Methods for improving solar cell lifetime and efficiency

US8901010B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SUNPOWER CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Staffan Westerberg · Sunnyvale, US
• Florito Dennis Tingchuy Vicente · Parañaque, PH
• Michael Cudzinovic · Sunnyvale, US
• Princess Carmi Tomada · Pagsanjan, PH
• Jemellee Guiao · Pagsanjan, PH

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 15, 2013
• Grant date: Dec 2, 2014
• Expiry date: Mar 15, 2033

Classification

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

Abstract

Methods for protecting a texturized region and a lightly doped diffusion region of a solar cell to improve solar cell lifetime and efficiency are disclosed. In an embodiment, an example method includes providing a solar cell having a front side which faces the sun during normal operation and a back side opposite the front side, a silicon substrate and where the silicon substrate includes a texturized region and a lightly doped diffusion region. The method includes placing the solar cell on a receiving medium with the front side of the solar cell placed on an upper surface of the receiving medium, where the upper surface of the receiving medium prevents damage to the to the lightly doped diffusion region and damage to the texturized region on the front side of the solar cell during a contact printing process or transferring. In an embodiment, the lightly doped diffusion region has a doping concentration below 1×1019 cm−3 and the receiving medium includes a material having a moh's hardness in the range of 5-10.