Compound semiconductor solar cell and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10861998-B2
Application number	US-201816007449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a compound semiconductor solar cell including forming a compound semiconductor layer; and forming a defect-removed portion formed of an empty space through removing a portion of the compound semiconductor layer where a defect existed prior to removal. The forming of the defect-removed portion includes forming a mask material layer on the compound semiconductor layer; forming a mask layer through forming an opening at a portion of the mask material layer corresponding to the portion of the compound semiconductor layer where the defect exists; and etching the compound semiconductor layer for removing the portion of the compound semiconductor layer where the defect exists through the opening of the mask layer to form the defect-removed portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a compound semiconductor solar cell, the method comprising:
forming a compound semiconductor layer; and
forming a defect-removed portion formed of an empty space through removing a portion of the compound semiconductor layer where a defect existed prior to removal,
wherein the forming of the defect-removed portion comprises:
forming a mask material layer on the compound semiconductor layer;
forming a mask layer through forming an opening at a portion of the mask material layer corresponding to the portion of the compound semiconductor layer where the defect exists; and
etching the compound semiconductor layer for removing the portion of the compound semiconductor layer where the defect exists through the opening of the mask layer to form the defect-removed portion, and

wherein the etching of the compound semiconductor layer is performed by a wet etching.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mask material layer comprises a photosensitive material, and
wherein, in the forming of the mask layer, the opening is formed by partially exposing the mask material layer using a laser exposure and developing the mask material layer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the defect is entirely removed in the etching of the compound semiconductor layer.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a partition portion at the compound semiconductor layer such that the compound semiconductor layer is partitioned to form a plurality of unit solar cells, after the forming of the compound semiconductor layer,
wherein the etching of the compound semiconductor layer and the forming of the partition portion are performed by the same etching process.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the mask material layer comprises a photosensitive material, and
wherein, in the forming of the mask layer, the opening and a partition opening corresponding to the partition portion are formed together by partially exposing the mask material layer using a laser exposure and developing the mask material layer.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the mask material layer comprises a photosensitive material, and
wherein the forming of the mask layer comprises:
first exposure of the mask material layer for the opening using a laser exposure;
second exposure of the mask material layer for a partition opening for the partition portion; and
developing for removing exposed portions or non-exposed portions formed by the first exposure and the second exposure,
wherein the first exposure and the second exposure are performed separately.

7. The method according of claim 6 , wherein the second exposure is performed using a mask and an ultraviolet lamp.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the second exposure is performed after the first exposure, or the first exposure is performed after the second exposure.

9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein an etched surface constituting a side surface of the defect-removed portion and an etched surface constituting a side surface of the partition portion are formed to have the same property.

10. The method according to claim 4 , wherein each of an etched surface constituting a side surface of the defect-removed portion and an etched surface constituting a side surface of the partition portion has an under-cut by the wet etching.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a first electrode having a pattern on a surface of the compound semiconductor layer on which the mask material layer is formed, between the forming of the compound semiconductor layer and the forming of the defect-removed portion,
wherein, in the forming of the defect-removed portion, the defect existing at a portion of the compound semiconductor layer where the first electrode is not positioned is removed.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a second electrode on a surface of the compound semiconductor layer opposite to a surface of the compound semiconductor layer on which the mask material layer is formed, between the forming of the compound semiconductor layer and the forming of the defect-removed portion,
wherein the defect-removed portion penetrates through the compound semiconductor layer to expose the second electrode, and
wherein the method further comprises forming an anti-reflection layer for covering the defect-removed portion of the compound semiconductor layer and a portion of the second electrode exposed through the defect-removed portion, after the forming of the defect-removed portion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Shin Junoh
• An Kitae
• Lee Huijae
• Cheun Hyeunseok

Classifications

• H10F77/211

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/707

  of the substrates or of layers on substrates, e.g. textured ITO layer on a glass substrate · CPC title

• H10F71/00 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment of devices covered by this subclass (patterning processes to connect thin photovoltaic cells in integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/33; manufacture or treatment of encapsulations or containers for integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, having photovoltaic cells H10F19/80; manufacture or treatment of integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one element in which radiation controls the flow of current H10F39/00) · CPC title

• H10F77/1248

  having three or more elements, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs or InGaAsP · CPC title

• H10F77/315

  the coatings being antireflective or having enhancing optical properties · CPC title