Method and an apparatus for treating a surface of a TCO material, in a semiconductor device

1. A method for treating a plurality of portions of a surface of a TCO layer in a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising a structure arranged to facilitate current flow in one direction, the method comprising the steps of:

exposing the plurality of surface portions of the TCO layer to an electrolyte, the exposed surface portions comprising finger portions for adherence with finger electrodes, there being a non-exposed surface region of the TCO layer between each pair of adjacent finger portions, the electrolyte being suitable for electrochemically reducing each exposed surface portion of the TCO layer when an electrical current is induced through the TCO layer; and

inducing a current in the TCO layer by inducing a current in the semiconductor device, the induced current being directed transversally to the exposed surface portions of the TCO layer and being substantially uniform across all exposed surface portions of the surface of the TCO layer;

wherein the substantially uniform induced current reduces the exposed surface portions of the TCO layer, such that the TCO layer includes TCO material at the exposed surface portions and the TCO material at the exposed surface portions has substantially uniformly reduced surfaces, and improves uniformity of adhesion of a metallic material to each exposed surface portion in comparison to adhesion of the metallic material to the non-exposed regions of the TCO layer;

wherein the reduction at the plurality of exposed surface portions of the TCO layer is induced by exclusive contact of the exposed surface portions with the electrolyte.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the structure arranged to facilitate current flow in one direction comprises a light absorbing layer and at least one carrier selective layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the structure arranged to facilitate current flow in one direction comprises a p-n junction and the step of inducing a current in the TCO layer comprises the step of biasing the p-n junction.

4. The method of claim 3

wherein the method further comprises the step of electrically interconnecting an electrode element to the semiconductor device and electrically interconnecting the electrode element to a wet electrode positioned for contacting the electrolyte so that the induced current can flow through an electrical circuit comprising: the electrolyte, the semiconductor device, the TCO layer; the electrode element and the wet electrode.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the TCO layer is arranged as a continuous layer on an n-type or p-type region of the semiconductor device and the induced current flows in a direction transverse to the layer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the TCO layer is arranged as a continuous layer on an n-type region of the semiconductor device and the step of inducing a current in the TCO layer comprises the step of exposing a portion of the semiconductor device to electromagnetic radiation to induce a photo-generated current.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises the step of controlling a structural or electrical property of the surface of the TCO layer by modulating a property of the induced current.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the property of the induced current is the magnitude of the induced current and is modulated by modulating the intensity of the radiation.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises the step of applying a voltage between the semiconductor device and an electrode in the electrolyte, the applied voltage being such to decrease the voltage drop induced by the electromagnetic radiation on the p-n junction.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the TCO layer is arranged as a continuous layer on a p-type region of the semiconductor device and the step of inducing a current in the TCO layer comprises the step of applying a voltage between the semiconductor device and an electrode in the electrolyte, the applied voltage being such to forward bias the p-n junction.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises the step of controlling a structural or electrical property of the surface of the TCO layer by modulating a property of the applied voltage.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the semiconductor device comprises an electrode element that is at least semi-transparent to the electromagnetic radiation and wherein the voltage is applied via the electrode element.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the TCO layer is etched while the method is performed.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a concentration of metallic elements in the TCO layer at its surface is increased while the method is performed, and wherein a roughness of the exposed portions is increased after the method is performed.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of selecting a property of the electrolyte to influence a property of the surface of the TCO layer after treatment.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of, prior to exposing the surface of the TCO layer to an electrolyte, forming a mask onto the TCO layer to define a patterned surface of the TCO layer to be exposed to the electrolyte.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor device is a silicon solar cell.

18. A method for plating a metallic material to a surface of a TCO layer in a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising a p-n junction, the method comprising the steps of:

exposing a plurality of portions of the surface of the TCO layer to an electrolyte that is suitable for electrochemically reducing the TCO layer when an electrical current is induced through the TCO layer, the surface portions comprising finger portions for adherence with finger electrodes, there being a non-exposed surface region of the TCO layer between each pair of adjacent finger portions; and

inducing a current in the TCO layer by biasing the p-n junction, the induced current being directed transversally to the exposed surface portions of the TCO layer and being substantially uniform across all exposed surface portions of the surface of the TCO layer;

allowing for the surface of the TCO layer to be reduced in a substantially uniform manner by the current and the electrolyte such that uniformity of adhesion of the metallic material to the exposed surface is improved; and

plating the metallic material to the surface of the TCO layer;

wherein the reduction at the plurality of exposed surface portions of the TCO layer is induced by exclusive contact with the electrolyte.