Patent ID: 7375378

Claim:
A photovoltaic device comprising: a photovoltaic cell comprising: an emitter layer comprising a crystalline semiconductor material; a lightly doped crystalline substrate disposed adjacent the emitter layer, wherein the lightly doped crystalline substrate and the emitter layer are oppositely doped; and wherein the lightly doped crystalline substrate comprises a single crystal or a poly crystal semiconductor material; and a back surface passivated structure comprising: a highly doped back surface field layer disposed adjacent the lightly doped crystalline substrate wherein the highly doped back surface field layer comprises a doped amorphous or a doped microcrystalline semiconductor material, wherein the highly doped back surface field layer and the lightly doped crystalline substrate are similarly doped, and wherein a doping level of the highly doped back surface field layer is higher than a doping level of the lightly doped crystalline substrate.