Abstract: Stable surface passivation on a crystalline silicon substrate is provided by forming a more heavily doped region as a front surface field and/or a doped dielectric layer under a passivation layer on the silicon substrate surface. A passivation layer is deposited on the front surface field and/or doped dielectric layer.

Abstract: Fabrication methods for forming self aligned contacts for back contact solar cells are provided.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate having a channel and a gate stack above the channel. The gate stack comprises a tunnel layer adjacent to the channel, a charge trapping layer above the tunnel layer, a charge blocking layer above the charge trapping layer, a control gate above the charge blocking layer, and an intentionally incorporated interface region between the charge trapping layer and the charge blocking layer. The charge trapping layer comprises a compound including silicon and nitrogen, the charge blocking layer contains an oxide of a charge blocking component, and the interface region comprises a compound including silicon, nitrogen and the charge blocking component. The tunnel layer may comprise up to three tunnel sub-layers, the charge trapping layer may comprise two trapping sub-layers, and the charge blocking layer may comprise up to five blocking sub-layers. Various gate stack formation techniques can be employed.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for the split and separation of a layer of desired thickness of crystalline semiconductor material containing optical, photovoltaic, electronic, micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), or optoelectronic devices, from a thicker donor wafer using laser irradiation.

Abstract: Back contact back junction solar cell and methods for manufacturing are provided. The back contact back junction solar cell comprises a substrate having a light capturing frontside surface with a passivation layer, a doped base region, and a doped backside emitter region with a polarity opposite the doped base region. A backside passivation layer and patterned reflective layer on the emitter form a light trapping backside mirror. An interdigitated metallization pattern is positioned on the backside of the solar cell and a permanent reinforcement provides support to the cell.

Abstract: Fabrication methods for making back contact back junction solar cells. A base dopant source, a field emitter dopant source, and an emitter dopant source are deposited on the back surface of a solar cell substrate. The solar cell substrate is annealed forming emitter contact regions corresponding to the emitter dopant source, field emitter regions corresponding to the field emitter dopant, and base contact regions corresponding to the base dopant source. The base dopant source, field emitter dopant source, and the emitter dopant source are etched. A backside passivation layer is deposited on the back surface of the solar cell. Contacts are opened to the emitter contact regions and the base contact regions through the backside passivation layer. Patterned base metallization and patterned emitter metallization is formed on the back surface of the solar cell with electrical interconnections to the base contact regions and the emitter contact regions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide improved apparatus for depositing layers on substrates, such as by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The inventive apparatus disclosed herein may advantageously facilitate one or more of depositing films having reduced film thickness non-uniformity within a given process chamber, improved particle performance (e.g., reduced particles on films formed in the process chamber), chamber-to-chamber performance matching amongst a plurality of process chambers, and improved process chamber serviceability.

Abstract: The laser patterning methods utilizing a laser absorbent hard mask in combination with wet etching to form patterned solar cell doped regions which may further improve cell efficiency by completely avoiding laser ablation of an underlying semiconductor substrate associated with ablation of an overlying transparent passivation layer.

Abstract: Fabrication methods and structures relating to backplanes for back contact solar cells that provide for solar cell substrate reinforcement and electrical interconnects are described. The method comprises depositing an interdigitated pattern of base electrodes and emitter electrodes on a backside surface of a semiconductor substrate, attaching a prepreg backplane to the interdigitated pattern of base electrodes and emitter electrodes, forming holes in the prepreg backplane which provide access to the first layer of electrically conductive metal, and depositing a second layer of electrically conductive metal on the backside surface of the prepreg backplane forming an electrical interconnect with the first layer of electrically conductive metal through the holes in the prepreg backplane.

Abstract: Back contact back junction solar cell and methods for manufacturing are provided. The back contact back junction solar cell comprises a substrate having a light capturing frontside surface with a passivation layer, a doped base region, and a doped backside emitter region with a polarity opposite the doped base region. A backside passivation layer and patterned reflective layer on the emitter form a light trapping backside mirror. An interdigitated metallization pattern is positioned on the backside of the solar cell and a permanent reinforcement provides support to the cell.

Abstract: The present application provides effective and efficient structures and methods for the formation of solar cell base and emitter regions and passivation layers using laser processing. Laser absorbent passivation materials are formed on a solar cell substrate and patterned using laser ablation to form base and emitter regions. Laser damage to the solar cell substrate is removed using an etch.

Abstract: Back contact back junction solar cell and methods for manufacturing are provided. The back contact back junction solar cell comprises a substrate having a light capturing frontside surface with a passivation layer, a doped base region, and a doped backside emitter region with a polarity opposite the doped base region. A backside passivation layer and patterned reflective layer on the emitter form a light trapping backside mirror. An interdigitated metallization pattern is positioned on the backside of the solar cell and a permanent reinforcement provides support to the cell.

Abstract: Fabrication methods for forming self aligned contacts for back contact solar cells are provided.

Abstract: Fabrication methods for forming thin film back contact solar cells are provided.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the disclosed subject matter, a method for forming a monolithically isled back contact back junction solar cell using bulk wafers is provided.

Abstract: The present application provides effective and efficient structures and methods for the formation of solar cell base and emitter regions and passivation layers using laser processing. Laser absorbent passivation materials are formed on a solar cell substrate and patterned using laser ablation to form base and emitter regions.

Abstract: The present application provides effective and efficient structures and methods for the formation of solar cell base and emitter regions using laser processing. Laser absorbent passivation materials are formed on a solar cell substrate and patterned using laser ablation to form base and emitter regions.

Abstract: Fabrication methods and structures relating to backplanes for back contact solar cells that provide for solar cell substrate reinforcement and electrical interconnects are described. The method comprises depositing an interdigitated pattern of base electrodes and emitter electrodes on a backside surface of a semiconductor substrate, forming electrically conductive emitter plugs and base plugs on the interdigitated pattern, and attaching a backplane having a second interdigitated pattern of base electrodes and emitter electrodes at the conductive emitter and base plugs to form electrical interconnects.

Abstract: A method for thermal processing of a silicon substrate wherein first a silicon substrate is heated to an idle load temperature in the range of approximately 700° to 900° C. The silicon substrate is then heated to a temperature in the range of approximately 975° to 1200° C. in less than approximately 20 minutes. After thermal processing, the silicon substrate is cooled to an idle unload temperature in the range of approximately 700° to 900° C. in less than approximately 20 minutes.

Abstract: A back contact solar cell is described which includes a semiconductor light absorbing layer; a first-level metal layer (M1), the M1 metal layer on a back side of the light absorbing layer, the back side being opposite from a front side of the light absorbing layer designed to receive incident light; an electrically insulating backplane sheet backside of said solar cell with the M1 layer, the backplane sheet comprising a plurality of via holes that expose portions of the M1 layer beneath the backplane sheet; and an M2 layer in contact with the backplane sheet, the M2 layer made of a sheet of pre-fabricated metal foil material comprising a thickness of between 5-250 ?m, the M2 layer electrically connected to the M1 layer through the via holes in the backplane sheet.