TEMPLATE FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL THIN-FILM SOLAR CELL MANUFACTURING AND METHODS OF USE
A template 100 for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation for use in three-dimensional thin-film solar cells. The template 100 comprises a substrate which comprises a plurality of posts 102 and a plurality of trenches 104 between said plurality of posts 102 . The template 100 forms an environment for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation.
1 . A template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation, comprising:
a template substrate, said template substrate comprising:
a plurality of posts; and
a plurality of trenches between said plurality of posts,
wherein said template forms an environment for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation.
2 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said template forms an environment for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation through a plurality of iterations of three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation without a need for substantial reconditioning of said template prior to each iteration.
3 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said template substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.
4 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 3 , wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate.
5 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of prism-shaped posts.
6 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of prism-shaped posts comprises a plurality of hexagonal-prism posts.
7 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of prism-shaped posts comprises a plurality of polygon-prism posts.
8 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of tapered posts.
9 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of near-vertical posts.
10 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of trenches between said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of within-wafer trenches.
11 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of trenches between said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of through-wafer trenches.
12 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of trenches between said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of wider trenches on top of narrower and deeper trenches.
13 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of trenches between said plurality of posts further comprises a plurality of channels to provide etchant access.
14 . A method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation, the method comprising:
removing semiconductor material from select regions of a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of trenches,
wherein said template forms an environment for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation.
15 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 14 , wherein said step of removing semiconductor material from select regions of a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of trenches comprises:
lithography patterning to produce a design on said semiconductor substrate; and
transferring said design onto said semiconductor substrate using an etching process.
16 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 15 , wherein said etching process comprises a deep reactive-ion etching process.
17 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 15 , wherein said design comprises a prism-shaped design.
18 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said prism-shaped design comprises a hexagonal-prism design.
19 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 17 , wherein said prism-shaped design comprises a polygon-prism design.
20 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 14 , wherein said step of removing semiconductor material from select regions of a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of trenches comprises laser micromachining to produce a design on said semiconductor substrate.
21 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 20 , wherein said design comprises a prism-shaped design.
22 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 21 , wherein said prism-shaped design comprises a hexagonal-prism design.
23 . The method for fabrication of a template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 21 , wherein said prism-shaped design comprises a polygon-prism design.
24 . The method for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 14 , wherein said step of removing semiconductor material from select regions of a semiconductor substrate to form a plurality of posts and a plurality of trenches further comprises removing semiconductor material from select regions of said semiconductor substrate to form channels in said semiconductor substrate to provide etchant access.
25 . The template for 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 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 three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of trenches comprises a honeycomb-shaped trench pattern.
28 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of vertical posts.
29 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of trenches between said plurality of posts comprises a plurality of wider tapered trenches stacked on narrower tapered trenches.
30 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of channels to provide etchant access are formed through the template backside.
31 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of channels to provide etchant access are formed through the template frontside.
32 . The template for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of channels to provide etchant access are through-wafer channels.
33 . The method for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 24 , wherein at least a subset of said channels in said semiconductor substrate to provide etchant access directly connect to at least a subset of said plurality of trenches.
34 . The method for three-dimensional thin-film solar cell substrate formation of claim 24 , wherein said channels in said semiconductor substrate to provide etchant access do not connect directly to said plurality of trenches.