IP Library Patent Application 12781240
Patent Application
App. No. 12/781,240

SOLAR CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/781,240
Abstract

Disclosed is a solar cell including; a semiconductor substrate including a p-type layer and an n-type layer, a dielectric layer disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the dielectric layer includes a plurality of penetrating parts, a first electrode electrically connected to the p-type layer of the semiconductor substrate, and a second electrode electrically connected to the n-type layer of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first electrode includes; a fusion part which comprises a melt blend of a semiconductor material and a metal material and which is disposed within the plurality of penetrating parts of the dielectric layer, and a metal part which includes a metal material and is disposed on a surface of one side of the dielectric layer.

Claims (39)

1 . A solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor substrate comprising a p-type layer and an n-type layer;

a dielectric layer disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the dielectric layer includes a plurality of penetrating parts;

a first electrode electrically connected to the p-type layer of the semiconductor substrate; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the n-type layer of the semiconductor substrate,

wherein the first electrode comprises:

a fusion part which comprises a melt blend of a semiconductor material and a metal material and which is disposed within the plurality of penetrating parts of the dielectric layer; and

a metal part which comprises a metal material and is disposed on a surface of the dielectric layer.

2 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal part is entirely made of a metal material in regions other than where it contacts the fusion part.

3 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein an amount of metal in a side of the fusion part adjacent to the semiconductor substrate is different from an amount of metal in a side of the fusion part adjacent to the metal part.

4 . The solar cell of claim 3 , wherein the amount of metal in the fusion part adjacent to the semiconductor substrate ranges from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.1 wt % based on a total amount of the semiconductor material and the metal material in the fusion part adjacent to the semiconductor, and the amount of metal in the fusion part adjacent to the metal part ranges from about 1 wt % to about 13 wt % based on a total amount of the semiconductor material and the metal material in the fusion part adjacent to the metal part.

5 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the melt blend of the semiconductor material and the metal material is an alloy of the semiconductor material and the metal material.

6 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material includes at least one of silicon and germanium, and the metal material includes at least one of aluminum, copper and silver.

7 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a p-type layer and an n-type layer;

providing a dielectric layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate;

patterning the dielectric layer;

providing a semiconductor particle layer comprising semiconductor particles on the semiconductor substrate between portions of the patterned dielectric layer;

providing a first electrode electrically connected to the p-type layer of the semiconductor substrate on the dielectric layer; and

providing a second electrode electrically connected to the n-type layer of the semiconductor substrate on a surface of the semiconductor substrate which opposes the surface where the dielectric layer is provided.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing of the semiconductor particle layer is performed by at least one of aerosol jet printing, screen printing, offset printing and gravure printing.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a semiconductor material included in the semiconductor particle layer comprises substantially a same material as a semiconductor material included in the semiconductor substrate.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor particles included in the semiconductor particle layer have a diameter of about 0.1 μm to about 30 μm.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor particle layer has a thickness of about 1 μm to about 40 μm.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the providing of the first electrode comprises:

providing a conductive paste comprising a metal material; and

baking the conductive paste,

wherein a semiconductor material included in the semiconductor particle layer is alloyed with a metal material included in the conductive paste while baking the conductive paste.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the metal material included in the conductive paste is alloyed with the semiconductor material included in the semiconductor particle layer and a semiconductor material included in the semiconductor substrate while baking the conductive paste.

14 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor particle layer further comprises metal particles.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the semiconductor particle layer comprises the metal particles at about 5 wt % to about 50 wt % based on a total amount of the semiconductor particles and the metal particles in the semiconductor particle layer.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal particles included in the semiconductor particle layer have a diameter of about 1 nm to about 10 μm.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal particles and the semiconductor particles are included in the semiconductor particle layer in the form of a paste.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing of the semiconductor particle layer is performed by at least one of aerosol jet printing, screen printing, offset printing and gravure printing.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing of the first electrode comprises:

providing a conductive paste including a metal material; and

baking the conductive paste,

wherein a semiconductor material included in the semiconductor particle layer is alloyed with the metal material included in the semiconductor particle layer and the metal material included in the conductive paste while baking the conductive paste.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the semiconductor material included in the semiconductor particle layer and the semiconductor material included in the semiconductor substrate are alloyed with the metal material included in the semiconductor particle layer and the metal material included in the conductive paste while baking the conductive paste.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2012
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS, CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 028999/0398 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2011
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 026627/0129 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2010
From: SUH, DONG-CHUL
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 024394/0446 →