Silicon cells made by self-aligned selective-emitter plasma-etch

Details Silicon cells made by self-aligned selective-emitter plasma-etch Silicon cells made by self-aligned selective-emitter plasma-etch

1998-11-13

2000-07-18

Chapman, Mark

Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric

Photoelectric

Cells

136255, 136256, H01L 3100

Patent

active

060910216

ABSTRACT:
Photovoltaic cells and methods for making them are disclosed wherein the metallized grids of the cells are used to mask portions of cell emitter regions to allow selective etching of phosphorus-doped emitter regions. The preferred etchant is SF.sub.6 or a combination of SF.sub.6 and O.sub.2. This self-aligned selective etching allows for enhanced blue response (versus cells with uniform heavy doping of the emitter) while preserving heavier doping in the region beneath the gridlines needed for low contact resistance. Embodiments are disclosed for making cells with or without textured surfaces. Optional steps include plasma hydrogenation and PECVD nitride deposition, each of which are suited to customized applications for requirements of given cells to be manufactured. The techniques disclosed could replace expensive and difficult alignment methodologies used to obtain selectively etched emitters, and they may be easily integrated with existing plasma processing methods and techniques of the invention may be accomplished in a single plasma-processing chamber.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5871591 (1999-02-01), Ruby et al.
J. Horzel, et al., Proc. 28.sup.th PVSC, Sep. 1997, pp. 139-142.
K. Fukui, Y. Inomata, K. Shirasawa, "Surface Texturing Using Reactive Ion Etching for Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells."
D. S. Ruby, W. L. Wilbanks, C. B. Fleddermann, and J. I. Hanoka, "The Effect of Hydrogen-Plasma and PECVD-Nitride Deposition on Bulk and Surface Passivation in String-Ribbon Silicon Solar Cells," Proc. 13.sup.th EPSEC, Oct. 1995, pp. 1412-1414.
T. Lauinger, A. Aberle, and R. Hezel, "Comparison of Direct and Remote PECVD Silicon Nitride Films for Low-Temperature Surface Passivation," Proc. 14.sup.th EPSEC, Jun.-Jul., 1997.
D. S. Ruby, W. L. Wilbanks, C. B. Fleddermann, "A Statistical Analysis of the Effect of PECVD Deposition Parameters on Surface and Bul Recombination in Silicon Solar Cells," Proc. 1.sup.st WCPEC, Dec., 1994, pp. 1335-1338.
D. S. Ruby, et al., "Optimization of Plasma Deposition and Etching Processes for Commercial Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells," Proc. 25.sup.th PVSC, May 1996, pp. 637-640.
D. S. Ruby, P. Yang, M. Roy and S. Narayanan, "Recent Progress on the Self-Aligned, Selective-Emitter Silicon Solar Cells," Proc. 26.sup.th IEEE PVSC, Anaheim, CA, Sep. 1997, pp. 39-42 (Does not disclose texturing--other subject matter covered by parent application filing date).
Y. Inomata, K. Fukui, K. Shirasawa, "Surface Texturing of Large Area Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells Using Reactive Ion Etching Method," Technical Digest of the International PVSEC-9, Miyazaki, Japan, 1996, pp. 109-110.
S. H. Zaidi, S. R. J. Brueck, "Si Texturing with Sub-Wavelength Structures," Proc. 26.sup.th PVSC, Sep. 1997.
P. Doshi, G. E. Jellison, Jr., and A. Rohatgi, "Characterization and optimization of absorbing plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition antireflection coatings for silicon photovoltaics," Appl. Opt., 36, Oct. 20, 1997.

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