Title: Arrangement, Dopant Source, And Method For Making Solar Cells

Abstract

Disclosed is an arrangement, dopant source and method used in the fabrication of photocells that minimize handling of cell wafers and involve a single furnace step. First, dopant sources are created by depositing selected dopants onto both surfaces of source wafers. The concentration of dopant that is placed on the surface is relatively low so that the sources are starved sources. These sources are stacked with photocell wafers in alternating orientation in a furnace. Next, the temperature is raised and thermal diffusion takes place whereby the dopant leaves the source wafers and becomes diffused in a cell wafer creating the junctions necessary for photocells to operate. The concentration of dopant diffused into a single side of the cell wafer is proportional to the concentration placed on the respective dopant source facing the side of the cell wafer. Then, in the same thermal cycle, a layer of oxide is created by introducing oxygen into the furnace environment after sufficient diffusion has taken place. Finally, the cell wafers receive an anti-reflective coating and electrical contacts for the purpose of gathering electrical charge.

Inventors:

Rohatgi, Ajeet ^[1]; Krygowski, Thomas W ^[2]

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+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Marietta, GA
2. Smyrna, GA

Issue Date:

Tue Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI Identifier:

879414

Patent Number(s):

5972784

Application Number:

08/839969

Assignee:

Georgia Tech Research 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

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H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L21/2225 - {Diffusion sources}
H01L21/223 - using diffusion into or out of a solid from or into a gaseous phase {
H01L31/1804 - {comprising only elements of Group IV of the Periodic System}
H01L31/1868 - {Passivation}

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

Y02E10/547 - Monocrystalline silicon PV cells

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02P - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

Y02P70/50 - Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

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DOE Contract Number:  

AO-6162

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English