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Title: Metal catalyst technique for texturing silicon solar cells

Patent ·
OSTI ID:874162
 [1];  [1]
  1. Albuquerque, NM
+ Show Author Affiliations

Textured silicon solar cells and techniques for their manufacture utilizing metal sources to catalyze formation of randomly distributed surface features such as nanoscale pyramidal and columnar structures. These structures include dimensions smaller than the wavelength of incident light, thereby resulting in a highly effective anti-reflective surface. According to the invention, metal sources present in a reactive ion etching chamber permit impurities (e.g. metal particles) to be introduced into a reactive ion etch plasma resulting in deposition of micro-masks on the surface of a substrate to be etched. Separate embodiments are disclosed including one in which the metal source includes one or more metal-coated substrates strategically positioned relative to the surface to be textured, and another in which the walls of the reaction chamber are pre-conditioned with a thin coating of metal catalyst material.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation ()
Patent Number(s):
US 6329296
OSTI ID:
874162
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)

Textured silicon: A selective absorber for solar thermal conversion journal November 1979
Characterization of Si nanostructured surfaces
  • Zaidi, Saleem H.; Gee, James M.; Ruby, Douglas S.
  • SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, SPIE Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1117/12.351246
conference June 1999

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Related Subjects

metal
catalyst
technique
texturing
silicon
solar
cells
textured
techniques
manufacture
utilizing
sources
catalyze
formation
randomly
distributed
surface
features
nanoscale
pyramidal
columnar
structures
dimensions
wavelength
incident
light
resulting
highly
effective
anti-reflective
reactive
etching
chamber
permit
impurities
particles
introduced
etch
plasma
deposition
micro-masks
substrate
etched
separate
embodiments
disclosed
including
source
metal-coated
substrates
strategically
positioned
walls
reaction
pre-conditioned
coating
material
solar cell
reaction chamber
silicon solar
coated substrate
positioned relative
surface feature
metal source
/438/216/257/