Patent · US Active

Solar cell texturing

US8951825B1 · kind B1 · utility

8Cited by
18References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 10, 2013
Grant dateFeb 10, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 10, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells having patterned light trapping structures (e.g., pyramid or trough features) are generated by printing a liquid mask material from an array of closely-spaced parallel elongated conduits such that portions of the mc-Si wafer are exposed through openings defined between the printed mask features. Closely spaced mask pattern features are achieved using an array of conduits (e.g., micro-springs or straight polyimide cantilevers), where each conduit includes a slit-type, tube-type or ridge/valley-type liquid guiding channel that extends between a fixed base end and a tip end of the conduit such that mask material supplied from a reservoir is precisely ejected from the tip onto the mc-Si wafer. The exposed planar surface portions are then etched to form the desired patterned light trapping structures (e.g., trough structures).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.