Patent ID: 8324499
Filing Date: 2012-12-04
Classification: H01L,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional monocrystalline silicon thin-film solar cell, comprising: forming a three-dimensional thin-film monocrystalline silicon solar cell substrate having an area measuring at least 125 mm×125 mm and having a first set and a second set of structural surface topography features: said three-dimensional thin-film monocrystalline silicon solar cell substrate formed by the steps of: forming a sacrificial porous silicon layer on a reusable monocrystalline silicon template, said reusable monocrystalline silicon template comprising a template substrate, said template substrate comprising a plurality of discrete and isolated hexagonal posts having a central axis positioned substantially perpendicular to a surface of said reusable template and a plurality of interconnected continuous trenches interspersed among and bordering said plurality of discrete and isolated hexagonal posts; subsequently depositing an in-situ doped monocrystalline silicon layer doped with a first dopant and having a thickness in the range of approximately 1 to 30 microns using an epitaxial silicon growth process; and releasing said monocrystalline silicon layer from said reusable monocrystalline silicon template at said sacrificial porous silicon layer; subsequently performing the following processing steps on said three-dimensional monocrystalline silicon thin-film solar cell substrate released from said reusable monocrystalline silicon template, the steps comprising: