Laser processing for high-efficiency thin crystalline silicon solar cell fabrication

US8399331B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Solexel, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Mehrdad M. Moslehi · Dallas, US
• Virendra V. Rana · Berkeley Heights, US
• Jianjun Liang · Fremont, US
• Pranav Anbalagan · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 27, 2011
• Grant date: Mar 19, 2013
• Expiry date: May 27, 2031

Classification

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

Abstract

Laser processing schemes are disclosed for producing various types of hetero-junction and homo-junction solar cells. The methods include base and emitter contact opening, selective doping, and metal ablation. Also, laser processing schemes are disclosed that are suitable for selective amorphous silicon ablation and selective doping for hetero-junction solar cells. These laser processing techniques may be applied to semiconductor substrates, including crystalline silicon substrates, and further including crystalline silicon substrates which are manufactured either through wire saw wafering methods or via epitaxial deposition processes, that are either planar or textured/three-dimensional. These techniques are highly suited to thin crystalline semiconductor, including thin crystalline silicon films.