Solar cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10644171-B2
Application number	US-201715727341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A solar cell can include a photoelectric conversion unit including a semiconductor substrate, a tunneling layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a first conductive type region and a second conductive type region disposed on the tunneling layer at a same side of the semiconductor substrate, and a barrier region disposed between the first and second conductive type regions; and an electrode disposed on the photoelectric conversion unit and including an adhesive layer disposed on the first and second conductive type regions, and an electrode layer disposed on the adhesive layer, in which the adhesive layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the photoelectric conversion unit and is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the electrode layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar cell comprising:
a photoelectric conversion unit comprising:
a semiconductor substrate,
a tunneling layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate,
a first conductive type region and a second conductive type region both disposed on the tunneling layer at a same side of the semiconductor substrate, and
a barrier region disposed between the first and second conductive type regions; and

a plurality of electrodes respectively formed on the first conductive type region and the second conductive type region, and each electrode among the plurality of electrodes comprising:
an adhesive layer disposed on the first and second conductive type regions, and
an electrode layer disposed on the adhesive layer,

wherein the adhesive layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the photoelectric conversion unit and is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the electrode layer,
wherein the adhesive layer has transparency and the electrode layer comprises a reflective material, and
wherein the first conductive type region, the second conductive type region, and the barrier region are disposed on a same plane.

2. The solar cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulating layer disposed on the first and second conductive type regions and the barrier region.

3. The solar cell of claim 2 , wherein the insulating layer includes openings exposing the first conductive type region or the second conductive type region.

4. The solar cell of claim 3 , wherein electrodes are connected to the first conductive type region or the second conductive type region via the openings in the insulating layer.

5. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the adhesive layer is greater than coefficients of thermal expansion of both the first conductive type region and the second conductive type region.

6. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises titanium (Ti) or tungsten (W).

7. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode layer comprises a plurality of layers, and the adhesive layer has a smaller thickness than each of the plurality of layers of the electrode layer.

8. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer has a thickness of approximately 50 nm or less.

9. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion unit includes at least one of a semiconductor substrate and a semiconductor layer, and
wherein the semiconductor substrate or the semiconductor layer comprises silicon (Si), and a portion of the electrode layer adjacent to the adhesive layer comprises at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), gold (Au), and alloys thereof.

10. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode layer comprises:
a first electrode layer disposed on the adhesive layer and comprising a reflective material, and
a second electrode layer disposed on the first electrode layer and connected to a ribbon.

11. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the first electrode layer comprises at least one of Cu, Al, Ag, Au, and alloys thereof.

12. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the second electrode layer comprises at least one of tin (Sn) and a nickel (Ni)-vanadium (V) alloy.

13. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the electrode layer further comprises a third electrode layer disposed on the first electrode layer and disposed between the first and second electrode layers.

14. The solar cell according to claim 13 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises titanium (Ti),
wherein the first electrode layer comprises an aluminum (Al),
wherein the second electrode layer comprises a nickel (Ni)-vanadium (V) alloy, and
wherein the third electrode layer comprises Cu.

15. The solar cell according to claim 14 , wherein the third electrode layer is formed by plating and has a convex shape or a rounded shape, and
wherein the third electrode layer is wider than the first and second electrode layers.

16. The solar cell according to claim 13 , wherein the electrode layer further comprises a seed electrode layer disposed between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer.

17. The solar cell according to claim 16 , wherein the seed electrode layer is formed by sputtering and comprises Cu.

18. A solar cell comprising:
a photoelectric conversion unit comprising:
a first conductive type region and a second conductive type region both disposed on a same side of the photoelectric conversion unit; and
a plurality of electrodes respectively formed on the first conductive type region and the second conductive type region, and each electrode among the plurality of electrodes comprising:
an adhesive layer disposed on the photoelectric conversion unit, and
an electrode layer disposed on the adhesive layer,

wherein the adhesive layer comprises titanium (Ti) or tungsten (W),
wherein the adhesive layer has transparency and the electrode layer comprises a reflective material, and
wherein the first conductive type region, the second conductive type region, and the barrier region are disposed on a same plane.

19. A solar cell comprising:
a photoelectric conversion unit comprising:
a semiconductor substrate,
a tunneling layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate,
a first conductive type region and a second conductive type region both disposed on the tunneling layer at a same side of the semiconductor substrate, and
a barrier region disposed between the first and second conductive type regions; and

a plurality of electrodes respectively formed on the first conductive type region and the second conductive type region, and each electrode among the plurality of electrodes comprising:
an adhesive layer disposed on the first and second conductive type regions, and
an electrode layer disposed on the adhesive layer,

wherein the adhesive layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the photoelectric conversion unit and is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the electrode layer, and
wherein the first conductive type region, the second conductive type region, and the barrier region are disposed on a same plane.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Nam Jeongbeom
• Yang Doohwan
• Lee Eunjoo
• Jung Ilhyoung

Classifications

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• Y02E10/547

  Monocrystalline silicon PV cells · CPC title

• H01L31/056

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022425 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022441

  Electricity · mapped topic