TEMPLATE FOR PYRAMIDAL THREE-DIMENSIONAL THIN-FILM SOLAR CELL MANUFACTURING AND METHODS OF USE
A template 120 for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation for use in pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cells. The template 120 comprises a substrate which comprises a plurality of pyramid trenches 122 between a plurality of posts 123 . The template 120 forms an environment for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation.
1 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation, comprising:
a template substrate, said template substrate comprising:
a plurality of posts; and
a plurality of pyramid trenches between said plurality of posts,
wherein said template forms an environment for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation.
2 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said template forms an environment for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation through a plurality of iterations of pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation without a need for substantial reconditioning of said template prior to each iteration.
3 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said template substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.
4 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 3 , wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate.
5 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pyramid trenches comprises a plurality of polygon-pyramid trenches.
6 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of polygon-pyramid trenches comprises a plurality of hexagonal-pyramid trenches.
7 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of polygon-pyramid trenches comprises a plurality of square-pyramid trenches.
8 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of polygon-pyramid trenches comprises a plurality of triangular-pyramid trenches.
9 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pyramid trenches comprises a plurality of orthogonal V-groove pyramid trenches.
10 . A template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pyramid trenches between said plurality of posts further comprises a plurality of channels to provide etchant access.
11 . A method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation, the method comprising:
selectively removing semiconductor material from a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of pyramid trenches,
wherein said template forms an environment for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation.
12 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 11 , wherein said step of selectively removing semiconductor material from a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of pyramid trenches comprises laser micromachining to produce a design on said semiconductor substrate.
13 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 12 , wherein said design comprises a hexagonal-pyramid design.
14 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 12 , wherein said design comprises a square-pyramid design.
15 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 12 , wherein said design comprises a triangular-pyramid design.
16 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 12 , wherein said design comprises an orthogonal V-groove pyramid design.
17 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 11 , wherein said step of selectively removing semiconductor material from a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of pyramid trenches comprises:
lithography patterning to produce a design on said semiconductor substrate; and
transferring said design onto said semiconductor substrate using an etching process.
18 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said etching process comprises a deep reactive-ion etching process.
19 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said design comprises a hexagonal-pyramid design.
20 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said design comprises a square-pyramid design.
21 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said design comprises a triangular-pyramid design.
22 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said design comprises an orthogonal V-groove pyramid design.
23 . The method for fabrication of a template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 11 , wherein said step of selectively removing semiconductor material from a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of pyramid trenches further comprises selectively removing semiconductor material to form channels in said plurality of pyramid trenches to provide etchant access.
24 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said template substrate can be reused to fabricate a plurality of pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrates.
25 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said template is a reusable template used for fabrication of a plurality of three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrates.
26 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 25 , wherein said template is reconditioned after a pre-specified number of reuse iterations in order to extend its ultimate iteration cycles.
27 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of posts comprises a honeycomb-shaped post pattern.
28 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of tapered posts.
29 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of channels to provide etchant access are formed through the template backside.
30 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of channels to provide etchant access are formed through the template frontside.
31 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of channels to provide etchant access are through-wafer channels.
32 . The template for pyramidal three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 10 , wherein at least a subset of said channels in said template substrate to provide etchant access directly connect to at least a subset of said plurality of trenches.