Patent ID: 8921968

Claim:
A solar cell comprising: a substrate comprising a p-type base layer; an n-type selective emitter layer disposed over the p-type base layer, the n-type selective emitter layer comprising: one or more first doped regions and one or more second doped regions, wherein the one or more first doped regions are more heavily doped than the one or more second doped regions, and wherein a resistance ratio between the one or more first doped regions and the one or more second doped regions is from about 0.25 to about 0.625; and a p-n junction at the interface of the base layer and the selective emitter layer; wherein the selective emitter is formed by the use of a hybrid diffusion and ion implantation process, wherein the one or more first dosed regions comprise an ion implanted dopant, wherein the ion implanted dopant comprises phosphorous, wherein the one or more second doped regions comprise a diffused dopant, wherein the diffused dopant is formed by introducing a dopant for diffusion in the form of phosphorous oxychloride (POCl 3 ), and wherein an additional dopant is diffused into a front surface of the base layer, creating misfit dislocations in the selective emitter layer to provide a sink for iron gettering; and injecting interstitials into the substrate to drive iron from substitutional sites into interstitial sites such that the iron diffuses rapidly to the gettering sink.