Solar cell and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269839-B2
Application number	US-201314038159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A solar cell is discussed. The solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a p-type conductive region formed at the semiconductor substrate and including a p-type impurity, and a passivation film formed on the p-type conductive region and including aluminum oxide. The passivation film has a thickness of 7 to 17 Å.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar cell comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a p-type conductive region formed at the semiconductor substrate and comprising a p-type impurity; and
a passivation film formed on the p-type conductive region and comprising aluminum oxide,
wherein the passivation film has a thickness of 7 to 17 Å, and
wherein the aluminum oxide has a chemical formula of AlO 1.5+X , where 0<x≦0.5.

2. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the aluminum oxide has the chemical formula of AlO 1.5+X , where 0.001≦x≦0.5.

3. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the p-type conductive region comprises an emitter layer formed at a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the passivation film is formed on the emitter layer.

4. The solar cell according to claim 1 , wherein the p-type conductive region comprises a back surface field layer formed at a back surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the passivation film is formed on the back surface field layer.

5. The solar cell according to claim 4 , further comprising an electrode formed on the passivation film and electrically connected to the p-type conductive region,
wherein the electrode is entirely formed on the passivation film and is in point contact with the p-type conductive region.

6. The solar cell according to claim 5 , wherein the back surface field layer of the p-type conductive region is locally formed in a region adjacent to a portion of the electrode.

7. The solar cell according to claim 1 , further comprising an n-type conductive region formed at a back surface of the semiconductor substrate to be spaced apart from the p-type conductive region.

8. The solar cell according to claim 7 , wherein the passivation film is formed on the p-type conductive region, and
the solar cell further comprises another passivation film formed on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate to cover the passivation film and the n-type conductive region.

9. The solar cell according to claim 7 , further comprising a front surface field layer formed at a front surface of the semiconductor substrate.

10. A solar cell comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a first conductive type region formed at the semiconductor substrate;
a second conductive type region formed at the semiconductor substrate to be spaced apart from the first conductive type region; and
a passivation film formed on any one of the first and second conductive type regions and comprising aluminum oxide,
wherein the aluminum oxide has a chemical formula AlO 1.5+X , where 0<x≦0.5.

11. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the aluminum oxide has the chemical formula AlO 1.5+X where 0.001≦x≦0.5.

12. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the passivation film has a thickness of 7 to 17 Å.

13. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the first conductive type region is formed at a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the second conductive type region is formed at a back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

14. The solar cell according to claim 13 , wherein the second conductive type region is locally formed in a region adjacent to a portion of the electrode.

15. The solar cell according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second conductive type regions are formed at a back surface of the semiconductor substrate to be spaced apart from each other, and
the solar cell further comprises a front surface field layer formed at a front surface of the semiconductor substrate.

16. A method of manufacturing a solar cell, the method comprising:
forming a p-type conductive region comprising a p-type impurity at a semiconductor substrate; and
forming a passivation film comprising aluminum oxide on the p-type conductive region,
wherein the passivation film has a thickness of 7 to 17 Å, and
wherein the aluminum oxide has a chemical formula AlO 1.5+X , where 0<x≦0.5.

17. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the aluminum oxide has the chemical formula AlO 1.5+X , where 0.001≦x≦0.5.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the passivation film is formed by atomic layer deposition.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Hyunho
• Lee Kyoungsoo
• Park Changseo

Classifications

• H10F77/1642

  including only Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10F77/219

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

• H10F10/14

  Photovoltaic cells having only PN homojunction potential barriers · CPC title

• H10F71/00

  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

• H10F77/30

  Coatings (arrangements for preventing damage to photovoltaic cells caused by corpuscular radiation H10F77/80) · CPC title