IP Library Granted Patent US 9,608,133
Granted Patent B2
US 9,608,133 · App. 13/182,203 · Granted Mar 28, 2017

Solar cell

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,608,133
App. No.
13/182,203
Granted
Mar 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solar cell includes a substrate of a first conductive type, an emitter layer, of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type, positioned at one surface of the substrate, a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter layer, a first protective layer positioned on a front surface of the emitter layer where the first electrode is not positioned, a back surface field layer positioned at another surface of the substrate, a second electrode electrically connected to the back surface field layer, and a second protective layer positioned on a back surface of the substrate where the second electrode is not positioned. Each of the first and second protective layers is formed of a material having fixed charges of the first conductive type.

Claims (35)

1. A bifacial solar cell comprising:

a substrate of an n-type;

an emitter layer positioned on a front surface of the substrate, the emitter layer being a p-type and formed on an entire surface of the front surface;

a plurality of first electrodes partially positioned on the emitter layer and electrically connected to the emitter layer, the plurality of first electrodes extending parallel to one another in a first direction;

a first protective layer positioned on a front surface of the emitter layer;

a first anti-reflection layer positioned on a front surface of the first protective layer;

a plurality of back surface field layers partially positioned on a back surface of the substrate;

a plurality of second electrodes partially positioned on the plurality of back surface field layers and electrically connected to the plurality of back surface field layers, the plurality of second electrodes extending parallel to one another in the first direction; and

a second protective layer positioned on the back surface of the substrate,

wherein the first protective layer and the second protective layer are formed of a material having negative fixed charges of the same conductive type as the n-type configured to generate a field effect passivation characteristic, and the first anti-reflection layer is formed of a material having positive fixed charges of the same conductive type as the p-type,

wherein the plurality of back surface field layers and the plurality of second electrodes are partially positioned on the back surface of the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of back surface field layers directly contacts one of the plurality of second electrodes, and light is incident on the front surface and back surface of the substrate,

wherein a distance is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of back surface field layers and between adjacent ones of the plurality of second electrodes,

wherein the first protective layer contains yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ),

wherein the first anti-reflection layer contains silicon nitride (SiN X ), and

wherein a silicon oxide layer having a thickness of about 1 nm to 3 nm is formed at an interface between the first protective layer and the emitter layer.

2. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , further comprising a second anti-reflection layer on the second protective layer, wherein the second protective layer contains yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ).

3. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the first protective layer and the second protective layer respectively have a refractive index of about 1.55 to 1.7 and a thickness of about 5 nm to 30 nm.

4. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein a width of each of the back surface field layers is equal to or less than a width of each second electrode.

5. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein a width of each of the back surface field layers is greater than a width of each second electrode.

6. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the second anti-reflection layer is formed of silicon nitride (SiN X ).

7. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the first anti-reflection layer and the second anti-reflection layer have a refractive index of about 1.9 to 2.3 and a thickness of about 50 nm to 100 nm.

8. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes are formed of a first conductive paste including a glass frit and a mixture (Ag:Al) of silver (Ag) and aluminum (Al), and the plurality of second electrodes are formed of a second conductive paste including a glass frit and silver (Ag), and

wherein each of the plurality of second electrodes protrudes through a hole in the second protective layer.

9. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes have the same structure.

10. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed of phosphorus (P)-doped n-type silicon wafer.

11. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the emitter layer includes a first doped region, which is lightly doped with impurities of the p-type, and a second doped region, which is more heavily doped than the first doped region with impurities of the p-type.

12. The bifacial solar cell of claim 11 , wherein the second doped region is formed at the same location of the substrate as the plurality of first electrodes.

13. The bifacial solar cell of claim 12 , wherein a width of the second doped region is equal to or less than a width of each first electrode.

14. The bifacial solar cell of claim 12 , wherein a width of the second doped region is greater than a width of each first electrode.

15. The bifacial solar cell of claim 12 , wherein the first doped region has a surface resistivity of about 80 Ω/sq to 200 Ω/sq.

16. The bifacial solar cell of claim 12 , wherein the second doped region has a surface resistivity of about 30 Ω/sq to 80 Ω/sq.

17. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the second protective layer and the plurality of back surface field layers are not overlapping each other.

18. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , wherein lower surfaces of the plurality of first electrodes entirely and directly contact the emitter layer.

19. The bifacial solar cell of claim 1 , wherein lower surfaces of the plurality of second electrodes entirely and directly contact the plurality of back surface field layers.

20. The bifacial solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the second protective layer contacts the back surface of the substrate in an area between adjacent back surface field layers.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2024
From: SHANGRAO XINYUAN YUEDONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
To: TRINA SOLAR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066802/0483 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 19, 2023
From: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
To: SHANGRAO XINYUAN YUEDONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD
Reel/Frame 066078/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
To: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 061572/0487 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2011
From: PARK, CHANGSEO; JIN, YOONSIL; CHOE, YOUNGHO
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 026631/0219 →