SOLAR CELL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

1 . A solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a passivation film disposed on a side of the semiconductor substrate;

a protective layer disposed on a side of the passivation film opposite the semiconductor substrate; and

an electrode disposed on a side of the protective layer opposite the passivation film,

wherein the electrode comprises a product of a conductive paste comprising glass frit and a conductive material, and

wherein the protective layer comprises a material having an absolute value of a Gibb's free energy which is less than an absolute value of a Gibb's free energy of each component of the glass frit.

2 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer comprises copper, palladium, iridium, an alloy thereof, or an oxide thereof, or a combination thereof.

3 . The solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the alloy comprises a copper-aluminum alloy, a palladium-aluminum alloy, or an iridium-aluminum alloy, or a combination thereof.

4 . The solar cell of claim 3 , wherein the alloy comprises about 0.1 to about 20 atomic percent aluminum, based on 100 atomic percent of the alloy.

5 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the glass frit comprises PbO, ZnO, SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , Bi 2 O 3 , BaO, Na 2 O, or a combination thereof.

6 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the passivation film comprises aluminum oxide.

7 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the passivation film and the protective layer comprise a through hole, and the electrode contacts the semiconductor substrate through the through hole of the passivation film and the protective layer.

8 . The solar cell of claim 7 , wherein the electrode contacts the passivation film only via the through hole of the passivation film and the protective layer.

9 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer has a thickness of about 5 to about 500 nanometers.

10 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising:

forming a passivation film on a side of a semiconductor substrate;

forming a protective layer on a side of the passivation film opposite the semiconductor substrate;

forming a through hole in the protective layer and the passivation film; and

forming an electrode which contacts the semiconductor substrate through the through hole of the protective layer and the passivation film,

wherein the electrode comprises a product of a conductive paste comprising a glass frit and a conductive material, and

the protective layer comprises a material having an absolute value of a Gibb's free energy less than an absolute value of a Gibb's free energy of each component of the glass frit.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the protective layer comprises copper, palladium, iridium, an alloy thereof, or an oxide thereof, or a combination thereof.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the alloy comprises a copper-aluminum alloy, a palladium-aluminum alloy, or an iridium-aluminum alloy, or a combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the glass frit comprises PbO, ZnO, SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , Bi 2 O 3 , BaO, Na 2 O, or a combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the forming of the through hole in the protective layer and the passivation film is carried out by laser ablation with a laser having a wavelength of about 300 to about 600 nanometers.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the forming of the electrode comprises:

screen printing the conductive paste, and

heat-treating the conductive paste.