Newsouth Innovations Pty Limited

Alison Joan Lennon

Stuart Ross Wenham

Jing Ji

Alison Maree Wenham

Valantis Vais

Anita Wing Yi Ho-Baillie

Zhongtian Li

Pei Hsuan Lu

Matthew Bruce Edwards

Budi Tjahjono

Roland Yudadibrata Utama

Xi Wang

Nicole Bianca Kuepper

Vincent Akira Allen

Pei Chieh Hsiao

Budi Santoso Tjahjono

Jingnan Tong

The present disclosure provides a method for treating a surface portion of a TCO material in a semiconductor device that comprises a structure arranged to facilitate current flow in one direction. To perform the method the surface portion of the TCO is exposed to an electrolyte and a current is induced in the device. The current allows reducing the TCO material in a manner such that the adhesion of a metallic material to the exposed surface portion is improved over the adhesion of the metallic material to a non-exposed surface portion.

Method and an apparatus for treating a surface of a TCO material, in a semiconductor device

The present disclosure provides a method of patterning a polymeric layer based on the chemical reaction of two chemical compounds. One chemical compound is provided in the polymeric layer and another chemical compound is deposited on the polymeric layer by, for example, ink-jet printing. The method allows for fabrication of, for example, metallization patterns for solar cells electronic components, integrated devices and formation of selective doped areas in solar cells amongst others.

Method of patterning a layer

A solar cell and a method of forming a contact structure on a solar cell having a p-n junction formed between a first semiconductor region of a first dopant polarity and a second semiconductor region of a second dopant polarity opposite to the first dopant polarity. The method comprises: forming a plurality of contact points on a surface of the solar cell, whereby the contact points provide an electrical connection to the first semiconductor region; and locating a plurality of conducting wires over the solar cell to make electrical connection to the contact points. The contact points are either an exposed silicon surface or a silicon surface over which metal pads are formed. The metal pads may comprise a plated layer of a low-melting temperature metal and/or may have a thickness of less than 5 microns.

Solar cell metallisation and interconnection method

A method of forming an oxide layer on an exposed surface of a semiconductor device which contains a p-n junction is disclosed, the method comprising: immersing the exposed surface of the semiconductor device in an electrolyte; producing an electric field in the semiconductor device such that the p-n junction is forward-biased and the exposed surface is anodic; and electrochemically oxidizing the exposed surface to form an oxide layer.

Passivation scheme for solar cells

A dielectric, structure and a method of forming a dielectric structure for a rear surface of a silicon solar cell are provided. The method comprises forming a first dielectric layer over the rear surface of the silicon solar cell, and then depositing a layer of metal such as aluminum over the first dielectric layer. The metal layer is then anodized to form a porous layer and a material layer is deposited over a surface of the porous layer such that the material deposits on the surface of the porous layer without contacting the silicon surface.

Dielectric structures in solar cells

A method of depositing metal on an exposed surface of a p-type semiconductor region of a semiconductor device comprising a p-n junction is disclosed, the method comprising: immersing the exposed surface of the p-type semiconductor region on which the metal is to be deposited in a solution of metal ions; producing an electric field in the semiconductor device such that the p-n junction is forward biased; electrochemically depositing the metal on the exposed surface of the p-type semiconductor region of the semiconductor device by reduction of metal ions in the solution.

Metal contact scheme for solar cells

A method of forming contacts on a surface emitter of a silicon solar cell is provided. In the method an n-type diffusion of a surface is performed to form a doped emitter surface layer that has a sheet resistance of 10-40 &#x3a9;/&#x25a1;. The emitter surface layer is then etched back to increase the sheet resistance of the emitter surface layer. Finally the surface is selectively plated. A method of fabrication of a silicon solar cell includes performing a front surface emitter diffusion of n-type dopant and then performing a dielectric deposition on the front surface by PECVD. The dielectric deposition comprises: The silicon is then annealed to drive hydrogen from the silicon nitride layer into the silicon to passivate the silicon.

Metallization method for silicon solar cells

A method is provided for forming an opening in a layer of a selected material. The method comprises, forming a polymer resist layer over said selected material and plasticising areas of the resist where openings are to be formed. The plasticising is performed by depositing a first solution onto the surface of said polymer resist layer, where the first solution is a plasticiser selected to increase permeability of the polymer resist layer to a second solution, in an area which has absorbed the first solution. The second solution is selected to be an etchant or solvent for the selected material. After the resist layer has been selectively plasticised, it is contacted with the second solution, which permeates the polymer resist layer in the area of increased permeability and forms an opening in the selected material.

Method of forming openings in selected material

Surface processing in which the area to be processed is restricted to a predetermined pattern, can be achieved by: (a) providing a layer of a first reagent over a region of the surface to be processed which at least covers an area of the predetermined pattern; (b) providing one or more further reagents which are further reagents required for the processing of the surface; and (c) applying at least one of the further reagents over the region to be processed according to the predetermined pattern; such that the first reagent acts with the one or more of the further reagents to process the surface only in the area of the predetermined pattern. The process is particularly applicable to etching where an etchant having two or more components is used. In that case at least a first etchant component is applied over the surface and at least one further etchant component is applied in the predetermined pattern.

Growing community of inventors

Rozelle, Australia

Alison Joan Lennon