Method for forming diffusion regions in a silicon substrate

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

depositing, in a liquid phase, an etch-resistant dopant material on a silicon substrate, the etch-resistant dopant material comprising a dopant source and a solvent;

forming a cross-linked matrix in the etch-resistant dopant material using a non-thermal cure of the etch-resistant dopant material, the cross-linked matrix having a structure, and the non-thermal cure causing a phase change of the etch-resistant dopant material from liquid to solid; subsequently,

removing the solvent from the etch-resistant dopant material without altering the structure of the cross-linked matrix; and

heating the silicon substrate and the etch-resistant dopant material having the cross-linked matrix to a temperature sufficient to cause the dopant source to diffuse into the silicon substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the cross-linked matrix in the etch-resistant dopant material using the non-thermal cure of the etch-resistant dopant material comprises exposing the etch-resistant dopant material to non-infrared electromagnetic radiation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein exposing the etch-resistant dopant material to the non-infrared electromagnetic radiation comprises exposing the etch-resistant dopant material to ultraviolet light.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein exposing the etch-resistant dopant material to the non-infrared electromagnetic radiation comprises exposing the etch-resistant dopant material with light from the visible spectrum or electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 380 to 760 nanometers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the cross-linked matrix in the etch-resistant dopant material using the non-thermal cure of the etch-resistant dopant material comprises transmitting acoustic waves toward the etch-resistant dopant material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the etch-resistant dopant material comprises dispensing the etch-resistant dopant on the silicon substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein dispensing the etch-resistant dopant material comprises screen printing the etch-resistant dopant material onto the silicon substrate.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein dispensing the etch-resistant dopant material comprises ink-jet printing the etch-resistant dopant material onto the silicon substrate.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein dispensing the etch-resistant dopant material comprises spin coating the etch-resistant dopant material onto the silicon substrate.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein dispensing the etch-resistant dopant material comprising the dopant source onto the silicon substrate comprises dispensing a dopant material comprising a single-polarity dopant source onto the silicon substrate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein dispensing the dopant material comprising the single-polarity dopant source onto the silicon substrate comprises dispensing a positive-type dopant onto the silicon substrate.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein dispensing the dopant material comprising the single-polarity dopant source onto the silicon substrate comprises dispensing a negative-type dopant onto the silicon substrate.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selectively etching the silicon substrate to remove the etch-resistant dopant material without etching the silicon substrate.

14. The method of claim 1 , removing the solvent from the etch-resistant dopant material comprises heating the etch-resistant dopant material to at least 400° Celsius.

15. A method of manufacturing solar cells, the method comprising:

depositing, in a liquid phase, a dopant material on a silicon substrate having a photovoltaic solar cell structure, the dopant material comprising a dopant and a solvent;

forming a cross-linked matrix in the dopant material using a non-thermal exposure of the dopant material to ultraviolet light through a photo-polymerization process, the cross-linked matrix having a structure, and the photo-polymerization process causing a phase change of the dopant material from liquid to solid; subsequently,

removing the solvent from the dopant material without altering the structure of the cross-linked matrix; and

heating the silicon substrate and the dopant material having the cross-linked matrix to a temperature sufficient to cause the dopant to diffuse into the silicon substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the cross-linked matrix in the dopant material using the non-thermal exposure of the dopant material to the ultraviolet light comprises exposing the dopant material to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 8 to 400 nanometers.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the cross-linked matrix in the dopant material using the non-thermal exposure of the dopant material to the ultraviolet light comprises exposing the dopant material to perform a curing step selected from the group comprising acrylate polymerization, cationic polymerization, thiolene chemical application and hydrosilane addition.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein depositing the dopant material comprises depositing a chemical group comprising a chemical structure selected from the group comprising silanes, cyclosilanes, and siloxanes.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of etching the silicon substrate using the dopant material as an etch-mask after forming the cross-linked matrix in the dopant material.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein etching the silicon substrate comprises etching at least part of the photovoltaic solar cell structure of the silicon substrate.