IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,211,950
Granted Patent B2
US 12,211,950 · App. 17/862,359 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Passivated contact structure and solar cell comprising the same, cell assembly, and photovoltaic system

Inventors: Gang Chen (Yiwu, CN); Wenli Xu (Yiwu, CN); Kaifu Qiu (Yiwu, CN); Yongqian Wang (Yiwu, CN); Xinqiang Yang (Yiwu, CN)
Assignee: SOLARLAB AIKO EUROPE GMBH
H01L31/1868H01L31/0516
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,211,950
App. No.
17/862,359
Granted
Jan 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure provides a solar cell and a back contact structure thereof, a photovoltaic module, and a photovoltaic system. The back contact structure includes a first doped region having an opposite polarity to a silicon substrate and a second doped region having a same polarity as the silicon substrate. An isolation region is arranged between the first doped region and the second doped region. The protective region arranged on the first doped region includes an insulation layer and a third doped layer having a same polarity as the second doped region. An opening is provided in the protective region to connect the first conductive layer to the first doped region. In the present invention, scratches caused by belt transmission in an existing cell fabrication process is resolved.

Claims (43)

1. A back contact structure of a solar cell, comprising:

a first doped region having an opposite polarity to a silicon substrate and a second doped region having a same polarity as the silicon substrate, wherein the first doped region and the second doped region are spaced apart from each other on a back side of the silicon substrate, and a protective region is arranged on the first doped region;

each of the first doped region and the second doped region comprises a first doped layer, a passivation layer, and a second doped layer;

the protective region comprises an insulation layer and a third doped layer having a same polarity as the second doped region;

an isolation region is arranged between the first doped region and the second doped region;

an opening is provided in the protective region, to connect a first conductive layer to the first doped region; and

a height of the first doped region and a height of the second doped region are both greater than a height of the isolation region.

2. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein the height of the first doped region is greater than the height of the second doped region.

3. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer is a porous structure having the first doped layer and/or the second doped layer in a hole region.

4. The back contact structure according to claim 3 , wherein one of the first doped region and the second doped region is a P-type doped region, the other of the first doped region and the second doped region is an N-type doped region, and a thickness of the passivation layer in the P-type doped region is greater than a thickness of the passivation layer in the N-type doped region.

5. The back contact structure according to claim 3 , wherein one of the first doped region and the second doped region is a P-type doped region, the other of the first doped region and the second doped region is an N-type doped region, and a hole density of the passivation layer in the P-type doped region is greater than a hole density of the passivation layer in the N-type doped region.

6. The back contact structure according to claim 3 , wherein the first doped layer and the second doped layer have a same doping polarity.

7. The back contact structure according to claim 2 , wherein a height difference between the first doped region and the second doped region is in a range of 1-8 μm.

8. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein a height difference between the second doped region and the isolation region is in a range of 0.5-8 μm.

9. The back contact structure according to claim 3 , wherein a pore size of the porous structure is less than 20 μm.

10. The back contact structure according to claim 3 , wherein a ratio of an area of the hole region of the porous structure to an overall area of the porous structure is less than 20%.

11. The back contact structure according to claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the passivation layer is in a range of 0.5-10 nm.

12. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer and/or the insulation layer are/is an oxide layer, a silicon carbide layer, an amorphous silicon layer, or a combination thereof.

13. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein a doping concentration of the first doped layer is between a doping concentration of the silicon substrate and a doping concentration of the second doped layer.

14. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein a junction depth of the first doped layer is less than 1.5 μm.

15. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first doped layer is a monocrystalline silicon doped layer doped with a group-III or group-V element.

16. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein the second doped layer and/or the third doped layer comprise(s) a polysilicon doped layer, a silicon carbide doped layer, or an amorphous silicon doped layer.

17. The back contact structure according to claim 16 , wherein the silicon carbide doped layer in the second doped layer and/or the third doped layer is composed of at least one silicon carbide doped film each having a different refractive index, and the refractive indexes of the silicon carbide doped films sequentially decrease along a direction from the silicon substrate to the outside.

18. The back contact structure according to claim 16 , wherein the silicon carbide doped layer in the second doped layer and/or in the third doped layer comprises a hydrogenated silicon carbide doped layer, a conductivity of the hydrogenated silicon carbide doped layer is greater than 0.01 S·cm, and a thickness of the hydrogenated silicon carbide doped layer is greater than 10 nm.

19. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the insulation layer is in a range of 5-150 nm.

20. The back contact structure according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the insulation layer is greater than a thickness of the passivation layer.

21. A solar cell, comprising:

a silicon substrate;

the back contact structure according to claim 1 , arranged on a back side of the silicon substrate;

a first dielectric layer, arranged on a front side of the silicon substrate;

a first conductive layer arranged in the first doped region of the back contact structure and a second conductive layer arranged in the second doped region of the back contact structure; and

a second dielectric layer, arranged on the back contact structure and between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

22. The solar cell according to claim 21 , wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer each are an aluminum oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxynitride layer, a silicon carbide layer, an amorphous silicon layer, a silicon oxide layer, or a combination thereof.

23. The solar cell according to claim 22 , wherein the first dielectric layer and/or the second dielectric layer comprise(s) a combination of the aluminum oxide layer and the silicon carbide layer or a combination of the silicon oxide layer and silicon carbide layer; and

a thickness of the first dielectric layer is greater than 50 nm, and a thickness of the second dielectric layer is greater than 25 nm.

24. The solar cell according to claim 23 , wherein a thickness of the aluminum oxide layer or the silicon oxide layer in the first dielectric layer is less than 40 nm, a thickness of the aluminum oxide layer or the silicon oxide layer in the second dielectric layer is less than 25 nm, and a thickness of the silicon carbide layer in the first dielectric layer and/or in the second dielectric layer is greater than 10 nm.

25. The solar cell according to claim 22 , wherein the silicon carbide layer in the first dielectric layer and/or in the second dielectric layer is composed of at least one silicon carbide film each having a different refractive index, and the refractive indexes of the silicon carbide doped films sequentially decrease along a direction from the silicon substrate to the outside.

26. The solar cell according to claim 22 , wherein a magnesium fluoride layer is further arranged on an outer layer of the first dielectric layer and/or the second dielectric layer.

27. The solar cell according to claim 21 , wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films and/or metal electrodes.

28. The solar cell according to claim 27 , wherein the metal electrodes comprise a silver electrode, a copper electrode, an aluminum electrode, a tin-coated copper electrode, or a silver-coated copper electrode.

29. The solar cell according to claim 21 , wherein an electric field layer or a floating junction is further arranged between the front side of the silicon substrate and the first dielectric layer.

30. A photovoltaic module, comprising the solar cell according to claim 21 .

31. A photovoltaic system, comprising the photovoltaic module according to claim 30 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2022
From: CHEN, GANG; XU, WENLI; QIU, KAIFU; WANG, YONGQIAN; YANG, XINQIANG
To: SOLARLAB AIKO EUROPE GMBH
Reel/Frame 060632/0017 →
Priority Claims (2)
CN 202110828475.X · Jul 22, 2021 · national
CN 202110828478.3 · Jul 22, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 17509060 · Oct 24, 2021
Related Publication 20230027079A1 · Jan 26, 2023
References Cited (24)
US 9312406B2 · Loscutoff et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20100108130A1 · Ravi · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100294349A1 · Srinivasan et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20130065350A1 · Ravi · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20150280029A1 · Harley · 2015 [cited by examiner]
CN 108649079A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 111816727A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
CN 112635592A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 113224202A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 3579284A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3783668A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
GB 2491209A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012527772A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014072293A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014515556A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2015201666A · 2015 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018050032A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018093168A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2021061395A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
KR 20160090287A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 20210053333A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018092189A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
Puqun Wang et al., Development of TOPCon tunnel-IBC solar cells with screen-printed fire-through contacts by laser patterning, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Jan. 2021, pp. 1-8 of 110834, vol. 220, Elsevier, Am… [cited by applicant]
Jan Krügenera et al., Improvement of the SRH bulk lifetime upon formation of n-type POLO junctions for 25% efficient Si solar cells, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, May 2017, pp. 85-91 of 173 (2017), Elsevier, A… [cited by applicant]