Patent ID: 9059341
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: H01L,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for manufacturing an interdigitated back contact solar cell, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate doped with a first dopant, the substrate comprising a front, sunward facing surface, and a rear surface; (b) doping the rear surface of the silicon substrate with a second dopant in a first pattern; (c) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the rear surface; (d) depositing a silicon-containing paste comprising silicon-containing particles on the silicon dioxide layer in a second pattern; (e) exposing the substrate to a diffusion ambient at a first temperature and for a first time period in order to form a doped silicate glass layer around the substrate, wherein the diffusion ambient comprises a third dopant and wherein the third dopant is a counter dopant to the second dopant; (f) heating the substrate in a drive-in ambient to a second temperature and for a second time in order to locally diffuse the third dopant into the rear surface underneath the second pattern and in order to diffuse the third dopant into the front surface; and (g) removing the silicon dioxide layer and the doped silicate glass layer from the silicon substrate, wherein a region doped with the second dopant and a region doped with the third dopant collectively form an interdigitated pattern on the rear surface of the silicon substrate.