Method for producing photoelectric conversion element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9257593-B2
Application number	US-201314029367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2013
Priority date	Mar 25, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a method of producing a photovoltaic element comprising: a first step in which an i-type amorphous silicon layer ( 16 ) and an n-type amorphous silicon layer ( 14 ) are formed over a light-receiving surface of an n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate ( 18 ); a second step in which an i-type amorphous silicon layer ( 22 a ) and an n-type amorphous silicon layer ( 23 a ) are formed over a back surface of the n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate ( 18 ); and a third step in which, after the first step and the second step are completed, protection layers are formed over the n-type amorphous silicon layer ( 14 ) and the n-type amorphous silicon layer ( 23 a ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing a photovoltaic element, comprising:
a first step in which a first amorphous semiconductor-based layer is formed over a light-receiving surface of a crystalline semiconductor-based substrate;
a second step in which a second amorphous semiconductor-based layer is formed over a back surface of the crystalline semiconductor-based substrate; and
a third step in which, after the first step and the second step are completed, a first protection layer is formed over the first amorphous semiconductor-based layer after a second protection layer is formed over the second amorphous semiconductor-based layer,
wherein the first protection layer is directly in contact with the first amorphous semiconductor-based layer;
wherein the second amorphous semiconductor-based layer includes an n-type semiconductor layer provided in a first region and a p-type semiconductor layer provided in a second region different from the first region, and
the photovoltaic element includes a first electrode provided on the n-type semiconductor layer and a second electrode provided on the p-type semiconductor layer.

2. The method of producing the photovoltaic element according to claim 1 , wherein
the crystalline semiconductor-based substrate is of an n-type,
the first amorphous semiconductor-based layer comprises:
a first i-type amorphous semiconductor-based layer formed over the light-receiving surface of the crystalline semiconductor-based substrate; and
a first n-type amorphous semiconductor-based layer formed over the first i-type amorphous semiconductor-based layer, and
the second amorphous semiconductor-based layer comprises:
a second i-type amorphous semiconductor-based layer formed over the back surface of the crystalline semiconductor-based substrate; and
a second n-type amorphous semiconductor-based layer formed over the second i-type amorphous semiconductor-based layer.

3. The method of producing the photovoltaic element according to claim 1 , wherein
either one or both of the first protection layer and the second protection layer comprises at least one of the group of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, and silicon oxide.

4. The method of producing the photovoltaic element according to claim 2 , wherein
either one or both of the first protection layer and the second protection layer comprises at least one of the group of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, and silicon oxide.

Assignees

• Sanyo Electric Co
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashiguchi Taiki
• Kirihata Yutaka

Classifications

• H10F77/311 Primary

  for photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/219

  Arrangements for electrodes of back-contact photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• H10F77/148

  Shapes of potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F71/103

  including only Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10F10/166

  the Group IV-IV heterojunctions being heterojunctions of crystalline and amorphous materials, e.g. silicon heterojunction [SHJ] photovoltaic cells · CPC title