Thin silicon solar cell and method of manufacture
View Patent ↗A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate, forming a doped silicon layer atop the sacrificial substrate, forming a silicon film atop the doped silicon layer, forming a plurality of interdigitated contacts on the silicon film, contacting each of the plurality of interdigitated contacts with a metal contact, and removing the sacrificial layer.
1. A method, comprising:
epitaxially depositing a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate;
forming a doped silicon layer on the sacrificial layer;
forming a silicon film on the doped silicon layer;
forming an insulating layer on the silicon film;
forming alternating P-type and N-type doped regions in the silicon film, wherein the alternating P-type and N-type doped regions include at least one P-type doped region and at least one N-type doped region;
contacting the P-type and N-type doped regions with a metal contact; and
removing the sacrificial layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said epitaxially depositing the sacrificial layer includes epitaxially depositing the sacrificial layer that includes a group IV element.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming the doped silicon layer and said forming the silicon film includes epitaxially growing the doped silicon layer and the silicon film.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising texturizing a surface of the sacrificial layer prior to said forming the doped silicon layer.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein forming the doped silicon layer comprises forming a layer of doped silicon conforming to the textured surface of the sacrificial layer.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising texturizing a surface of the silicon substrate prior to said epitaxially depositing the sacrificial layer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said forming the doped silicon layer on the sacrificial layer includes forming a heavily doped silicon layer and a lesser doped silicon layer on the sacrificial layer.
8. A solar cell fabricated according to the method of claim 1 .
9. A method of fabricating a solar cell, comprising:
epitaxially forming a sacrificial layer on a top surface of a silicon substrate;
epitaxially forming a silicon layer atop the sacrificial layer;
forming alternating P-type and N-type doped regions in the epitaxially formed silicon layer;
contacting each of the P-type and N-type doped regions with a metal contact;
bonding a back side of the solar cell to a carrier;
separating the epitaxially formed silicon layer from the silicon substrate; and
debonding the solar cell from the carrier.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming an anti-reflective coating over the epitaxially formed silicon layer.
11. A solar cell fabricated according to the method of claim 9 .