SURFACE PASSIVATION OF HIGH-EFFICIENCY CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS
Stable surface passivation on a crystalline silicon substrate is provided by forming a more heavily doped region as a front surface field and/or a doped dielectric layer under a passivation layer on the silicon substrate surface. A passivation layer is deposited on the front surface field and/or doped dielectric layer.
1 . A passivation structure on a surface of a crystalline silicon substrate, comprising:
a doped dielectric layer serving as a surface passivation layer and also as a dopant source forming a doped front surface field with a thickness less than about one micrometer within said surface of said crystalline silicon substrate; and
a plasma-deposited hydrogen-containing silicon nitride layer on said doped dielectric layer.
2 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is amorphous silicon.
3 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is micro-crystalline silicon.
4 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is phosphorus doped.
5 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said crystalline silicon substrate comprises monocrystalline silicon.
6 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said crystalline silicon substrate comprises multi-crystalline silicon.
7 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is doped amorphous silicon oxide.
8 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is doped amorphous silicon carbide.
9 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is doped amorphous silicon oxy-carbide.
10 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said crystalline silicon substrate has n-type doping.
11 . The passivation structure of claim 1 , wherein said doped dielectric layer is fluorine and phosphorus doped.
12 . A crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cell structure, comprising:
a surface passivation structure on a surface of an n-type crystalline silicon substrate;
a doped dielectric layer comprising an n-type dopant on said surface of said crystalline silicon substrate; and
a plasma-deposited hydrogen-containing silicon nitride layer on said doped dielectric layer.