METHOD FOR MAKING SOLAR CELL HAVING CRYSTALLINE SILICON P-N HOMOJUNCTION AND AMORPHOUS SILICON HETEROJUNCTIONS FOR SURFACE PASSIVATION

• Main Authors: MEIER DANIEL L, ROHATGI AJEET
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.07.2012
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A thin silicon solar cell is described. An example solar cell may be fabricated from a crystalline silicon wafer having a thickness of approximately 50 micrometers to 500 micrometers. The solar cell comprises a first region having a p-n homojunction, a second region that creates heterojunction surface passivation, and a third region that creates heterojunction surface passivation. Amorphous silicon layers are deposited on both sides of the silicon wafer. A final layer of transparent conductive oxide is formed on both sides Metal contacts are applied to the transparent conductive oxide.