High voltage V-groove solar cell

US4376872A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• John C. Evans · Midland, US
• An-Ti Chai · North Ridgeville, US
• Chandra P. Goradia · Cleveland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 18, 1982
• Grant date: Mar 15, 1983
• Expiry date: Mar 18, 2002

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/50

Abstract

A high voltage multijunction solar cell comprises a plurality of discrete voltage generating regions, or unit cells, which are formed in a single semiconductor wafer (10) and are connected together so that the voltages of the individual cells are additive. The unit cells comprise doped regions of opposite conductivity types (30, 32) separated by a gap. The method includes forming V-shaped grooves (16) in the wafer and thereafter orienting the wafer so that ions of one conductivity type can be implanted in one face (e.g., 16a) of the groove while the other face (e.g., 16b) is shielded. A metallization layer (22) is applied and selectively etched away to provide connections between the unit cells.