Described herein are methods of fabricating solar cells. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming an amorphous dielectric layer on the back surface of a substrate opposite a light-receiving surface of the substrate. The method also includes forming a microcrystalline silicon layer on the amorphous dielectric layer by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The method also includes forming an amorphous silicon layer on the microcrystalline silicon layer by PECVD. The method also includes annealing the microcrystalline silicon layer and the amorphous silicon layer to form a homogeneous polycrystalline silicon layer from the microcrystalline silicon layer and the amorphous silicon layer. The method also includes forming an emitter region from the homogeneous polycrystalline silicon layer.

The disclosed technology generally relates to silicon solar cells and more particularly to a doped layer formed on a textured surface of a silicon solar cell, and methods of fabricating the same. In one aspect, a method of creating a doped layer at a rear side of a crystalline silicon bifacial solar cell is disclosed. The method can include texturing at least a rear side of a silicon substrate of the solar cell to create a pattern of pyramids, thereby creating a pyramidal topology of the rear side. The method can also include forming a doped layer at the rear side by, using epitaxial growth, growing at least one doped silicon epitaxial layer on the pyramids. Simultaneously with forming the doped layer and by using facet evolution, the pyramidal topology of the rear side can be smoothed by the growth of the at least one epitaxial layer. The epitaxial growth can be continued until, on upper parts of a majority of the pyramids, an angle between a surface of the at least one epitaxial layer and the substrate is between 5 to 35°. A crystalline silicon bifacial solar cell is also disclosed.

A method for reducing defects of an electronic component using a supercritical fluid includes recrystallizing and rearranging grains in the electronic component by introducing the supercritical fluid doped with H.sub.2S together with an electromagnetic wave into a cavity. The cavity has a temperature above a critical temperature of the supercritical fluid and a pressure above a critical pressure of the supercritical fluid.

Structures including a photodiode and methods of fabricating such structures. A substrate has a top surface, a well, and a trench extending from the top surface to the well. A photodiode is positioned in the trench. The photodiode includes an electrode that is provided by a first portion of the well. A bipolar junction transistor has an emitter that is positioned over the top surface of the substrate and a subcollector that is positioned below the top surface of the substrate. The subcollector is provided by a second portion of the well.

The present application relates to the technical field of solar cells, and in particular, to a method for preparing a solar cell, the solar cell, and a photovoltaic module. The method for preparing the solar cell includes: providing a substrate; forming a doped amorphous silicon layer on the first side of the substrate; performing laser treatment N times on the doped amorphous silicon layer to form N doped polysilicon layers ranging from a first doped polysilicon layer to a Nth doped polysilicon layer stacked in a direction away from the substrate, where N>1, a power, a wavelength and a pulse irradiation number of a nth laser treatment are respectively smaller than a power, a wavelength and a pulse irradiation number of a (n-1).sub.th laser treatment, where nN, and the first doped polysilicon layer is disposed closer to the substrate than the Nth doped polysilicon layer. The embodiments of the present application are conducive to simplify the process of forming the solar cell.

A method of fabricating a solar cell can include forming a dielectric region on a silicon substrate. The method can also include forming an emitter region over the dielectric region and forming a dopant region on a surface of the silicon substrate. In an embodiment, the method can include heating the silicon substrate at a temperature above 900 degrees Celsius to getter impurities to the emitter region and drive dopants from the dopant region to a portion of the silicon substrate.

An encapsulated integrated photodetector waveguide structures with alignment tolerance and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a waveguide structure bounded by one or more shallow trench isolation (STI) structure(s). The method further includes forming a photodetector fully landed on the waveguide structure.

Photodiode structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a waveguide structure in a dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a Ge material in proximity to the waveguide structure in a back end of the line (BEOL) metal layer. The method further includes crystallizing the Ge material into a crystalline Ge structure by a low temperature annealing process with a metal layer in contact with the Ge material.

Structures including a photodiode and methods of fabricating such structures. A substrate has a top surface, a well, and a trench extending from the top surface to the well. A photodiode is positioned in the trench. The photodiode includes an electrode that is provided by a first portion of the well. A bipolar junction transistor has an emitter that is positioned over the top surface of the substrate and a subcollector that is positioned below the top surface of the substrate. The subcollector is provided by a second portion of the well.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for improving the performance of a silicon solar cell by improving the contact layer. This involves chemically bonding an interlayer to the dielectric layer. An interlayer introduces specific impurities into the passivated contact. These impurities (such as nitrogen, fluorine, and/or carbon) can improve the passivation of the contact by improving or rejecting adhesion.