IP Library Granted Patent US 10,014,432
Granted Patent B2
US 10,014,432 · App. 15/054,129 · Granted Jul 3, 2018

Manufacturing method for solar cell

Inventors: Tomonori Ueyama (Osaka, JP); Motohide Kai (Osaka, JP); Masaki Shima (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
H01L31/1804H01L31/03762H01L31/0682H01L31/075H01L31/0747H01L31/186H01L31/1868Y02E10/547Y02P70/521
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,014,432
App. No.
15/054,129
Granted
Jul 3, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing a solar cell with improved output characteristics. A hydrogen radical treatment, in which ions are not used, is performed on at least one of the first and second semiconductor layers ( 11, 13 ).

Claims (15)

1. A manufacturing method for a plurality of solar cells, the method comprising:

first fixing a semiconductor substrate to a tray;

forming an amorphous silicon layer at least a part of which is doped with a dopant on the semiconductor substrate fixed to the tray;

after forming the amorphous silicon layer, irradiating the tray with hydrogen radicals without using ions and thereby irradiating the amorphous silicon layer formed on the semiconductor substrate that is fixed on the tray with the hydrogen radicals without using ions;

removing the semiconductor substrate having the irradiated amorphous silicon layer thereon from the tray after the irradiating;

forming a transparent conductive layer on the irradiated amorphous silicon layer on the semiconductor substrate that is removed from the tray, after removing the semiconductor substrate; and

second fixing, to the tray from which the semiconductor substrate is removed, a new semiconductor substrate,

wherein for each new semiconductor substrate, second fixing a new semiconductor substrate to the tray; forming, after the second fixing, an amorphous silicon layer on the new semiconductor substrate; irradiating, after forming the amorphous silicon layer, the tray with hydrogen radicals; removing, after the irradiating, the new semiconductor substrate from the tray; and forming, after removing the new semiconductor substrate, a transparent conductive layer on the irradiated amorphous silicon layer on the new semiconductor substrate, are executed while the tray is reused.

2. The manufacturing method for a solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate has one type of conductivity, and

the amorphous silicon layer includes: a first semiconductor layer having the one type of conductivity arranged on one main surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor layer having the other type of conductivity arranged on the one main surface of the semiconductor substrate.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 2 , wherein

the first semiconductor layer comprises an i-type amorphous silicon layer on the semiconductor substrate and an amorphous silicon layer having the one type of conductivity being doped with the dopant on the i-type amorphous silicon layer, and

the second semiconductor layer comprises an i-type amorphous silicon layer on the semiconductor substrate and an amorphous silicon layer having the other type of conductivity being doped with the dopant on the i-type amorphous silicon layer.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein

forming the amorphous silicon layer comprises forming the amorphous silicon layer by forming an i-type amorphous silicon layer on the semiconductor substrate fixed to the tray and forming the amorphous silicon layer being doped with the dopant on the i-type amorphous silicon layer.

Priority Claims (3)
JP 2011-126232 · Jun 6, 2011 · national
JP 2011-126233 · Jun 6, 2011 · national
JP 2011-126234 · Jun 6, 2011 · national
Continuity (3)
Division 14090405 · Nov 26, 2013
Continuation PCTJP2012062327 · May 14, 2012
Related Publication 20160181461A1 · Jun 23, 2016