A photovoltaic device and a method of making the photovoltaic device are disclosed. The photovoltaic device may include a semiconductor layer epitaxially grown using a compound semiconductor material, such as a group III-V semiconductor material, wherein a surface of the semiconductor layer is textured via one or more laser pulses of a laser. The photovoltaic device may also include a dielectric layer deposited over the textured surface of the semiconductor layer, and a back metal reflector provided on the dielectric layer. The textured surface extends a path of light traveling through the photovoltaic device to increase absorption of the light within the photovoltaic device.

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.

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.

A method for manufacturing a solar cell, includes forming an oxide layer on first surface of a single crystalline silicon substrate; forming a poly crystalline silicon layer doped with a first dopant having a first conductive type on the oxide layer; diffusing a second dopant having a second conductive type opposite to the first conductive type into a second surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate thereby forming a diffusion region; forming a first passivation layer on the poly crystalline silicon layer; forming a second passivation layer on the diffusion region; forming a first electrode connected to the poly crystalline silicon layer by printing a first paste on the first passivation layer and firing through; forming a second electrode connected to the diffusion region by printing a second paste on the second passivation layer and firing through.

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.

A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate containing impurities of a first conductive type; a tunnel layer positioned on the semiconductor substrate; an emitter region positioned on the tunnel layer and containing impurities of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type; a dopant layer positioned on the emitter region and formed of a dielectric material containing impurities of the second conductive type; a first electrode connected to the semiconductor substrate; and a second electrode configured to pass through the dopant layer, and connected to the emitter region.

Methods of forming interdigitated back contact (IBC) layers are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a first layer having alternating regions of n-type amorphous hydrogenated silicon and p-type amorphous hydrogenated silicon is formed on a second layer of intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon. The first layer and the second layer are then annealed, such that dopants from the first layer diffuse into the second layer, and the first layer and the second layer crystallize into polysilicon.

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 solar cell includes a photoelectric conversion layer, a doped layer, a first passivation layer, a first TCO layer, a front electrode and a back electrode. The doped layer is disposed on the front surface of the photoelectric conversion layer. The first passivation layer is disposed on the doped layer, wherein the first passivation layer has a plurality of openings exposing a portion of the doped layer. The first TCO layer is disposed on the first passivation layer and in the openings, and directly contacts the exposed doped layer via the openings, wherein a ratio of an area of the openings to an area of the first TCO layer is between 0.01 and 0.5. The front electrode is disposed on the first TCO layer. The back electrode is disposed on the back surface of the photoelectric conversion layer.

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.