Selective deposition for interdigitated patterns in solar cells

US10892377B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• IMEC VZW · BE
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D · BE

Inventors

• Menglei XU · Zhejiang, CN
• Twan Bearda · Mechelen, BE
• Hariharsudan Sivaramakrishnan Radhakrishnan · Leuven, BE
• Jef Poortmans · Kessel-Lo, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 14, 2019
• Grant date: Jan 12, 2021
• Expiry date: Sep 16, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50

Abstract

Example embodiments relate to selective deposition for interdigitated patterns in solar cells. One embodiment includes a method for creating an interdigitated pattern for a solar cell. The method includes providing a substrate of the solar cell. A surface of the substrate includes one or more exposed regions and one or more regions covered by a patterned first passivation layer stack protected by a hard mask. The method also includes selectively depositing a second passivation layer stack that includes at least a first layer of amorphous silicon (a-Si) on the one or more exposed regions such that the first passivation layer stack and the second passivation layer stack form the interdigitated pattern. Selectively depositing the second passivation layer stack includes adding a sublayer of the first layer on the hard mask, etching the added sublayer on the hard mask, and cleaning a surface of the remaining added sublayer.