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.

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.

Disclosed is interdigitated back contact (IBC) photovoltaic devices and modules that are based on a silicon structured device which includes: a silicon-based substrate, an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer a-Si:H(i) situated on substrate a first patterned silicon layer, and a second patterned nano-crystalline silicon layer on the first patterned silicon layer. The second patterned layer is of the same type of doping than the first patterned silicon layer The first patterned layer and the second patterned layer form photovoltaic structures, of which at least one constitutes a fiducial mark having, in a predetermined wavelength range, a different optical reflectivity, than the reflectivity of the intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si:H(i)) layer portions interstices between the photovoltaic structures. Also disclosed are a photovoltaic device, photovoltaic modules and a method of fabrication of the photovoltaic device.

A solar cell and a photovoltaic module including the same are provided. The solar cell includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first passivation stack disposed on the first surface and including a first oxygen-rich dielectric layer, a first silicon-rich dielectric layer, a second oxygen-rich dielectric layer, and a second silicon-rich dielectric layer that are sequentially disposed in a direction away from the first surface, wherein an atomic fraction of oxygen in the first oxygen-rich dielectric layer is less than an atomic fraction of oxygen in the second oxygen-rich dielectric layer; a tunneling oxide layer disposed on the second surface; a doped conductive layer disposed on a surface of the tunneling oxide layer; and a second passivation layer disposed on a surface of the doped conductive layer.

A conductive paste, for forming an electrode of a solar cell, includes (A) a conductive component, (B) an epoxy resin, (C) an imidazole and (D) a solvent. An amount of (C) the imidazole in the conductive paste is 0.1 to 1.0% by weight based on 100% by weight of the conductive paste excluding (D) the solvent.

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 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 tandem photovoltaic device includes: an upper cell unit, a lower cell unit and a tunnel junction positioned between the upper cell unit and the lower cell unit; the tunnel junction includes an upper transport layer, a lower transport layer, and an intermediate layer positioned between the upper transport layer and the lower transport layer, the intermediate layer is an ordered defect layer, or, the intermediate layer is a continuous thin layer, or, the intermediate layer includes a first layer in contact with the lower transport layer and a second layer in contact with the upper transport layer; a doping concentration of the first layer is 10-10,000 times of a doping concentration of the lower transport layer, and the doping concentration of the first layer is less than 10.sup.21cm.sup.−3; a doping concentration of the second layer is 10-10,000 times of a doping concentration of the upper transport layer.

Provided is a solar cell assembly that includes a plurality of small segments serving as a plurality of solar cells when divided, and has one linear side in plan view, each of the plurality of small segments being defined by a defining line, which is a straight line substantially parallel to the linear one side of the cell assembly, the solar cell assembly including: a photoelectric conversion part having a main surface; a transparent conductive layer disposed on an area of the main surface of the photoelectric conversion part corresponding to each of the plurality of small segments, the transparent conductive layer having a first area and a second area located at a different position from the first area; a collector electrode disposed on the first area of the transparent conductive layer and including a plating layer; and a transparent insulating layer disposed on the second area of the transparent conductive layer, in which the photoelectric conversion part is exposed in a defining area, which is an area formed along the defining line and including the defining line.

A solar cell in which performance degradation caused by an alkali component is suppressed. A solar cell is a back-contact solar cell that comprises a semiconductor substrate; a p-type semiconductor layer, and a first electrode layer corresponding thereto, layered sequentially on one part of the rear side of the semiconductor substrate; an n-type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode layer corresponding thereto, layered sequentially on another part of the rear side of the semiconductor substrate. One part of the n-type semiconductor layer lies directly atop one part of the adjacent p-type semiconductor layer. The first electrode layer is separate from the n-type semiconductor layer and covers the p-type semiconductor layer. The second electrode layer covers the entirety of an overlapping portion where the n-type semiconductor layer lies atop the p-type semiconductor layer.