Solar cell with doped groove regions separated by ridges

US9559228B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9559228-B2
Application numberUS-201113250988-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateSep 30, 2011
Priority dateSep 30, 2011
Publication dateJan 31, 2017
Grant dateJan 31, 2017

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Abstract

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Solar cells with doped groove regions separated by ridges and methods of fabricating solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a surface with a plurality of grooves and ridges. A first doped region of a first conductivity type is disposed in a first of the grooves. A second doped region of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, is disposed in a second of the grooves. The first and second grooves are separated by one of the ridges.

First claim

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What is claimed is: 1. A solar cell, comprising: a substrate having a surface with a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ridges, each of the plurality of grooves having a bottommost surface with a plane parallel with a plane of an uppermost surface of each of the plurality of ridges, wherein the bottommost surface of each of the plurality of grooves is smooth, and wherein the substrate has an undoped or lightly doped region; a first doped region of the substrate having a concentration of dopants higher than the undoped or lightly doped region of the substrate, the first doped region of a first conductivity type and disposed below the bottommost surface of a first groove of the plurality of grooves; and a second doped region of the substrate having a concentration of dopants higher than the undoped or lightly doped region of the substrate, the second doped region of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, and disposed below the bottommost surface of a second groove of the plurality of grooves, the first and second grooves separated by one of the plurality of ridges, wherein the first doped region of the substrate extends continuously between the one of the plurality of ridges and a directly adjacent second of the plurality of ridges and is contiguous with the second doped region of the substrate, wherein the first doped region of the substrate only includes dopants of the first conductivity type, wherein the second doped region of the substrate extends by an amount into the one of the plurality of ridges and wherein the one of the plurality of ridges is entirely filled with the first doped region and the second doped region. 2. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon, the first doped region of the substrate only includes n-type dopants for silicon, and the second doped region of the substrate comprises p-type dopants for silicon. 3. A solar cell, comprising: a substrate having a surface with a plurality of grooves and a plurality of ridges, each of the plurality of grooves having a bottommost surface with a plane parallel with a plane of an uppermost surface of each of the plurality of ridges and wherein the substrate has an undoped or lightly doped region; a first doped region of the substrate having a concentration of dopants higher than the undoped or lightly doped region of the substrate, the first doped region of a first conductivity type and disposed below the bottommost surface of a first groove of the plurality of grooves; and a second doped region of the substrate having a concentration of dopants higher than the undoped or lightly doped region of the substrate, the second doped region of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, and disposed below the bottommost surface of a second groove of the plurality of grooves, the first and second grooves separated by one of the plurality of ridges, wherein the first doped region of the substrate extends continuously between the one of the plurality of ridges and a directly adjacent second of the plurality of ridges and is contiguous with the second doped region of the substrate, wherein the first doped region of the substrate only includes dopants of the first conductivity type, wherein the second doped region of the substrate extends by an amount into the one of the plurality of ridges and wherein the one of the plurality of ridges is entirely filled with the first doped region and the second doped region. 4. The solar cell of claim 3 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon, the first doped region of the substrate only includes n-type dopants for silicon, and the second doped region of the substrate comprises p-type dopants for silicon. 5. The solar cell of claim 3 , wherein the bottommost surface of each of the plurality of grooves is smooth.

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What does patent US9559228B2 cover?
Solar cells with doped groove regions separated by ridges and methods of fabricating solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate having a surface with a plurality of grooves and ridges. A first doped region of a first conductivity type is disposed in a first of the grooves. A second doped region of a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type,…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Molesa Steven Edward, Pass Thomas, Kraft Steve, and 1 more
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H01L31/02363. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Jan 31 2017 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).