emitter region that contains third impurities of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type, is formed of a non-crystalline semiconductor, and is positioned on a non-incident surface of the substrate opposite the incident surface of the substrate;

a second passivation layer positioned on the non-incident surface of the substrate;

a second field region that is positioned at the non-incident surface of the substrate to be separated from the emitter region, wherein the second field region has the same conductive type as the first field region;

a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter region; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second field region,

wherein a concentration of the second impurities contained in the first field region is 1×

10¹⁶ atoms/cm³ to 1×

10²¹ atoms/cm³,

the second passivation layer comprises first back passivation layers positioned between the substrate and the emitter region and between the substrate and the second field region, and a second back passivation layer exclusively and entirely positioned on the back surface of the substrate between the emitter region and the second field region,

the first back passivation layers are formed of amorphous silicon, and

the second back passivation layer is formed of at least one of silicon oxide (SiOx) and silicon nitride (SiNx).

2. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the second impurities contained in the first field region is higher than a concentration of the first impurities contained in the substrate.

3. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first field region has a thickness of 1 nm to 20 nm.

4. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first passivation layer has a thickness of 2 nm to 20 nm.

5. The solar cell of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the second impurities contained in the first field region is decreased towards the first passivation layer.