Solar cell and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11239379-B2
Application number	US-201916456915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A solar cell can include a silicon substrate; a tunnel layer disposed on a first surface of the silicon substrate, the tunnel layer including a dielectric material; a polycrystalline silicon layer disposed on the tunnel layer; a dielectric layer disposed on the polycrystalline silicon layer; and an electrode penetrating through the dielectric layer and directly contacting with the polycrystalline silicon layer, wherein the polycrystalline silicon layer includes a metal crystal region positioned at a region where the polycrystalline silicon layer contacts the electrode, and wherein the metal crystal region includes a plurality of metal crystals, the plurality of metal crystals including a metal material same as a metal material included in the electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar cell, comprising:
a silicon substrate;
a tunnel layer disposed on a first surface of the silicon substrate, the tunnel layer including a dielectric material;
a polycrystalline silicon layer disposed on the tunnel layer;
a dielectric layer disposed on the polycrystalline silicon layer; and
an electrode penetrating through the dielectric layer and directly contacting with the polycrystalline silicon layer,
wherein the polycrystalline silicon layer includes a metal crystal region positioned at a region where the polycrystalline silicon layer contacts the electrode,
wherein the metal crystal region includes a plurality of metal crystals, the plurality of metal crystals including a metal material same as a metal material included in the electrode,
wherein the electrode includes a plurality of finger electrodes extending in a first direction and a bus electrode extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and
wherein an amount of glass frit per unit volume in the plurality of finger electrodes is less than an amount of glass frit per unit volume in the bus electrode.

2. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal crystals include a contact metal crystal directly contacting with the electrode.

3. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal crystals include an inner metal crystal positioned at an inside of the polycrystalline silicon layer, the inner metal crystal being spaced apart from the electrode.

4. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal crystals are positioned in a portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer that is closer to the electrode than the tunnel layer.

5. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the metal crystal region is positioned at a depth within ⅔ of a thickness of the polycrystalline silicon layer from a surface of the polycrystalline silicon layer.

6. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal crystals are positioned at a region where the polycrystalline silicon layer contacts the electrode.

7. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the tunnel layer is free of metal crystals.

8. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the electrode protrudes into the polycrystalline silicon layer.

9. The solar cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a doping region formed at a second surface of the silicon substrate by a diffusion of a dopant; and
another electrode connected to the doping region.

10. The solar cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first region of the polycrystalline silicon layer directly contacts with the plurality of finger electrodes and includes a portion of the plurality of metal crystals, and
wherein a second region of the polycrystalline silicon layer directly contacts with the bus electrode and is spaced apart from the plurality of metal crystals.

11. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode includes a metal material and a glass frit.

12. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the metal material per unit volume in the plurality of finger electrodes is greater than an amount of the metal material per unit volume in the bus electrode.

13. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the electrode protrudes into the polycrystalline silicon layer, and
wherein a degree that the plurality of finger electrodes protrude into the polycrystalline silicon layer is greater than a degree that the bus electrode protrudes into the polycrystalline silicon layer.

14. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of finger electrodes penetrate through the dielectric layer and protrude into the polycrystalline silicon layer, and
wherein the bus electrode is spaced apart from the polycrystalline silicon layer on the dielectric layer.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ha Jungmin
• Kim Sungjin
• Cheong Juhwa
• Ahn Junyong
• Choi Hyungwook
• Chang Wonjae
• Kim Jaesung

Classifications

• H10F71/133

  Providing edge isolation · CPC title

• H10F10/14

  Photovoltaic cells having only PN homojunction potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F10/165

  the heterojunctions being Group IV-IV heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge, SiGe/Si or Si/SiC photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/1645

  including microcrystalline silicon · CPC title

• H10F77/937

  Busbar structures for modules · CPC title