Metal catalyst technique for texturing silicon solar cells
Abstract
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.
- Inventors:
-
- Albuquerque, NM
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 874162
- Patent Number(s):
- 6329296
- Assignee:
- Sandia Corporation ()
- 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:
- 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/
Citation Formats
Ruby, Douglas S, and Zaidi, Saleem H. Metal catalyst technique for texturing silicon solar cells. United States: N. p., 2001.
Web.
Ruby, Douglas S, & Zaidi, Saleem H. Metal catalyst technique for texturing silicon solar cells. United States.
Ruby, Douglas S, and Zaidi, Saleem H. Mon .
"Metal catalyst technique for texturing silicon solar cells". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/874162.
@article{osti_874162,
title = {Metal catalyst technique for texturing silicon solar cells},
author = {Ruby, Douglas S and Zaidi, Saleem H},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Textured silicon: A selective absorber for solar thermal conversion
journal, November 1979
- Gittleman, J. I.; Sichel, E. K.; Lehmann, H. W.
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 35, Issue 10
Characterization of Si nanostructured surfaces
conference, June 1999
- Zaidi, Saleem H.; Gee, James M.; Ruby, Douglas S.
- SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, SPIE Proceedings