Sunpower Corporation

Genevieve A Solomon

Steven E Molesa

Paul Loscutoff

Scott Harrington

Junbo Wu

Kahn Wu

David D Smith

Ann P Waldhauer

Tim Dennis

Jane Manning

Hsin-Chiao Luan

Brenda Pagulayan Malgapu

Joseph Ramirez

Helen Liu

David Smith

Methods of fabricating emitter regions of solar cells are described. Methods of forming layers on substrates of solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are also described.

Method of fabricating an emitter region of a solar cell

A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes forming a polished surface on a silicon substrate and forming a first flowable matrix in an interdigitated pattern on the polished surface, where the polished surface allows the first flowable matrix to form an interdigitated pattern comprising features of uniform thickness and width. In an embodiment, the method includes forming the silicon substrate using a method such as, but not limited to, of diamond wire or slurry wafering processes. In another embodiment, the method includes forming the polished surface on the silicon substrate using a chemical etchant such as, but not limited to, sulfuric acid (HSO), acetic acid (CHCOOH), nitric acid (HNO), hydrofluoric acid (HF) or phosphoric acid (HPO). In still another embodiment, the etchant is an isotropic etchant. In yet another embodiment, the method includes providing a surface of the silicon substrate with at most 500 nanometer peak-to-valley roughness.

Methods for wet chemistry polishing for improved low viscosity printing in solar cell fabrication

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Genevieve A Solomon