IP Library Granted Patent US 11,133,426
Granted Patent B2
US 11,133,426 · App. 16/457,129 · Granted Sep 28, 2021

Solar cell and method for manufacturing the same

Inventors: Jungmin Ha (Seoul, KR); Sungjin Kim (Seoul, KR); Juhwa Cheong (Seoul, KR); Junyong Ahn (Seoul, KR); Hyungwook Choi (Seoul, KR); Wonjae Chang (Seoul, KR); Jaesung Kim (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
H01L31/022433H01L31/0201H01L31/02167H01L31/02168H01L31/022425H01L31/03685H01L31/077H01L31/0747H01L31/1824H01L31/1864H01L31/1868Y02E10/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,133,426
App. No.
16/457,129
Granted
Sep 28, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for manufacturing a solar cell can include forming a tunneling layer on first and second surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, the tunneling layer including a dielectric material; forming a polycrystalline silicon layer on the tunnel layer at the first surface and on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; removing portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer formed at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; forming a doping region at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate by diffusing a dopant; forming a passivation layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer at the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and forming a second electrode connected to the polycrystalline silicon layer by penetrating through the passivation layer.

Claims (31)

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

forming a tunneling layer on first and second surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, the tunneling layer including a dielectric material;

forming a polycrystalline silicon layer on the tunnel layer at the first surface and on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate;

removing portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer formed at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a doping region at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate by diffusing a dopant;

forming a passivation layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer at the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

forming an electrode connected to the polycrystalline silicon layer by penetrating through the passivation layer,

wherein, in the removing the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer, an isolation portion is formed at the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer is formed on the isolation portion.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer is directly formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate at the isolation portion.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the forming the polycrystalline silicon layer, the polycrystalline silicon layer is formed by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition method.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein, in the forming the polycrystalline silicon layer, the polycrystalline silicon layer is formed at a deposition temperature of 500° C. to 700° C.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

doping the polycrystalline silicon layer with a first conductive type dopant.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the doping the polycrystalline silicon layer is performed by a thermal treatment in a gas atmosphere including the first conductive type dopant.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the polycrystalline silicon layer is intrinsic before the doping the polycrystalline silicon layer, and

wherein the doping the polycrystalline silicon layer includes a process forming a doping layer including the first conductive type dopant on the polycrystalline silicon layer while the polycrystalline silicon layer is intrinsic.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the doping the polycrystalline silicon layer further includes a process diffusing the first conductive type dopant into the polycrystalline silicon layer while the polycrystalline silicon layer is intrinsic.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the removing the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer, the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer are removed by reactive ion etching (RIE).

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the removing the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer, the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer are removed by wet etching.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein, in the removing the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer, the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer are removed using a mask.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein, in the removing the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer, the mask is partially disposed on the polycrystalline silicon layer at the second surface of the semiconductor substrate so that the mask is not formed at an edge portion on the polycrystalline silicon layer at the second surface of the semiconductor substrate to form isolation portion at the edge portion of the second surface.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

removing the mask after the removing the portions of the tunnel layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tunneling layer is formed by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD).

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the tunneling layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer are formed by an in-situ process consecutively forming the tunnel layer and the intrinsic semiconductor layer in a same deposition apparatus.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

doping the first surface of the semiconductor substrate with a second conductive type dopant.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the second conductive type dopant is diffused into the semiconductor substrate by thermal diffusion.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

forming a capping layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer before the doping the first surface of the semiconductor substrate with the second conductive type dopant.

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 Oct 18, 2022
From: HA, JUNGMIN; KIM, SUNGJIN; CHEONG, JUHWA; AHN, JUNYONG; CHOI, HYUNGWOOK; CHANG, WONJAE; KIM, JAESUNG
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 061448/0929 →
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 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2014-0168624 · Nov 28, 2014 · national
KR 10-2015-0122846 · Aug 31, 2015 · national
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16250463 · Jan 17, 2019
Continuation 15995701 · Jun 1, 2018
Continuation 15643180 · Jul 6, 2017
Continuation 14953264 · Nov 27, 2015
Related Publication 20190326456A1 · Oct 24, 2019