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:
Dec. 19, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1998
Martin Andrew Green, Waverley, AU;
Stuart Ross Wenham, Menai Heights, AU;
Christiana B Honsberg, Coogee, AU;
Unisearch Limited, New South Wales, AU;
Abstract
The present invention makes use of geometry of grooves formed in a substrate, to allow a dielectric layer to be deposited with some regions of the grooves having a substantially thinner layer deposited than top surfaces of the substrate. These regions of reduced thickness dielectric within the grooves are then prematurely etched by an appropriate chemical, or other, etchant capable of controllably etching away the dielectric layer, with the result that in these regions the silicon surface can be exposed and plated by a metallization while the top surface remains protected by the dielectric material. The remaining dielectric material can optionally be required to act as an anti-reflective coating. The invention is applicable in making buried contact solar cells.