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Title: Silicon solar cells made by a self-aligned, selective-emitter, plasma-etchback process

Abstract

A potentially low-cost process for forming and passivating a selective emitter. The process uses a plasma etch of the heavily doped emitter to improve its performance. The grids of the solar cell are used to mask the plasma etch so that only the emitter in the region between the grids is etched, while the region beneath the grids remains heavily doped for low contact resistance. This process is potentially low-cost because it requires no alignment. After the emitter etch, a silicon nitride layer is deposited by plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition, and the solar cell is annealed in a forming gas.

Inventors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Albuquerque, NM
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
872148
Patent Number(s):
5871591
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
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:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
silicon; solar; cells; self-aligned; selective-emitter; plasma-etchback; process; potentially; low-cost; forming; passivating; selective; emitter; plasma; etch; heavily; doped; improve; performance; grids; cell; mask; region; etched; beneath; remains; contact; resistance; requires; alignment; nitride; layer; deposited; plasma-enhanced; chemical; vapor; deposition; annealed; gas; forming gas; heavily doped; silicon nitride; chemical vapor; solar cell; solar cells; vapor deposition; silicon solar; contact resistance; plasma etch; nitride layer; low-cost process; plasma-etchback process; /136/

Citation Formats

Ruby, Douglas S, Schubert, William K, and Gee, James M. Silicon solar cells made by a self-aligned, selective-emitter, plasma-etchback process. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
Ruby, Douglas S, Schubert, William K, & Gee, James M. Silicon solar cells made by a self-aligned, selective-emitter, plasma-etchback process. United States.
Ruby, Douglas S, Schubert, William K, and Gee, James M. Fri . "Silicon solar cells made by a self-aligned, selective-emitter, plasma-etchback process". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872148.
@article{osti_872148,
title = {Silicon solar cells made by a self-aligned, selective-emitter, plasma-etchback process},
author = {Ruby, Douglas S and Schubert, William K and Gee, James M},
abstractNote = {A potentially low-cost process for forming and passivating a selective emitter. The process uses a plasma etch of the heavily doped emitter to improve its performance. The grids of the solar cell are used to mask the plasma etch so that only the emitter in the region between the grids is etched, while the region beneath the grids remains heavily doped for low contact resistance. This process is potentially low-cost because it requires no alignment. After the emitter etch, a silicon nitride layer is deposited by plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition, and the solar cell is annealed in a forming gas.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}

Works referenced in this record:

A novel and effective PECVD SiO/sub 2//SiN antireflection coating for Si solar cells
journal, June 1993