IP Library Granted Patent US 12,278,298
Granted Patent B2
US 12,278,298 · App. 14/478,935 · Granted Apr 15, 2025

Solar cell

Inventors: Jeongkyu Kim (Seoul, KR); Sunghyun Hwang (Seoul, KR); Daeyong Lee (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: Trina Solar Co., Ltd.
H01L31/03529H01L31/068Y02E10/547
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,278,298
App. No.
14/478,935
Granted
Apr 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Discussed is a solar cell including a semiconductor substrate comprising a base region, an emitter region having a conductive type opposite to that of the base region, and a back surface field region having the same conductive type as the base region and a higher doping concentration than the base region, and a first electrode and a second electrode respectively connected to the emitter region and the back surface field region, wherein the base region has a specific resistance of 0.3 Ωcm to 2.5 Ωcm.

Claims (57)

1. A solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a base region of an n-type;

an emitter region having a p-type, the emitter region being formed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of back surface field regions having the n-type and a doping concentration higher than the base region, the plurality of back surface field regions being locally formed on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and separated from each other so that the base region is located between the plurality of back surface field regions from the back surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a first passivation layer formed on the emitter region;

a plurality of first electrodes connected to the emitter by penetrating through the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer and a capping film formed in sequence on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a plurality of second electrodes connected to the plurality of back surface field regions, respectively, by penetrating through the second passivation layer,

wherein the base region has a specific resistance of 0.76 Ωcm or more and less than 1.05 Ωcm,

wherein the plurality of the back surface field regions have a sheet resistance of 5 Ω/sq to 90 Ω/sq,

wherein a ratio of a total area of the plurality of back surface field regions to a total area of the semiconductor substrate is 1:10 to 29:100 or 39:100 to less than 1:2,

wherein the plurality of back surface field regions have a doping concentration of 3×10 15 /cm 3 to 15×10 15 /cm 3 ,

wherein the plurality of second electrodes includes a plurality of finger electrodes extending in a first direction and least one bus bar electrode extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and connecting the plurality of finger electrodes, and the plurality of finger electrodes are arranged in a stripe shape, and the plurality of back surface field regions are also arranged in a stripe shape,

wherein a width of at least one of the plurality of the back surface field regions is 200 μm to 1,000 μm and a width of at least one of the plurality of second electrodes is 30 μm to 300 μm,

wherein the solar cell has a bi-facial structure that receives light to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate through the second passivation layer and receives light to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate through the first passivation layer,

wherein a separation distance between two adjacent back surface field regions of the plurality of back surface field regions formed spaced apart locally is greater than the width of the at least one of the plurality of back surface field regions, and

wherein the plurality of finger electrodes pass through the second passivation layer, and the plurality of back surface field regions have only a region formed corresponding to the plurality of finger electrodes, and

wherein the capping film is adapted to prevent a material for forming the plurality of second electrodes from diffusing into the second passivation layer in a process of forming the plurality of second electrodes, the capping film includes aluminium oxide, and the second passivation layer includes a silicon nitride film, and the capping film is the outermost film on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

2. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes are formed in a predetermined pattern on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and the plurality of second electrodes are formed in a predetermined pattern on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

3. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the second passivation layer is in direct contact with the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, the silicon nitride film having a fixed positive charge based on the plurality of back surface field regions having the n-type.

4. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of back surface field regions have an n-type dopant.

5. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the width of the at least one of the plurality of the back surface field regions is greater than a width of the plurality of second electrodes.

6. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the width of the plurality of second electrodes is 30 μm to 300 μm.

7. A solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a base region of an n-type;

an emitter region having a p-type, the emitter region being formed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of back surface field regions having the n-type and a doping concentration higher than the base region, the plurality of back surface field regions being locally formed on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and separated from each other so that the base region is located between the plurality of back surface field regions from the back surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a first passivation layer formed on the emitter region;

a plurality of first electrodes connected to the emitter by penetrating through the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer and a capping film formed in sequence on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a plurality of second electrodes connected to the plurality of back surface field regions, respectively, by penetrating through the second passivation layer,

wherein the base region has a specific resistance of 0.3 Ωcm or more and less than 2.5 Ωcm,

wherein a ratio of a total area of the plurality of back surface field regions to a total area of the semiconductor substrate is 1:10 to 1:2,

wherein the plurality of second electrodes includes a plurality of finger electrodes extending in a first direction and least one bus bar electrode extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and connecting the plurality of finger electrodes,

wherein the solar cell has a bi-facial structure that receives light to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate through the second passivation layer and receives light to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate through the first passivation layer,

wherein the capping film is adapted to prevent a material for forming the plurality of second electrodes from diffusing into the second passivation layer in a process of forming the plurality of second electrodes, the capping film includes aluminium oxide, and the second passivation layer includes a silicon nitride film, and the capping film is the outermost film on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

8. The solar cell of claim 7 , wherein the second passivation layer is in direct contact with the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, the silicon nitride film having a fixed positive charge based on the plurality of back surface field regions having the n-type.

9. The solar cell of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of finger electrodes pass through the second passivation layer, and the plurality of back surface field regions have only a region formed corresponding to the plurality of finger electrodes.

10. The solar cell of claim 7 , wherein the ratio of the total area of the plurality of back surface field regions to the total area of the semiconductor substrate is in a range equal to or greater than 1:10 and less than 1:2.

11. A solar cell comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a base region of an n-type;

an emitter region having a p-type, the emitter region being formed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a plurality of back surface field regions having the n-type and a doping concentration higher than the base region, the plurality of back surface field regions being locally formed on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and separated from each other so that the base region is located between the plurality of back surface field regions from the back surface of the semiconductor substrate;

a first passivation layer formed on the emitter region;

a plurality of first electrodes connected to the emitter by penetrating through the first passivation layer;

a second passivation layer and a capping film formed in sequence on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a plurality of second electrodes connected to the plurality of back surface field regions, respectively, by penetrating through the second passivation layer,

wherein the base region has a specific resistance of 0.76 Ωcm or more and less than 1.05 Ωcm,

wherein the plurality of the back surface field regions have a sheet resistance of 5 Ω/sq to 90 Ω/sq,

wherein a ratio of a total area of the plurality of back surface field regions to a total area of the semiconductor substrate is 1:10 to 29:100 or 39:100 to less than 1:2,

wherein the plurality of back surface field regions have a doping concentration of 3×10 15 /cm 3 to 15×10 15 /cm 3 ,

wherein the plurality of second electrodes includes a plurality of finger electrodes extending in a first direction and least one bus bar electrode extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and connecting the plurality of finger electrodes, and the plurality of finger electrodes are arranged in a stripe shape, and the plurality of back surface field regions are also arranged in a stripe shape,

wherein a width of at least one of the plurality of the back surface field regions is 200 μm to 1,000 μm and a width of at least one of the plurality of second electrodes is 30 μm to 300 μm,

wherein the solar cell has a bi-facial structure that receives light to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate through the second passivation layer and receives light to the front surface of the semiconductor substrate through the first passivation layer,

wherein a separation distance between two adjacent back surface field regions of the plurality of back surface field regions formed spaced apart locally is greater than the width of the at least one of the plurality of back surface field regions, and

wherein the plurality of finger electrodes pass through the second passivation layer, and the plurality of back surface field regions have only a region formed corresponding to the plurality of finger electrodes, and

wherein the capping film is adapted to prevent a material for forming the plurality of second electrodes from diffusing into the second passivation layer in a process of forming the plurality of second electrodes, the capping film includes aluminium oxide, and the capping film is the outmost film on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

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 Jun 15, 2022
From: KIM, JEONGKYU; HWANG, SUNGHYUN; LEE, DAEYONG
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 060210/0664 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2013-0115450 · Sep 27, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150090323A1 · Apr 2, 2015
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