Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Matthew Robert Page

Hao-Chih Yuan

Qi Wang

Howard M Branz

Pauls Stradins

Tihu Wang

William Michael Nemeth

Yanfa Yan

Vincenzo Anthony LaSalvia

David Levi Young

Eugene Iwaniczko

Vernon Yost

Vernon E Yost

Methods of forming interdigitated back contact (IBC) layers are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a first layer having alternating regions of n-type amorphous hydrogenated silicon and p-type amorphous hydrogenated silicon is formed on a second layer of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon. The first layer and the second layer are then annealed, such that dopants from the first layer diffuse into the second layer, and the first layer and the second layer crystallize into polysilicon.

Methods of forming interdigitated back contact layers

Methods of hydrogenation of passivated contacts using materials having hydrogen impurities are provided. An example method includes applying, to a passivated contact, a layer of a material, the material containing hydrogen impurities. The method further includes subsequently annealing the material and subsequently removing the material from the passivated contact.

Hydrogenation of passivated contacts

A method () is provided for processing a graded-density AR silicon surface () to provide effective surface passivation. The method () includes positioning a substrate or wafer () with a silicon surface () in a reaction or processing chamber (). The silicon surface () has been processed () to be an AR surface with a density gradient or region of black silicon. The method () continues with heating () the chamber () to a high temperature for both doping and surface passivation. The method () includes forming (), with a dopant-containing precursor in contact with the silicon surface () of the substrate (), an emitter junction () proximate to the silicon surface () by doping the substrate (). The method () further includes, while the chamber is maintained at the high or raised temperature, forming () a passivation layer () on the graded-density silicon anti-reflection surface ().

Forming high-efficiency silicon solar cells using density-graded anti-reflection surfaces

A wet-chemical method of producing a black silicon substrate. The method comprising soaking single crystalline silicon wafers in a predetermined volume of a diluted inorganic compound solution. The substrate is combined with an etchant solution that forms a uniform noble metal nanoparticle induced Black Etch of the silicon wafer, resulting in a nanoparticle that is kinetically stabilized. The method comprising combining with an etchant solution having equal volumes acetonitrile/acetic acid:hydrofluoric acid:hydrogen peroxide.

Wet-chemical systems and methods for producing black silicon substrates

Forming high efficiency silicon solar cells using density-graded anti-reflection surfaces

A system and a process for forming a semi-conductor device, and solar cells () formed thereby. The process includes preparing a substrate () for deposition of a junction layer (); forming the junction layer () on the substrate () using hot wire chemical vapor deposition; and, finishing the semi-conductor device.

Low temperature junction growth using hot-wire chemical vapor deposition

In a method of making a c-Si-based cell or a &#x3bc;c-Si-based cell, the improvement of increasing the minority charge carrier's lifetime, comprising: a) placing a c-Si or polysilicon wafer into CVD reaction chamber under a low vacuum condition and subjecting the substrate of the wafer to heating; and b) passing mixing gases comprising NH/Hthrough the reaction chamber at a low vacuum pressure for a sufficient time and at a sufficient flow rate to enable growth of an a-Si:H layer sufficient to increase the lifetime of the c-Si or polysilicon cell beyond that of the growth of an a-Si:H layer without treatment of the wafer with NH/H.

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Littleton, CO, United States of America

Matthew Robert Page