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Title: Method for processing silicon solar cells

Abstract

The instant invention teaches a novel method for fabricating silicon solar cells utilizing concentrated solar radiation. The solar radiation is concentrated by use of a solar furnace which is used to form a front surface junction and back-surface field in one processing step. The present invention also provides a method of making multicrystallline silicon from amorphous silicon. The invention also teaches a method of texturing the surface of a wafer by forming a porous silicon layer on the surface of a silicon substrate and a method of gettering impurities. Also contemplated by the invention are methods of surface passivation, forming novel solar cell structures, and hydrogen passivation.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Golden, CO
  2. Lafayette, CO
  3. Lakewood, CO
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
870942
Patent Number(s):
5627081
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-83CH10093
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
method; processing; silicon; solar; cells; instant; teaches; novel; fabricating; utilizing; concentrated; radiation; furnace; form; front; surface; junction; back-surface; field; step; provides; multicrystallline; amorphous; texturing; wafer; forming; porous; layer; substrate; gettering; impurities; contemplated; methods; passivation; cell; structures; hydrogen; surface passivation; cells utilizing; cell structure; silicon layer; porous silicon; amorphous silicon; solar cell; solar cells; silicon substrate; solar radiation; silicon solar; front surface; novel method; processing step; novel solar; solar furnace; concentrated solar; fabricating silicon; surface field; surface pass; /438/136/216/

Citation Formats

Tsuo, Y Simon, Landry, Marc D, and Pitts, John R. Method for processing silicon solar cells. United States: N. p., 1997. Web.
Tsuo, Y Simon, Landry, Marc D, & Pitts, John R. Method for processing silicon solar cells. United States.
Tsuo, Y Simon, Landry, Marc D, and Pitts, John R. Wed . "Method for processing silicon solar cells". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/870942.
@article{osti_870942,
title = {Method for processing silicon solar cells},
author = {Tsuo, Y Simon and Landry, Marc D and Pitts, John R},
abstractNote = {The instant invention teaches a novel method for fabricating silicon solar cells utilizing concentrated solar radiation. The solar radiation is concentrated by use of a solar furnace which is used to form a front surface junction and back-surface field in one processing step. The present invention also provides a method of making multicrystallline silicon from amorphous silicon. The invention also teaches a method of texturing the surface of a wafer by forming a porous silicon layer on the surface of a silicon substrate and a method of gettering impurities. Also contemplated by the invention are methods of surface passivation, forming novel solar cell structures, and hydrogen passivation.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1997},
month = {1}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Polycrystalline Si thin-film solar cell prepared by solid phase crystallization (SPC) method
journal, September 1994


Sub-5 μm thin film c-Si solar cell and optical confinement by diffuse reflective-substrate
journal, September 1994


Effect of substrate temperature on recrystallization of plasma chemical vapor deposition amorphous silicon films
journal, August 1990


Towards high-eficiency silicon solar cells by rapid thermal processing
journal, April 1994


High-efficient operation of large-area (100 cm2) thin film polycrystalline silicon solar cell based on SOI structure
journal, September 1994


The physics of amorphous-silicon thin-film transistors
journal, December 1989


Complete microcrystalline pin solar cell—Crystalline or amorphous cell behavior?
journal, August 1994


Laser-recrystallized silicon thin-film transistors on expansion-matched 800°C glass
journal, December 1987


High-performance TFTs fabricated by XeCl excimer laser annealing of hydrogenated amorphous-silicon film
journal, January 1989


Investigation of the effects of aluminum treatment on silicon solar cells
conference, January 1993


Solar cell structures combining amorphous, microcrystalline, and single-crystalline silicon
conference, January 1993


Low temperature crystallization of amorphous silicon using an excimer laser
journal, March 1990


Recent results on hydrogen passivation of silicon sheet solar cells
journal, June 1985


Ion irradiation enhanced crystal nucleation in amorphous Si thin films
journal, October 1990