The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 24, 2018
Filed:
Apr. 20, 2017
Sunpower Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Total Marketing Services, Puteaux, FR;
Taeseok Kim, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert Woehl, San Jose, CA (US);
Gabriel Harley, Mountain View, CA (US);
Nils-Peter Harder, San Jose, CA (US);
Jens-Dirk Moschner, Heverlee, DE;
Matthieu Moors, Braine-le-Chateau, BE;
Michel Arsene Olivier Ngamo Toko, Brussels, BE;
SunPower Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Total Marketing Services, Puteaux, FR;
Abstract
Methods of fabricating solar cells using a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer in foil-based metallization approaches, and the resulting solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a plurality of semiconductor regions in or above a substrate. The method also includes forming a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer above the plurality of semiconductor regions. The method also includes forming a metal seed layer on the metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer. The method also includes forming a metal conductor layer on the metal seed layer. The method also includes laser welding the metal conductor layer to the metal seed layer. The metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer protects the plurality of semiconductor regions during the laser welding.