Provided are a solar cell, a manufacturing method thereof, and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate, in which a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate having a first texture structure, the first texture structure includes two or more first substructures at least partially stacked on one another, and a one-dimensional size of the top surface of the outermost first substructure is less than or equal to 45 μm; a first passivation layer located on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a tunnel oxide layer located on the first texture structure; a doped conductive layer located on a surface of the tunnel oxide layer, the doped conductive layer includes a P-type doped conductive layer and an N-type doped conductive layer; and a second passivation layer located on a surface of the doped conductive layer.

A special-figure design ribbon for connecting back contact cells includes a body, a plurality of first solder joints, and a plurality of second solder joints. The plurality of first solder joints and the plurality of second solder joints are respectively located on two sides of the body in a width direction. Each of the first solder joints stretches outward from a first side of the body. Each of the second solder joints stretches outward from a second side of the body. A shape of each first solder joint is different from a shape of each second solder joint. Center lines of at least one set of the first solder joint and the second solder joint adjacent to each other are staggered from each other in the width direction of the body.

Separation of individual strips from a solar cell workpiece, is accomplished by excluding a junction (e.g., a homojunction such as a p-n junction, or a heterojunction such as a p-i-n junction) from regions at which separation is expected to occur. According to some embodiments, the junction is excluded by physical removal of material from inter-strip regions of the workpiece. According to other embodiments, exclusion of the junction is achieved by changing an effective doping level (e.g., counter-doping, deactivation) at inter-strip regions. For still other embodiments, the junction is never formed at inter-strip regions in the first place (e.g., using masking during original dopant introduction). By imposing distance between the junction and defects arising from separation processes (e.g., backside crack propagation), losses attributable to electron-hole recombination at such defects are reduced, and collection efficiency of shingled modules is enhanced.

A back contact solar cell string includes at least two cell pieces, each cell piece including P-type doped regions and N-type doped regions that are alternately arranged, the P-type doped regions including positive electrode thin grid lines, and the N-type doped regions including negative electrode thin grid lines; and a plurality of conductive wires connected to the positive electrode thin grid lines and the negative electrode thin grid lines. The conductive regions configured for electrical connection between each conductive wire and the positive electrode thin grid lines or the negative electrode thin grid lines and insulation regions configured for insulating connection between each conductive wire and the negative electrode thin grid lines or the positive electrode thin grid lines are alternately disposed at joints between each conductive wire and the positive electrode thin grid lines, and at joints between each conductive wire and the negative electrode thin grid lines.

Solar cells having emitter regions composed of wide bandgap semiconductor material are described. In an example, a method includes forming, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell. The semiconductor substrate has a bandgap. Without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a semiconductor layer is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.

A method for manufacturing high efficiency solar cells is disclosed. The method comprises providing a thin dielectric layer and a doped polysilicon layer on the back side of a silicon substrate. Subsequently, a high quality oxide layer and a wide band gap doped semiconductor layer can both be formed on the back and front sides of the silicon substrate. A metallization process to plate metal fingers onto the doped polysilicon layer through contact openings can then be performed. The plated metal fingers can form a first metal gridline. A second metal gridline can be formed by directly plating metal to an emitter region on the back side of the silicon substrate, eliminating the need for contact openings for the second metal gridline. Among the advantages, the method for manufacture provides decreased thermal processes, decreased etching steps, increased efficiency and a simplified procedure for the manufacture of high efficiency solar cells.

An assembly for optical to electrical power conversion including a photodiode assembly having a substrate layer and an internal side, an antireflective layer, a heterojunction buffer layer adjacent the internal side; an active area positioned adjacent the heterojunction buffer layer, a plurality of n+ electrode regions and p+ electrode regions positioned adjacent the active area, and back-contacts configured to align with the n+ and p+ electrode regions. The active area converts photons from incoming light into liberated electron hole pairs. The heterojunction buffer layer prevents electrons and holes of the liberated electron hole pairs from moving toward the substrate layer. The plurality of electrode regions are configured in an alternating pattern with gaps between each n+ and p+ electrode region. The electrode regions receive and generate electrical current from migration of the electrons and the holes, provide electrical pathways for the electrical current, and provide thermal pathways to dissipate heat.

A back surface electrode type solar cell in which a p-type region having a p-conductive type, and an n-type region which has an n-conductive type and in which maximum concentration of additive impurities for providing the n-conductive type in a substrate width direction is equal to or higher than 5×10.sup.18 atoms/cm.sup.3 are disposed on a first main surface of a crystal silicon substrate, a first passivation film is disposed so as to cover the p-type region and the n-type region, and a second passivation film is disposed on a second main surface which is a surface opposite to the first main surface so as to cover the second main surface, the first passivation film and the second passivation film being formed with a compound containing oxide aluminum.

A solar cell module, which is easily coordinated with the color of an exterior member at the installation position, comprises a solar cell; a light receiving side sealing material and a light receiving side protection member laminated and disposed in this order on a light receiving side with reference to the solar cell; and a back-side sealing material and a back-side protection member laminated and arranged in this order on a back side on the opposite side from the light receiving side. A value computed from a measured value of the color of reflected light combining positive reflected light and diffused reflected light which are based on light that has become incident on an object to be measured, and a measured value of the color only of the diffused reflected light based on the light that has become incident on the object to be measured, satisfies a specific condition.

A backside emitter solar cell structure having a heterojunction, and a method and a device for producing the same. A backside intrinsic layer is first formed on the back side of the substrate, then a frontside intrinsic layer and a frontside doping layer are formed on the front side of the substrate, and finally a backside doping layer is formed on the back side of the substrate.