Composition for forming N-type diffusion layer, method of forming N-type diffusion layer, and method of producing photovoltaic cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9608143-B2
Application number	US-201314076225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2013
Priority date	Apr 23, 2010
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

The composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer in accordance with the present invention contains a glass powder and a dispersion medium, in which the glass powder includes an donor element and a total amount of the life time killer element in the glass powder is 1000 ppm or less. An n-type diffusion layer and a photovoltaic cell having an n-type diffusion layer are prepared by applying the composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer, followed by a thermal diffusion treatment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming an n-type diffusion layer, the method comprising: providing a composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer, the composition comprising a glass powder and a dispersion medium, wherein the glass powder includes a donor element and a total amount of a life time killer element in the glass powder is 1000 ppm or less, and wherein the glass powder has an average particle diameter of 3.5 μm or less; applying the composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer to a semiconductor substrate; and conducting a thermal diffusion treatment to diffuse the donor element into the semiconductor substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the donor element is at least one selected from phosphorous (P) or antimony (Sb).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass powder comprises at least one donor element-containing material selected from P 2 O 3 , P 2 O 5 or Sb 2 O 3 , and at least one glass component material selected from SiO 2 , K 2 O, Na 2 O, Li 2 O, BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO, ZnO, PbO, CdO, SnO, ZrO 2 or MoO 3 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer further comprises a metal element that is crystallized upon reacting with the glass powder.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the metal element that is crystallized upon reacting with the glass powder is at least one selected from silver (Ag), silicon (Si) or zinc (Zn).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the life time killer element is at least one selected from iron (Fe), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W) or gold (Au).

7. A method of producing a photovoltaic cell, the method comprising: providing a composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer, the composition comprising a glass powder and a dispersion medium, wherein the glass powder includes a donor element and a total amount of a life time killer element in the glass powder is 1000 ppm or less, and wherein the glass powder has an average particle diameter of 3.5 μm or less; applying the composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer to a semiconductor substrate; and conducting a thermal diffusion treatment to form an n-type diffusion layer in the semiconductor substrate by diffusion of the donor element; and forming an electrode on the n-type diffusion layer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the donor element is at least one selected from phosphorous (P) or antimony (Sb).

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the glass powder comprises at least one donor element-containing material selected from P 2 O 3 , P 2 O 5 or Sb 2 O 3 , and at least one glass component material selected from SiO 2 , K 2 O, Na 2 O, Li 2 O, BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO, ZnO, PbO, CdO, SnO, ZrO 2 or MoO 3 .

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer further comprises a metal element that is crystallized upon reacting with the glass powder.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the metal element that is crystallized upon reacting with the glass powder is at least one selected from silver (Ag), silicon (Si) or zinc (Zn).

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the life time killer element is at least one selected from iron (Fe), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W) or gold (Au).

Assignees

• Hitachi Chemical Co Ltd
• Hitachi Chemical Co Ltd

Inventors

• Machii Youichi
• Yoshida Masato
• Nojiri Takeshi
• Okaniwa Kaoru
• Iwamuro Mitsunori
• Adachi Shuichiro
• Sato Tetsuya
• Kizawa Keiko

Classifications

• H10P32/171

  being group IV material · CPC title

• H10P32/141

  the applied layer comprising oxides only · CPC title

• H10P32/19

  Diffusion sources · 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

• H10F71/121

  The active layers comprising only Group IV materials · CPC title