Solar cell and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9825190-B2
Application number	US-201213526970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2012
Priority date	Jun 20, 2011
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A solar cell and a method for manufacturing the same are discussed. The solar cell includes a substrate of a first conductive type, an emitter region of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type, the emitter region forming a p-n junction along with the substrate, a passivation layer which is positioned on a back surface of the substrate and has a plurality of via holes exposing portions of the back surface of the substrate, a first electrode connected to the emitter region, and a second electrode which is positioned on a back surface of the passivation layer and is connected to the substrate through the plurality of via holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solar cell comprising:
a substrate of a first conductive type;
an emitter region of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type positioned on a front surface of the substrate, the emitter region forming a p-n junction along with the substrate;
an anti-reflection layer positioned on the emitter region;
a first electrode connected to the emitter region through the anti-reflection layer, the first electrode including a plurality of front electrodes positioned directly on the emitter region on the front surface of the substrate and at least one front electrode current collector positioned directly on the emitter region on the front surface of the substrate and extending in a direction crossing the plurality of front electrodes configured to connect the plurality of front electrodes;
a back passivation layer positioned on a back surface of the substrate, the back passivation layer having a plurality of via holes exposing a portion of the back surface of the substrate; and
a second electrode which is positioned on a back surface of the back passivation layer and is connected to the substrate through the plurality of via holes,
wherein the back passivation layer includes a silicon oxide layer positioned on the back surface of the substrate, the silicon oxide layer having a thickness of 50 nm to 200 nm and a refractive index of 1.3 to 1.7,
an amorphous silicon layer positioned on the silicon oxide layer, the amorphous silicon layer having a thickness of 50 nm to 100 nm and a refractive index of 3.0 to 3.8, and
an amorphous silicon nitride layer positioned directly on the amorphous silicon layer, the amorphous silicon nitride layer having a thickness of 10 nm to 50 nm and a refractive index of 1.8 to 1.9 configured to enhance an absorptance of the substrate with respect to light of a long wavelength equal to or greater than 1,000 nm.

2. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the refractive index of the amorphous silicon layer to the refractive index of the amorphous silicon nitride layer is about 1.57 to 2.11.

3. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the substrate is about 60 μm to 140 μm.

4. The solar cell of claim 1 , further comprising a back surface field region positioned at portions of the substrate contacting the second electrode.

5. A method for manufacturing a solar cell comprising:
forming an emitter region of a second conductive type opposite a first conductive type on a front surface of a substrate of the first conductive type;
forming an anti-reflection layer on the emitter region;
forming a first electrode connected to the emitter region through the anti-reflection layer, the first electrode including a plurality of front electrodes positioned directly on the emitter region on the front surface of the substrate and at least one front electrode current collector positioned directly on the emitter region on the front surface of the substrate and extending in a direction crossing the plurality of front electrodes configured to connect the plurality of front electrodes;
forming a back passivation layer of a multi-layered structure having a plurality of via holes on a back surface of the substrate; and
forming a second electrode connected to the substrate through the plurality of via holes of the back passivation layer,
wherein the forming of the back passivation layer includes:
forming a silicon oxide layer on the back surface of the substrate, the silicon oxide layer having a thickness of 50 nm to 200 nm and a refractive index of 1.3 to 1.7,
forming an amorphous silicon layer on the silicon oxide layer, the amorphous silicon layer having a thickness of 50 nm to 100 nm and a refractive index of 3.0 to 3.8, and
forming an amorphous silicon nitride layer directly on the amorphous silicon layer, the amorphous silicon nitride layer having a thickness of 10 nm to 50 nm and a refractive index of 1.8 to 1.9 configured to enhance an absorptance of the substrate with respect to light of a long wavelength equal to or greater than 1,000 nm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a ratio of the refractive index of the amorphous silicon layer to the refractive index of the amorphous silicon nitride layer is about 1.57 to 2.11.

7. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of via holes of the passivation layer are aligned in a direction parallel to a direction of the first electrode.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of via holes of the passivation layer are aligned in a direction parallel to a direction of the first electrode.

9. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode includes silver (Ag).

10. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode includes at least one of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), indium (In), titanium (Ti) and gold (Au).

11. The solar cell of claim 1 , wherein the solar cell further comprises a back electrode current collector electrically connected to the second electrode.

12. The solar cell of claim 11 , wherein the front electrode current collector and the back electrode current collector include silver (Ag).

13. The solar cell of claim 11 , wherein the back electrode current collector is positioned on the back passivation layer.

14. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of via holes of the back passivation layer is formed by a laser.

15. The method of claim 5 , further comprising forming a back surface field region positioned between portions of the substrate exposed through the plurality of via holes of the back passivation layer and the second electrode.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first electrode is formed by printing and thermal treatment of a paste containing silver (Ag).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second electrode is formed by printing and thermal treatment of a paste containing at least one of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), indium (In), titanium (Ti) and gold (Au).

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the back surface field region is formed by the thermal treatment to form the second electrode.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first and second electrodes are simultaneously thermal-treated.

Assignees

• Shim Seunghwan
• Park Sangwook
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Shim Seunghwan
• Park Sangwook

Classifications

• Y02E10/52

  PV systems with concentrators · CPC title

• H01L31/068

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/056

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/022425

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/02167 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic