Ultra-thin solar cell and method

Patent · Tue Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6000625

Cogan, G W; Christel, L A; Merchant, J T; Gibbons, J F

This patent describes a method of fabricating a solar cell from a wafer formed of a semiconductor material and having a front surface and a back surface, the semiconductor material forming a bulk layer having a selected first conductivity type, the method comprising the steps of: forming a front surface junction layer having a second conductivity type opposite that of the bulk layer and in contact therewith: adhering a transparent support member to the front surface of the wafer to provide structural support for the wafer and to admit electromagnetic radiation into the cell, the interface between the support member and the wafer forming a bondline thinning the bulk layer; forming a doped ohmic contact layer in the bottom surface of the wafer by deposition a layer of amorphous material on the bottom surface and melting the amorphous material using a pulsed laser energy source, applying a dielectrical layer to the back surface of the ohmic layer, and forming contacts to the ohmic layer through openings formed in the dielectric layer. A solar cell formed by this method is also described wherein the thinning step includes thinning the wafer to a thickness of less than 50 microns.

• Assignee: Sera Solar Corp., Santa Clara, CA
• Patent Number(s): US 4824489
• OSTI ID: 6000625
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 2 Feb 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
DEPOSITION
SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
DESIGN
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
DOPED MATERIALS
THIN FILMS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
MATERIALS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture