Sunpower Corporation

Total Marketing Services

Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd.

Paul Loscutoff

Steven E Molesa

Taeseok Kim

David Aaron Randolph Barkhouse

Kahn Wu

Richard Hamilton Sewell

Junbo Wu

Michael T Morse

Michel Arsène Olivier Ngamo Toko

David D Smith

Tamir Lance

David C Okawa

Ann P Waldhauer

Michael Cudzinovic

Benjamin I Hsia

Joseph Frederick Behnke

Hung-Ming Wang

Ryan Reagan

Pei Hsuan Lu

Mark A Kleshock

George G Correos

Marc Robinson

Gabriel Harley

Seung Bum Rim

Thierry Nguyen

Lewis C Abra

Scott Harrington

Steven M Kraft

Raphael M Manalo

Genevieve A Solomon

Mohamad Ridzwan Mustafa

Neil G Bergstrom

Peter John Cousins

Yafu Lin

Robert Woehl

Matthew J Dawson

Todd Johnson

Arnold Villamor Castillo

Andrea R Bowring

Arbaz Ahmed Shakir

Matthew T Matsumoto

Steve Molesa

Tyler D Newman

Michel Arséne Olivier Ngamo Toko

John H Lippiatt

Simone I Nazareth

Ned Western

Arnold V Castillo

Kevin Mikio Mukai

Strings of solar cells having laser assisted metallization conductive contact structures, and their methods of manufacture, are described. For example, a solar cell string includes a first solar cell having a front side and a back side, and one or more laser assisted metallization conductive contact structures electrically connecting a first metal foil to the back side of the first solar cell. The solar cell string also includes a second solar cell having a front side and a back side, and one or more laser assisted metallization conductive contact structures electrically connecting a second metal foil to the back side of the second solar cell. The solar cell string also includes a conductive interconnect coupling the first and second solar cells, the conductive interconnect including a strain relief feature.

Strings of solar cells having laser assisted metallization conductive contact structures and their methods of manufacture

Metallization of semiconductor substrates using a laser beam, and the resulting structures, e.g., micro-electronic devices, semiconductor substrates and/or solar cells, solar cell circuit, solar cell strings, and solar cell arrays are described. A solar cell string can include a plurality of solar cells. The plurality of solar cells can include a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor regions disposed in or above the substrate. A plurality of conductive contact structures is electrically connected to the plurality semiconductor regions. Each conductive contact structure includes a locally deposited metal portion disposed in contact with a corresponding one of the semiconductor regions.

Laser assisted metallization process for solar cell stringing

Approaches for the metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell involves forming a barrier layer on a semiconductor region disposed in or above a substrate. The semiconductor region includes monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon. The method also involves forming a conductive paste layer on the barrier layer. The method also involves forming a conductive layer from the conductive paste layer. The method also involves forming a contact structure for the semiconductor region of the solar cell, the contact structure including at least the conductive layer.

Metallization of solar cells

A wafer plating fixture for use in simultaneously electroplating a two substrates. The wafer plating fixture including: an electrically conductive carrier bus; a plurality of contact clips electrically coupled to the carrier bus and configured to hold the two substrates in place and electrically couple the two substrates to the carrier bus; and a non-conductive substrate backer to separate the two substrates coupled to the carrier bus. A method of electroplating a plurality of substrates. The method including: mounting two substrates to be plated onto a wafer plating fixture; mounting the wafer plating fixture on a continuous belt of plating system; dipping the wafer plating fixture with the two substrates held thereon into an electroplating bath; and applying a voltage to the two substrates via the wafer plating fixture.

Dual wafer plating fixture for a continuous plating line

Solar cells are attached together to form a plating assembly. The plating assembly is attached to a belt, which transports the plating assembly through a plating chamber where metal is electroplated on the solar cells. The electroplated metal is patterned to form metal contact fingers. After the metal is electroplated, the plating assembly is singulated to separate the two solar cells.

Structures and methods for forming electrodes of solar cells

A solar cell can include a substrate and a semiconductor region disposed in or above the substrate. Selective firing of a conductive paste can be used to form a conductive contact for a solar cell. The solar cell can also include a conductive contact disposed on the semiconductor region with the conductive contact including a conductive paste that has a top and bottom portion with the top portion having particles coalesced together.

Firing metal for solar cells

A solar cell can include a substrate and a semiconductor region disposed in or above the substrate. The solar cell can also include a conductive contact disposed on the semiconductor region with the conductive contact including a paste, a first metal, and a first conductive portion that includes a conductive alloy formed from the first metal at an interface of the substrate and the semiconductor region.

Firing metal with support

A system and method of patterning dopants of opposite polarity to form a solar cell is described. Two dopant films are deposited on a substrate. A laser is used to pattern the N-type dopant, by mixing the two dopant films into a single film with an exposure to the laser and/or drive the N-type dopant into the substrate to form an N-type emitter. A thermal process drives the P-type dopant from the P-type dopant film to form P-type emitters and further drives the N-type dopant from the single film to either form or further drive the N-type emitter.

Emitters of a backside contact solar cell

Dopant ink compositions and methods of fabricating solar cells there from are described. A dopant ink composition may include a cross-linkable matrix precursor, a bound dopant species, and a solvent. A method of fabricating a solar cell may include delivering a dopant ink composition to a region above a substrate. The dopant ink composition includes a cross-linkable matrix precursor, a bound dopant species, and a solvent. The method also includes baking the dopant ink composition to remove a substantial portion of the solvent of the dopant ink composition, curing the baked dopant ink composition to cross-link a substantial portion of the cross-linkable matrix precursor of the dopant ink composition, and driving dopants from the cured dopant ink composition toward the substrate.

Dopant ink composition and method of fabricating a solar cell there from

Fabricating a semiconductor device can include forming a metal seed region over a substrate. The method can include forming a mask over a first portion of the metal seed region. The method can also include forming a metal region over the metal seed region and removing the mask. The method can include forming metal contact fingers on the semiconductor device, where the forming includes etching the first portion of the metal seed region with an etchant comprising an acid, an oxidizer and chloride ions.

Etching techniques for semiconductor devices

A method of manufacturing an all back contact solar cell which has a hybrid emitter design. The solar cell has a thin dielectric layer formed on a backside surface of a single crystalline silicon substrate. One emitter of the solar cell is made of doped polycrystalline silicon that is formed on the thin dielectric layer. A second emitter of the solar cell is formed in the single crystalline silicon substrate and is made of doped single crystalline silicon. The method further includes forming contact holes that allow metal contacts to connect to corresponding emitters.

Method of manufacturing a hybrid emitter all back contact solar cell

Growing community of inventors

Castro Valley, CA, United States of America

Paul Loscutoff