Back-contact vertical-junction solar cell and method

Patent · Tue Nov 26 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5590913

Carver, M W; Kolesar, Jr, E S

This paper describes vertical-junction back contact solar cell apparatus. It comprises: a wafer of semiconductor material having upward and downward facing surfaces and predetermined thickness, first conductivity type dopant, crystal orientation, and concentration; an array of radiant energy capturing vertical walled and tilted flat bottomed cavity members disposed in rows across the semiconductor wafer upward facing surface with each of the cavities including an internal surface area received layer of pn-junction forming second conductivity type dopant containing semiconductor; a first grid of electrically interconnected electrodes dispersed across the downward facing wafer surface in surface contact with first electrical polarity current collection regions of each the pn-junction inclusive cavity member; a second grid of electrically interconnected electrodes electrically segregated from the first grid and dispersed across the downward facing wafer surface in surface contact with second electrical polarity current collection regions of each the pn-junction inclusive cavity member.

• Assignee: Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, DC (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5067985
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-534981
• OSTI ID: 5590913
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
BACK CONTACT SOLAR CELLS
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
JUNCTIONS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
P-N JUNCTIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TESTING