Methods of fabricating solar cell chips

US7897434B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Hans-Juergen Eickelmann · Mainz, DE
• Michael Haag · Boulder, US
• Harold J. Hovel · Katonah, US
• Rainer Krause · Hochheim, DE
• Markus Schmidt · Seibersbach, DE
• Xiaoyan Shao · Yorktown Heights, US
• Steven E. Steen · Titicus, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 12, 2008
• Grant date: Mar 1, 2011
• Expiry date: Mar 20, 2029

Classification

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

Abstract

A method of fabricating solar cell chips. The method includes creating an integrated circuit chip process route for fabricating integrated circuit chips using integrated circuit wafers in an integrated circuit fabrication facility; creating a solar cell process route for fabricating solar cells using solar cell wafers in the integrated circuit fabrication facility; releasing integrated circuit chip wafers and solar cell wafers into tool queues of tools of the an integrated circuit fabrication facility; and processing the solar cell wafers on at least some tools of the integrated circuit fabrication facility used to process the integrated circuit wafers. Also the process used to fabricate the solar cell chips.