P-type diffusion layer forming composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10312402-B2
Application number	US-201414262719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2014
Priority date	Feb 5, 2010
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

The composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer in accordance with the present invention contains an acceptor element-containing glass powder and a dispersion medium. A p-type diffusion layer and a photovoltaic cell having a p-type diffusion layer are prepared by applying the composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer, followed by a thermal diffusion treatment.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for producing a photovoltaic cell, including:
applying, on a semiconductor substrate, from 0.01 g/m 2 to 100 g/m 2 of a composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer, the composition comprising an acceptor element-containing glass powder and a dispersion medium; and
subjecting the substrate to a thermal diffusion treatment at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1000° C. to form a p-type diffusion layer,
wherein the acceptor element is included in the glass powder such that vaporization of the acceptor element is suppressed,
wherein the softening point of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is from 300° C. to 900° C.,
wherein the p-type diffusion layer has a sheet resistance of from 35Ω/□ to 190Ω/□, and
wherein the shape of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is selected from the group consisting of a substantially spherical shape, a flat shape, a block shape, a plane shape, and a scale-like shape.

2. The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 , further including forming an electrode on the p-type diffusion layer.

3. The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 , wherein the acceptor element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al) and gallium (Ga).

4. The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 1 , wherein the acceptor element-containing glass powder comprises an acceptor element-containing material and a glass component material.

5. The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 4 , wherein the acceptor element-containing material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of B 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 and Ga 2 O 3 .

6. The method for producing a photovoltaic cell according to claim 4 , wherein the glass component material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , K 2 O, Na 2 O, Li 2 O, BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO, ZnO, PbO, CdO, V 2 O 5 , SnO, ZrO 2 , and MoO 3 .

7. A method for producing a p-type diffusion layer, including:
applying, on a semiconductor substrate, from 0.01 g/m 2 to 100 g/m 2 of a composition for forming a p-type diffusion layer, the composition comprising an acceptor element-containing glass powder and a dispersion medium; and
conducting a thermal diffusion treatment at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1000° C.,
wherein the acceptor element is included in the glass powder such that vaporization of the acceptor element is suppressed,
wherein the softening point of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is from 300° C. to 900° C.,
wherein the p-type diffusion layer has a sheet resistance of from 35Ω/□ to 190Ω/□, and
wherein the shape of the acceptor element-containing glass powder is selected from the group consisting of a substantially spherical shape, a flat shape, a block shape, a plane shape, and a scale-like shape.

8. The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 7 , further including forming an electrode on the p-type diffusion layer.

9. The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 7 , wherein the acceptor element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al) and gallium (Ga).

10. The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 7 , wherein the acceptor element-containing glass powder comprises an acceptor element-containing material and a glass component material.

11. The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 10 , wherein the acceptor element-containing material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of B 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 and Ga 2 O 3 .

12. The method for producing a p-type diffusion layer according to claim 10 , wherein the glass component material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , K 2 O, Na 2 O, Li 2 O, BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO, ZnO, PbO, CdO, V 2 O 5 , SnO, ZrO 2 and MoO 3 .

Assignees

• Hitachi Chemical Co Ltd

Inventors

• Machii Youichi
• Yoshida Masato
• Nojiri Takeshi
• Okaniwa Kaoru
• Iwamuro Mitsunori
• Adachi Shuichiro

Classifications

• H10P32/171

  being group IV material · CPC title

• H10P32/141

  the applied layer comprising oxides only · CPC title

• H10P32/19 Primary

  Diffusion sources · CPC title

• H01L21/2225

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/1804

  Electricity · mapped topic