Abstract: The present invention provides a thick-film paste composition comprising an electrically conductive metal and an oxide composition dispersed in an organic medium. The paste composition is printed on the front side of a solar cell device having one or more insulating layers and fired to form an electrode, and is suitable for devices having both highly and lightly doped emitter structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thick-film paste composition comprising an electrically conductive metal and an oxide composition dispersed in an organic medium. The paste composition is printed on the front side of a solar cell device having one or more insulating layers and fired to form an electrode, and is suitable for devices having both highly and lightly doped emitter structures.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing back contact solar cells, comprising steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate doped with phosphorus; (b) doping the front surface and the rear surface of the substrate homogeneously with boron in a blanket pattern, thereby forming a front side p+ region on the front surface and a rear side p+ region on the rear surface; (c) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the silicon dioxide layer of the rear surface in a second pattern; (e) heating the silicon substrate in order to locally diffuse phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate, thereby forming a rear side n+ region on the rear surface of the silicon substrate beneath the phosphorus-containing doping paste; and (f) removing the silicon dioxide layer from the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell with a locally diffused rear side, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate, the substrate comprising a front, sunward facing, surface and a rear surface; (b) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (c) depositing a boron-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a pattern, the boron-containing paste comprising a boron compound and a solvent; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a pattern, the phosphorus-containing doping paste comprising a phosphorus compound and a solvent; (e) heating the silicon substrate in an ambient to a first temperature and for a first time period in order to locally diffuse boron and phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an interdigitated back contact solar cell, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate; (b) doping the rear surface of the substrate homogeneously with boron in a blanket pattern, thereby forming a p+ region on the rear surface of the silicon substrate; (c) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front and rear surface; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a second pattern; (e) heating the silicon substrate to locally diffuse phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate, thereby forming an n+ region on the rear surface of the silicon substrate through the second pattern, wherein the p+ region and the n+ region on the rear surface collectively form an interdigitated pattern; and (f) removing the second silicon dioxide layer from the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an interdigitated back contact solar cell, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate; (b) doping the rear surface of the substrate homogeneously with boron in a blanket pattern, thereby forming a p+ region on the rear surface of the silicon substrate; (c) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front and rear surface; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a second pattern; (e) heating the silicon substrate to locally diffuse phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate, thereby forming an n+ region on the rear surface of the silicon substrate through the second pattern, wherein the p+ region and the n+ region on the rear surface collectively form an interdigitated pattern; and (f) removing the second silicon dioxide layer from the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an interdigitated back contact solar cell. comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate doped with a first dopant; (b) doping the rear surface of the silicon substrate with a second dopant in a first pattern; (c) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the rear surface; (d) depositing a silicon-containing paste comprising silicon-containing particles on the silicon dioxide layer in a second pattern; (e) exposing the substrate to a diffusion ambient, wherein the diffusion ambient comprises a third dopant and wherein the third dopant is a counter dopant to the second dopant; (f) heating the substrate in a drive-in ambient; and (g) removing the silicon dioxide layer and the doped silicate glass layer from the silicon substrate, wherein a region doped with the second dopant and a region doped with the third dopant collectively form an interdigitated pattern on the rear surface of the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an interdigitated back contact solar cell, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate; (b) forming a first silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (c) depositing a boron-containing doping paste on the first silicon dioxide layer of the rear surface in a first pattern; (d) heating the silicon substrate; (e) removing the first silicon dioxide layer; (f) forming a second silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (g) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the second dioxide layer of the rear surface in a second pattern; (h) heating the silicon substrate; and (i) removing the second silicon dioxide layer from the silicon substrate, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern collectively form an interdigitated pattern.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an interdigitated back contact solar cell, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate; (b) forming a first silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (c) depositing a boron-containing doping paste on the first silicon dioxide layer of the rear surface in a first pattern; (d) heating the silicon substrate; (e) removing the first silicon dioxide layer; (f) forming a second silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (g) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the second dioxide layer of the rear surface in a second pattern; (h) heating the silicon substrate; and (i) removing the second silicon dioxide layer from the silicon substrate, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern collectively form an interdigitated pattern.

Abstract: A method of making a solar cell may include depositing in a first pattern a first ink comprising a first dopant on a back surface of a substrate that is doped with a second dopant being of the same type as the first dopant; then, depositing a second ink comprising a set of undoped semiconductor nanoparticles over the first ink on the back surface of the substrate in a second pattern matching the first pattern; then, heating the semiconductor substrate so that the first dopant diffuses into the substrate and thereby, forms a third pattern of localized doped regions; then, exposing the substrate to a doping ambient comprising a third dopant being of the opposite type to the second dopant, thereby forming a doped semiconductor layer on the front surface and a portion of the back surface not covered by the second ink, and then, removing the deposited ink.

Abstract: A high-fidelity dopant paste is disclosed. The high-fidelity dopant paste includes a solvent, a set of non-glass matrix particles dispersed into the solvent, and a dopant.

Abstract: A high-fidelity dopant paste is disclosed. The high-fidelity dopant paste includes a solvent, a set of non-glass matrix particles dispersed into the solvent, and a dopant.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell with a locally diffused rear side, comprising steps of: (a) providing a doped silicon substrate, the substrate comprising a front, sunward facing, surface and a rear surface; (b) forming a silicon dioxide layer on the front surface and the rear surface; (c) depositing a boron-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a pattern, the boron-containing paste comprising a boron compound and a solvent; (d) depositing a phosphorus-containing doping paste on the rear surface in a pattern, the phosphorus-containing doping paste comprising a phosphorus compound and a solvent; (e) heating the silicon substrate in an ambient to a first temperature and for a first time period in order to locally diffuse boron and phosphorus into the rear surface of the silicon substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a floating junction on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes providing the substrate doped with boron atoms, the substrate comprising a front surface and a rear surface. The method also includes depositing a set of masking particles on the rear surface in a set of patterns; and heating the substrate in a baking ambient to a first temperature and for a first time period in order to create a particle masking layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to a phosphorous deposition ambient at a second temperature and for a second time period, wherein a front surface PSG layer, a front surface phosphorous diffusion, a rear surface PSG layer, and a rear surface phosphorous diffusion are formed, and wherein a first phosphorous dopant surface concentration in the substrate proximate to the set of patterns is less than a second dopant surface concentration in the substrate not proximate to the set of patterns.

Abstract: A method of forming a multi-doped junction on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes providing the substrate doped with boron atoms, the substrate comprising a front substrate surface. The method further includes depositing an ink on the front substrate surface in a ink pattern, the ink comprising a set of silicon-containing particles and a set of solvents. The method also includes heating the substrate in a baking ambient to a first temperature and for a first time period in order to create a densified film ink pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of forming multi-doped junctions, which utilize a nanoparticle ink to form an ink pattern on a surface of a substrate. From the ink pattern, a densified film ink pattern can be formed. The disclosed methods may allow in situ controlling of dopant diffusion profiles.

Abstract: A high-fidelity dopant paste is disclosed. The high-fidelity dopant paste includes a solvent, a set of non-glass matrix particles dispersed into the solvent, and a dopant.

Abstract: A method of forming a multi-doped junction on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes providing the substrate doped with boron atoms, the substrate comprising a front substrate surface, and depositing an ink on the front substrate surface in an ink pattern, the ink comprising a set of nanoparticles and a set of solvents. The method further includes heating the substrate in a baking ambient to a first temperature of between about 200° C. and about 800° C. and for a first time period of between about 3 minutes and about 20 minutes in order to create a densified film ink pattern. The method also includes exposing the substrate to a dopant source in a diffusion furnace with a deposition ambient, the deposition ambient comprising POCl3, a carrier N2 gas, a main N2 gas, and a reactive O2 gas, wherein a ratio of the carrier N2 gas to the reactive O2 gas is between about 1:1 to about 1.5:1, at a second temperature of between about 700° C. and about 1000° C.

Abstract: A method of forming a floating junction on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes providing the substrate doped with boron atoms, the substrate comprising a front surface and a rear surface. The method also includes depositing a set of masking particles on the rear surface in a set of patterns; and heating the substrate in a baking ambient to a first temperature and for a first time period in order to create a particle masking layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to a phosphorous deposition ambient at a second temperature and for a second time period, wherein a front surface PSG layer, a front surface phosphorous diffusion, a rear surface PSG layer, and a rear surface phosphorous diffusion are formed, and wherein a first phosphorous dopant surface concentration in the substrate proximate to the set of patterns is less than a second dopant surface concentration in the substrate not proximate to the set of patterns.

Abstract: A method of distinguishing a set of highly doped regions from a set of lightly doped regions on a silicon substrate is disclosed. The method includes providing the silicon substrate, the silicon substrate configured with the set of lightly doped regions and the set of highly doped regions. The method further includes illuminating the silicon substrate with an electromagnetic radiation source, the electromagnetic radiation source transmitting a wavelength of light above about 1100 nm. The method also includes measuring a wavelength absorption of the set of lightly doped regions and the set of heavily doped regions with a sensor, wherein for any wavelength above about 1100 nm, the percentage absorption of the wavelength in the lightly doped regions is substantially less than the percentage absorption of the wavelength in the heavily doped regions.