Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric – Photoelectric – Cells
Patent
1996-03-26
1998-01-06
Weisstuch, Aaron
Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric
Photoelectric
Cells
136256, 437 2, 437249, H01L 3106, H01L 3118
Patent
active
057049920
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to solar cells and a method for producing solar cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various solar cells and methods of manufacturing solar cells are disclosed in the following previously published documents: 2585-2586;
Document D1 discloses a substrate having a grid formed by V-shaped grooves which are created by means of an anisotropic etching process using photolithographic steps. In particular, D1 discloses differential etching to produce an array of ink jet nozzles. Lithography is used to define the position of the nozzles on the silicon wafer. As shown in FIG. 2, a differential etch may be applied to one side of the wafer and the same etching applied to the other side of the wafer. The etching produces grooves in the shape of a truncated pyramid.
Document D2 discloses mechanical surface structuring which provides V-shaped grooves on a substrate surface wherein the working solar cell is prepared by mechanically texturing the surface. The grooves on the surface are formed using a conventional silicon dicing saw and beveled blades may be used. Document D2 discloses that the mechanical structuring used therein is similar to a previous technique, but that beveled blades rather than rectangular blades are used. Following the mechanical structuring, the sawing damage is removed using various etchants. However, document D2 discloses surface structuring limited to only one side of a silicon wafer.
The same feature also applies to the solar cells disclosed in document D3, namely surface structuring limited to only one side of the silicon wafer.
One aspect of the manufacturing technology disclosed by document D1 is that creating grooves on a substrate by means of an anisotropic etching process is very time-consuming and subject to geometric limitations. As noted in document D1, the etching process may also result in cracks and defects, depending on the geometry of the nozzles. As to documents D2 and D3, the solar cells disclosed therein are structured on only one side of the wafer and as such are one-sidedly effective. Transferring the principle known from document D1 for creating a grid to solar cells according to documents D2 and D3 encountered considerable technical reservations, particularly due to the thin components to be processed.
Therefore, what is needed is high efficiency solar cells which can be easily produced from thin components wherein the entire volume of the solar cells is efficiently utilized rather than only a portion of the volume associated with a particular side of the substrate wafer. What is also needed is a method of quickly and easily producing high efficiency solar cells without geometric limitations on the surface structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides solar cells which are structured to allow double-sided utilization of the solar cells to thereby increase the efficiency of the solar cells. The present invention also provides a method for quickly and easily producing such high efficiency solar cells.
In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a high efficiency solar cell which is easily manufactured using various processing methods. The present solar cell is formed on a substrate, for example on a semiconductor wafer, in which charge carriers can be generated by the energy of incident rays, which charge carriers can be separated by an electrical field and thereafter dissipated via electrically conducting contacts. The high efficiency solar cell of the present invention incorporates a double sided structure having a plurality of grooves formed on the two sides of the solar cell. The plurality of grooves on the two sides of the solar cell form a grid pattern of regularly arranged through holes. The plurality of grooves are generally equidistant, parallel and V-shaped, although other groove profiles and arrangements are possible as described further below, with the grooves on the two sides of the solar cell inscribing an angle relative to each other. The
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Fath Peter
Willeke Gerhard
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