IP Library Granted Patent US 11,251,319
Granted Patent B2
US 11,251,319 · App. 16/196,742 · Granted Feb 15, 2022

Solar cell

Inventors: Yoonsil Jin (Changwon-si, KR); Youngho Choe (Changwon-si, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
H01L31/022433H01L31/03529H01L31/068H01L31/1804Y02E10/547Y02P70/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,251,319
App. No.
16/196,742
Granted
Feb 15, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for fabricating a solar cell, includes forming an emitter layer by doping a first impurity having a second conductivity type, opposite a first conductivity type, on a front surface of a substrate having the first conductivity type; forming a back surface field by doping a second impurity having the first conductivity type on a rear surface of the substrate; and forming a plurality of front finger lines in contact with the emitter layer and a plurality of rear finger lines in contact with the back surface field, wherein the emitter layer has a selective emitter structure, the back surface field has a selective back surface field structure, and the number of the plurality of rear finger lines positioned on the rear surface of the substrate is different from the number of the plurality of front finger lines positioned on a front surface of the substrate.

Claims (31)

1. A method for fabricating a solar cell, the method comprising:

forming an emitter layer by doping a first impurity having a second conductivity type, opposite a first conductivity type, on a front surface and a side surface of a substrate having the first conductivity type;

forming a back surface field by doping a second impurity having the first conductivity type on a rear surface of the substrate;

forming a plurality of front finger lines in contact with the emitter layer and a plurality of rear finger lines in contact with the back surface field;

forming an insulating layer on the back surface field at the rear surface of the substrate,

wherein the emitter layer has a selective emitter structure, the back surface field has a selective back surface field structure, and the number of the plurality of rear finger lines positioned on the rear surface of the substrate is different from the number of the plurality of front finger lines positioned on a front surface of the substrate,

wherein the forming of the back surface field comprises positioning a second mask covering an edge portion of the rear surface of the substrate on the rear surface of the substrate and primarily doping the second impurity with a third doping concentration on the rear surface of the substrate,

wherein the back surface field is separated from edges of the rear surface of the substrate to be prevented from being in contact with the emitter layer positioned on the side surface of the substrate,

wherein the insulating layer directly contacts the emitter layer, the back surface of the substrate, and the back surface field at the rear surface of the substrate,

wherein the emitter layer includes a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions, the plurality of first regions having a higher doping concentration than that of the plurality of second regions, and the back surface field includes a plurality of third regions and a plurality of fourth regions, the plurality of third regions having a higher doping concentration than that of the plurality of fourth regions,

wherein the emitter layer has the selective structure in which the plurality of first regions of the emitter layer are spaced apart from each other by the plurality of second regions, the back surface field has the selective structure in which the plurality of third regions of the back surface field are separated from each other by the plurality of fourth regions, the number of the plurality of third regions is larger than the number of the plurality of first regions, and a second region of the emitter region is formed on the side surface of the substrate among the plurality of second regions,

wherein the insulating layer is formed to extend from a top of a fourth region of the back surface field among the plurality of fourth regions to the edges of the rear surface of the substrate to cover the second region of the emitter layer formed on the side surface of the substrate among the plurality of second regions, and

wherein each third region and each first region do not vertically overlap each other.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of rear finger lines is greater than the number of the plurality of front finger lines.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a ratio of a distance between two adjacent rear finger lines among the plurality of rear finger lines to a distance between two adjacent front finger lines among the plurality of front finger lines is greater than 1 and smaller than 5.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emitter layer and the back surface field are formed through ion implantation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the emitter layer comprises:

primarily doping the first impurity with a first doping concentration on the entirety of the front surface of the substrate;

positioning a first mask including openings corresponding to positions at which the plurality of front finger lines are to be formed, on the substrate; and

secondarily doping the first impurity with a second doping concentration higher than the first doping concentration at the positions the plurality of front finger lines are to be formed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the back surface field further comprises:

positioning a third mask including openings corresponding to positions at which the plurality of rear finger lines are to be formed, on the rear surface of the substrate, and secondarily doping the second impurity with a fourth doping concentration higher than the third doping concentration at the positions the plurality of rear finger lines are to be formed.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the back surface field is separated from the edges of the rear surface of the substrate by a gap of 2 um to 300 um.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming an anti-reflective film on the emitter layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the anti-reflective film is only formed on second regions of the emitter layer positioned on the front surface among the plurality of second regions.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the back surface field is separated from the edges of the rear surface of the substrate by a gap, and

wherein the insulating layer is formed on the entire gap.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth region among the plurality of fourth regions, the rear surface of the substrate and the insulating layer contact at a first location of the substrate,

wherein the second region of the emitter layer formed on the side surface of the substrate among the plurality of second regions, the rear surface of the substrate and the insulating layer contact at a second location of the substrate, and

wherein the second location of the substrate is disposed between the first location of the substrate and the edges of the rear surface of the substrate.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 30, 2023
From: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
To: SHANGRAO XINYUAN YUEDONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD
Reel/Frame 065725/0706 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
To: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061571/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2021
From: JIN, YOONSIL; CHOE, YOUNGHO
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 058483/0616 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2011-0056900 · Jun 13, 2011 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 13426908 · Mar 22, 2012
Related Publication 20190088805A1 · Mar 21, 2019