Passivation process for solar cell fabrication

US8168462B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Peter G. Borden · Mountain View, US
• Michael P. Stewart · Houston, US
• Li Xu · San Jose, US
• Hemant P. Mungekar · Campbell, US
• Christopher S. Olsen · Fremont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 5, 2009
• Grant date: May 1, 2012
• Expiry date: Sep 25, 2029

Classification

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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention contemplate the formation of a high efficiency solar cell using a novel plasma oxidation process to form a passivation film stack on a surface of a solar cell substrate. In one embodiment, the methods include providing a substrate having a first type of doping atom on a back surface of the substrate and a second type of doping atom on a front surface of the substrate, plasma oxidizing the back surface of the substrate to form an oxidation layer thereon, and forming a silicon nitride layer on the oxidation layer.