IP Library Granted Patent US 12,543,400
Granted Patent B2
US 12,543,400 · App. 17/627,541 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Solar cell and manufacturing method therefor

Inventors: Sungjin Kim (Seoul, KR); Juhwa Cheong (Seoul, KR); Hyungwook Choi (Seoul, KR); Wonjae Chang (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: Trina Solar Co., Ltd.
H10F77/164H10F71/1221H10F71/128H10F71/129H10F77/211
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,543,400
App. No.
17/627,541
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A solar cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first passivation layer including a first aluminum oxide layer positioned on a first conductivity-type region composed of a polycrystalline silicon layer having an n-type conductivity and having hydrogen, and a first dielectric layer positioned on the first aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the first aluminum oxide layer.

Claims (62)

1 . A solar cell, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first conductivity-type region formed on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate and composed of a polycrystalline silicon layer having an n-type conductivity;

a first passivation layer including:

a first aluminum oxide layer positioned on the first conductivity-type region and having hydrogen, and

a first dielectric layer positioned on the first aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the first aluminum oxide layer, wherein the material different from the first aluminum oxide layer includes silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride;

a first electrode electrically connected to the first conductivity-type region passing through the first passivation layer;

a second conductivity-type region formed at or on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate and having a p-type conductivity;

a second passivation layer including a second aluminum oxide layer positioned on the second conductivity-type region, and a second dielectric layer positioned on the second aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the second aluminum oxide layer; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second conductivity-type region passing through the second passivation layer,

wherein a first uneven portion is formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second uneven portion is formed on the first uneven portion; and an average size of the second uneven portion is smaller than an average size of the first uneven portion;

wherein only the second conductivity-type region of the first conductivity-type region and the second conductivity-type region includes:

a first region formed in a portion corresponding to the second electrode and having a low resistance or a high doping concentration; and

a second region positioned in an other portion of the second conductivity-type region having a higher resistance or a lower doping concentration than the first region.

2 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first aluminum oxide layer is less than a thickness of the first dielectric layer.

3 . The solar cell of claim 1 , further comprising:

a silicon oxide layer positioned between the first conductivity-type region and the first passivation layer.

4 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein

the first surface of the semiconductor substrate is a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate,

the first electrode includes a plurality of finger electrodes extending in one direction, and

the first dielectric layer functions as an anti-reflection film.

5 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein

the second conductivity-type region is composed of a doped region constituting a part of the semiconductor substrate, and

the first aluminum oxide layer and the second aluminum oxide layer have the same material, composition, and thickness.

6 . A solar cell, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first conductivity-type region formed on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate and composed of a polycrystalline silicon layer having a first conductivity type;

a second conductivity-type region formed on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate and composed of a doped region having a second conductivity type;

a first passivation layer positioned on the first conductivity-type region;

a second passivation layer including a second aluminum oxide layer positioned on the second conductivity-type region, and a second dielectric layer positioned on the second aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the second aluminum oxide layer;

a first electrode electrically connected to the first conductivity-type region passing through the first passivation layer; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second conductivity-type region passing through the second passivation layer,

wherein the first and second passivation layers each include an aluminum oxide layer positioned on the first or second conductivity-type region and a dielectric layer positioned on the aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the aluminum oxide layer that includes silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride,

wherein a first uneven portion is formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second uneven portion is formed on the first uneven portion; and an average size of the second uneven portion is smaller than an average size of the first uneven portion,

wherein only the second conductivity-type region of the first conductivity-type region and the second conductivity-type region includes:

a first region formed in a portion corresponding to the second electrode and having a low resistance or a high doping concentration; and

a second region positioned in an other portion of the second conductivity-type region having a higher resistance or a lower doping concentration than the first region.

7 . The solar cell of claim 6 , wherein a thickness of the aluminum oxide layer is less than a thickness of the dielectric layer.

8 . A method for manufacturing a solar cell, comprising:

forming a first conductivity-type region composed of a polycrystalline silicon layer having an n-type conductivity on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate;

forming a second conductivity-type region at or on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a passivation layer including forming a first passivation layer on the first conductivity-type region and forming a second passivation layer on the second conductivity-type region; and

forming electrodes, which is forming a first electrode electrically connected to the first conductivity-type region by passing through the first passivation layer and forming a second electrode electrically connected to the second conductivity-type region by passing through the second passivation layer,

wherein the forming the first passivation layer includes a process of forming a first aluminum oxide layer having hydrogen on the first conductivity-type region, and a process of forming a first dielectric layer positioned on the first aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the first aluminum oxide layer, wherein the material different from the first aluminum oxide layer includes silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride,

wherein before the forming the passivation layer, a first uneven portion is formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second uneven portion is formed on the first uneven portion; and an average size of the second uneven portion is smaller than an average size of the first uneven portion;

wherein the forming the second passivation layer includes a process of forming a second aluminum oxide layer on the second conductivity-type region, and a process of forming a second dielectric layer positioned on the second aluminum oxide layer and including a material different from the second aluminum oxide layer;

wherein only the second conductivity-type region of the first conductivity-type region and the second conductivity-type region includes:

a first region formed in a portion corresponding to the second electrode and having a low resistance or a high doping concentration; and

a second region positioned in an other portion of the second conductivity-type region having a higher resistance or a lower doping concentration than the first region.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein

hydrogen included in the first aluminum oxide layer is implanted into at least one of the first conductivity-type region and the semiconductor substrate by an annealing process performed in at least one of the forming the passivation layer and the forming the electrode.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the process of forming the first aluminum oxide layer and the process of forming the second aluminum oxide layer are performed together by the same process.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein

in the forming the passivation layer, the process of the forming the first dielectric layer is performed after the process of forming the second dielectric layer is performed, and

the process of the forming the second dielectric layer includes a first annealing process in which hydrogen included in the first aluminum oxide layer is implanted into at least one of the first conductivity-type region and the semiconductor substrate.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein

after performing the first annealing process, a deposition process of the first dielectric layer is performed.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the process of forming the first aluminum oxide layer is performed by an atomic layer deposition method or a plasma-induced chemical vapor deposition method.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the process of the forming the electrode includes a second annealing process in which hydrogen included in the first aluminum oxide layer is implanted into at least one of the first conductivity-type region and the semiconductor substrate, and

the first dielectric layer functions as a capping layer that prevents external diffusion of hydrogen in the second annealing process.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first uneven portion and the second uneven portion are formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate by reactive ion etching.

16 . The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein a hydrogen content per unit volume in the first aluminum oxide layer is greater than a hydrogen content per unit volume in the first dielectric layer.

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 11, 2023
From: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
To: SHANGRAO XINYUAN YUEDONG TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD
Reel/Frame 066044/0299 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2022
From: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
To: SHANGRAO JINKO SOLAR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 061571/0754 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2022
From: KIM, SUNGJIN; CHEONG, JUHWA; CHOI, HYUNGWOOK; CHANG, WONJAE
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 060189/0597 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0087537 · Jul 19, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220262967A1 · Aug 18, 2022
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