IP Library Granted Patent US 7,029,943
Granted Patent B2
US 7,029,943 · App. 10/380,150 · Granted Apr 18, 2006

Photovoltaic component and module

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,029,943
App. No.
10/380,150
Granted
Apr 18, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A photovoltaic component with at least one silicon wafer that has a certain basic doping, a light-receiving side, and electric bonding side opposite the light-receiving side, and at least one interdigital semiconductor structure arranged on the electric bonding side with at least one n-type semiconductor part-structure and at least one p-type semiconductor part-structure arranged at a certain interval to the n-type semiconductor part-structure. One of the semiconductor part-structures and the silicon wafer thus forms a p-n junction. The silicon wafer may be a tri-crystalline wafer.

Claims (12)

1. A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic component, wherein said method comprises providing a silicon wafer having a predetermined basic doping, a light-receiving side and an electric bonding side opposite to the light-receiving side and wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

(a) producing a doped layer on the electric bonding side of the silicon wafer only, wherein the doping of the doped layer differs from the predetermined basic doping of the silicon wafer to get a p-n junction in the silicon wafer;

(b) applying on the doped layer an n-type dopant for producing an n-type semiconductor part-structure and a p-type dopant for producing a p-type semiconductor part-structure of an interdigital semiconductor structure, and allowing the dopants to diffuse into the doped layer, thereby forming the semiconductor part-structures; and

(c) separating the semiconductor part-structures by removing the doped layer in the intervals between the semiconductor part-structures.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon wafer is a tri-crystalline silicon wafer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises applying on the doped layer a metal paste containing an n-type dopant and a metal paste containing a p-type dopant on the doped layer, and burning-in the dopants to form the semiconductor part-structures.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for the basic doping of the silicon wafer p-doping is used and for producing the doped layer phosphorus is used as the dopant.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a liquid phosphorous-containing solution is applied on the silicon wafer to obtain a composite that is heated.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising applying a passivation layer on the light-receiving side and/or on the electric bonding side of the silicon wafer.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein applying the passivation layer includes applying a layer of silicon dioxide or of silicon nitride.

8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising applying at least one encapsulation layer on the passivation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises at least one transparent material.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the said applying the passivation layer on the electric bonding side of the silicon wafer is performed after step (c).

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 28, 2007
From: SHELL SOLAR GMBH
To: SOLARWORLD INDUSTRIES DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 020166/0186 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2007
From: KRUHLER, WOLFGANG
To: SHELL SOLAR GMBH
Reel/Frame 018909/0096 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2005
From: KRUHLER, WOLFGANG
To: SHELL SOLAR GMBH
Reel/Frame 015543/0984 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2003
From: KRUHLER, WOLFGANG
To: SHELL SOLAR GMBH
Reel/Frame 014319/0090 →