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.

A solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor region positioned at a front surface or a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and doped with impurities of a first conductive type, a first electrode connected to the first semiconductor region, and a second electrode connected to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate. The second electrode is formed of a metal foil, and an air gap is formed between the second electrode formed of the metal foil and the back surface of the semiconductor substrate.

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.

A solar cell, a method for producing a solar cell, and a solar module are provided. The solar cell includes: an N-type substrate and a P-type emitter formed on a front surface of the substrate; a first passivation layer, a second passivation layer and a third passivation layer sequentially formed over the front surface of the substrate and in a direction away from the P-type emitter, and a passivated contact structure disposed on a rear surface of the substrate. The first passivation layer includes a first Silicon oxynitride (SiO.sub.xN.sub.y) material, where x>y. The second passivation layer includes a first silicon nitride (Si.sub.mN.sub.n) material, where m>n. The third passivation layer includes a second silicon oxynitride (SiO.sub.iN.sub.j) material, where a ratio of i/j∈[0.97, 7.58].

Designs of extremely high efficiency solar cells are described. A novel alternating bias scheme enhances the photovoltaic power extraction capability above the cell band-gap by enabling the extraction of hot carriers. When applied in conventional solar cells, this alternating bias scheme has the potential of more than doubling their yielded net efficiency. When applied in conjunction with solar cells incorporating quantum wells (QWs) or quantum dots (QDs) based solar cells, the described alternating bias scheme has the potential of extending such solar cell power extraction coverage, possibly across the entire solar spectrum, thus enabling unprecedented solar power extraction efficiency. Within such cells, a novel alternating bias scheme extends the cell energy conversion capability above the cell material band-gap while the quantum confinement structures are used to extend the cell energy conversion capability below the cell band-gap. Light confinement cavities are incorporated into the cell structure in order to allow the absorption of the cell internal photo emission, thus further enhancing the cell efficiency.

The present disclosure provides improved approaches for marking and individual tracking of solar cells. These approaches can be used to identify key manufacturing process steps requiring optimization and/or significant factors extending solar cell lifetime. The approaches described herein for marking and individual tracking of solar cells avoid or greatly minimize any negative impact on solar cell performance while improving quality control of solar cells across multiple manufacturing steps and throughout the entire solar cell lifecycle. Embodiments described herein include a solar cell comprising a substrate having a front side and a back side. The substrate comprises at least one diffusion region of a first polarity. A first set of conductive conduits in the first set is electrically coupled to at least one active diffusion region of a first polarity. The solar cell further comprises a marking above an inactive region of the substrate. The marking can provide information about a particular cell which can be read or scanned during cell manufacturing and/or in the field during the operational life of the cell.

The present invention is directed to a silver paste for a Si solar cell comprising a high purity Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 additive and a solar cell having a silicon wafer with the silver paste on its front-side surface. The resultant cell exhibits improved efficiency.

One embodiment relates to a method of fabricating a solar cell. A silicon lamina is cleaved from the silicon substrate. The backside of the silicon lamina includes the P-type and N-type doped regions. A metal foil is attached to the backside of the silicon lamina. The metal foil may be used advantageously as a built-in carrier for handling the silicon lamina during processing of a frontside of the silicon lamina. Another embodiment relates to a solar cell that includes a silicon lamina having P-type and N-type doped regions on the backside. A metal foil is adhered to the backside of the lamina, and there are contacts formed between the metal foil and the doped regions. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

A solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells and includes first and second solar cells positioned adjacent to each other in a first direction, the solar cell module further comprises a connector for connecting hole terminals of the first solar cell to electron terminals of the second solar cell, the hole terminals being positioned on the first solar cell and being separated from each other and the electron terminals being positioned on the second solar cell and being separated from each other. The hole terminals and the electron terminals of each solar cell are positioned parallel to a first side of each solar cell, the connector is positioned parallel to a second side crossing the first side of each solar cell, and the connector is positioned on the same side of the first and second solar cells.

Laser patterning methods utilize a laser absorbent hard mask in combination with wet etching to form patterned solar cell doped regions to improve cell efficiency by avoiding laser ablation of an underlying semiconductor substrate associated with ablation of an overlying transparent passivation layer.