Cell and module processing of semiconductor wafers for back-contacted solar photovoltaic module

1. A method for manufacturing a back-contacted back-junction silicon solar cell module having a front side and a back side, the method comprising a set of module process steps A) to D) which are performed in successive order, the set of module process steps A) to D) comprising the steps of:

A) forming a multiplicity of semi-finished solar cells by repeatedly performing steps i) and ii) from a set of wafer process steps in successive order until the multiplicity is formed, wherein the steps i) and ii) of the set of wafer process steps are:

i) employing a crystalline silicon wafer having a back side and a front side and a layered stratified doped structure at least containing a back-side emitter layer and a base layer below the emitter layer, and where the wafer has a multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions on the back side; and

ii) forming a texturing and depositing at least one surface passivation film on the front side of the wafer;

B) laminating the multiplicity of semi-finished solar cells from module process step A) to a module front substrate, wherein each semi-finished solar cell is laid with their front-side facing the module front substrate in a rectangular tessellated-resembling pattern, and then performing steps iii) to vii) from the set of wafer process steps in successive order on the laminated multiplicity of semi-finished solar cells, wherein the steps iii) to vii) of the set of wafer process steps are:

iii) forming a back side surface passivation layer by depositing a continuous amorphous silicon layer covering the back side, in its entirety, of the wafer;

iv) forming a first insulation layer onto the back side surface passivation layer with linear openings defining electric contact access areas running in parallel and located directly above each of the multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions;

v) forming rectangular metallic electric finger conductors, each of the rectangular metallic electric finger conductors being in parallel with and directly above each of the multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions;

vi) forming a second insulation layer onto each rectangular metallic electric finger conductor with a set of access openings at positions where electric contact with the rectangular metallic electric finger conductor is intended; and

vii) forming a via contact in each access opening in the second insulation layer in electric contact with the rectangular metallic electric finger conductor lying below the access opening, and then

C) forming functional solar cells of the semi-finished solar cells by forming a set of ribbon contacts on top of the second insulation layer with a set of access openings for interconnection of the semi-finished solar cells of the module, and

D) laminating a back-side cover substrate onto the back-side of the module front substrate including the multiplicity of solar cells.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the semi-finished solar cells are laminated onto the module front substrate to form an assembly by depositing all semi-finished solar cells of the solar module in the rectangular tessellated-resembling pattern onto a lamination board, where each semi-finished solar cells is laid with their back-surfaces facing down onto the lamination board, followed by pressing the module front glass which has a less than 1 mm thick layer of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) facing the semi-finished solar cells and heating the assembly to about 175° C. until the EVA is cured.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the continuous amorphous silicon layer is formed by loading the module into an amorphous silicon deposition chamber for deposition of 1-50 nm thick layer of α-Si by chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a continuous layer of SiN x is deposited onto the continuous amorphous silicon layer by chemical vapour deposition.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second insulation layers are made by screen printing a polyimide composition to form a patterned layer of thickness of 1-10 μm having linear contact areas with a width in a range from 50-200 μm running in parallel and aligned above the centre of each P- and N-type region of the multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions and then cured at 180-200° C.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electric contact access areas are cleaned by plasma ashing in O 2 or N 2 O, and a hydrofluoric etching after formation of the first insulation layer.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rectangular metallic electric finger conductors are formed by forming a continuous metallic phase being deposited by plasma vapour deposition (PVD) until the continuous metallic phase on the back-side of the wafer has a thickness be in one of the following ranges; from 200 nm to 20 μm, from 200 nm to 10 μm, from 300 nm to 5 μm, from 300 nm to 2 μm, from 350 nm to 1 μm, or from 350 nm to 800 nm.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the continuous metallic phase is a stack of metal layers chosen among the following: Al/NiCr/Cu, Al/NiCr/SnCu, or AlSi/NiV/SnCu, where the Al or Al-containing alloy is made to be in contact with the amorphous silicon layer.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the stack of metal layers also contains an upper contact layer on a side opposite of an adhesion layer, the upper contact layer being chosen among one of the following; Cu, Sn and Ag containing alloys; a Cu—Sn—Ag containing alloy; a Cu—Sn alloy; Sn; or Au, Ag or Pd.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the rectangular metallic electric finger conductors are made by:

DC magnetron sputtering in a multi-chamber tool a continuous Al-layer as a contact layer, followed by a continuous layer of Ni 0.8 Cr 0.2 , and then a continuous layer of Cu using planar targets and Ar as a sputtering gas, and

patterning the DC magnetron sputtered continuous Al, Ni 0.8 Cr 0.2 and Cu layers by laser ablation forming linear grooves in the Al, Ni 0.8 Cr 0.2 and Cu layers.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second insulation layer is formed by one of:

applying a patterned adhesive or a printable insulating ink onto the rectangular metallic electric finger conductors of the wafer,

depositing an un-patterned continuous second insulation layer, and using a subsequent patterned print of conductive material to selectively etch through, penetrate, melt or dissolve the second insulation layer in selected regions, or

printing via conductor pads directly onto the rectangular metallic electric finger conductors, and then flowing a self-levelling insulator layer around the conductor pads to form the second insulating layer by UV curing.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ribbons formed by applying a suitable length of metal strip or band from a spool, stretch and cut the metal strip or band to size, form a strain relief feature and then place the metal strip or band over the second insulating layer, and then pressing the metal strip or band into a conductive adhesive or solder paste in the set of access openings.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the metal strip has a constant cross-section and is made of solid copper core coated with pure Sn of thickness in a range selected from one of from 10 to 300 μm, from 20 to 200 μm, from 30 to 100 μm, from 30 to 60 μm, or from 35 to 50 μm, and width in one of the following ranges; from 0.1 to 20 mm, from 0.3 to 15 mm, from 0.5 to 10 mm, from 1 to 8 mm, or from 3 to 6 mm, and where

each ribbon is oriented and located such that is parallel and aligned with either an even or an odd numbered row of the rectangular pattern of m·n access points of the semi-finished solar cells, and

is spanning across two solar cells in a same row of the multiplicity of M=k·l semi-finished solar cells of the solar module such that:

ribbons aligned with an odd numbered row of the rectangular pattern of m·n access points of an odd numbered semi-finished solar cell will connect the emitter type regions of this odd number semi-finished solar cell with the base type regions of a next semi-finished solar cell in the row, and

ribbons aligned with an even numbered row of the rectangular pattern of m·n access points of an odd numbered semi-finished solar cell will connect the emitter type regions of this odd numbered semi-finished solar cell with the base type regions of a previous semi-finished solar cell in the row, and

wherein:

if the semi-finished solar cell is the first semi-finished solar cell in the row, the ribbons aligned with even numbered rows do only span across this semi-finished solar cell, or

if the semi-finished solar cell is the last semi-finished solar cell in the row, the ribbons aligned with odd numbered rows do only span across this semi-finished solar cell.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ribbons is formed by applying a suitable length of metal strip or band from a spool, stretch and cut the metal strip or band to size, form a strain relief feature and then place the metal strip or band over the second insulating layer, and then pressing the metal strip or band into a conductive adhesive or solder paste in the set of access opening.

15. The method according claim 2 , wherein the first and second insulation layers are made by screen printing a polyimide composition to form a patterned layer of thickness of 1-10 μm having linear contact areas with a width in a range from 50-200 μm running in parallel and aligned above the centre of each P- and N-type region of the multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions and then cured at 180-200° C.

16. The method according claim 3 , wherein the first and second insulation layers are made by screen printing a polyimide composition to form a patterned layer of thickness of 1-10 μm having linear contact areas with a width in a range from 50-200 μm running in parallel and aligned above the centre of each P- and N-type region of the multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions and then cured at 180-200° C.

17. The method according claim 4 , wherein the first and second insulation layers are made by screen printing a polyimide composition to form a patterned layer of thickness of 1-10 μm having linear contact areas with a width of a range from 50-200 μM running in parallel and aligned above the centre of each P- and N-type region of the multiplicity of alternating rectangular emitter and base regions and then cured at 180-200° C.

18. The method according claim 2 , wherein the electric contact access areas are cleaned by plasma ashing in O 2 or N 2 O, and a hydrofluoric etching after formation of the first insulation layer.

19. The method according claim 3 , wherein the electric contact access areas are cleaned by plasma ashing in O 2 or N 2 O, and a hydrofluoric etching after formation of the first insulation layer.

20. The method according claim 1 , wherein metallization for the entire module is performed after depositing the solar cells on the module front substrate.