The present invention relates to a method for metallizing a front electrode of an N-type solar cell, including: treating an N-type crystalline silicon substrate to form a p.sup.+ doped region and a front surface passivation anti-reflection coating on a front surface of the N-type crystalline silicon substrate in an inside-out sequence, printing an aluminum paste on the front surface passivation anti-reflection coating to form a first finger, overprinting a silver paste on the first finger to form a second finger, and printing a front silver paste on the first finger to form a busbar. In the present invention, the superposition of the second finger on the first finger can reduce line resistance while ensuring a good ohmic contact, which further improves the photoelectric conversion efficiency of solar cells. Moreover, since no grooving procedure is required, the process is simplified and cost-efficient.

The present invention discloses a different option electronic devices with their structure so layers that include doping, function, ohmic, conductive, planarization and passivation layer. The invention also discloses configuration of connections of top and bottom sides comprising isolated structures, related electrodes and height configuration of isolated structures.

Solar cell and method of manufacturing a solar cell. The solar cell has a silicon substrate (2) and a layer (4) disposed on a substrate side (2a) of the silicon substrate (2). It further has a contact structure (6) extending through the layer (4) from a cell side (1a) of the solar cell (1) to the silicon substrate (2). The layer (4) is composed of a polycrystalline silicon layer (8) and a tunnel oxide layer (10) interposed between the polycrystalline silicon layer (8) and the silicon substrate (2).

A stacked multi-junction solar cell with a metallization comprising a multilayer system, wherein the multi-junction solar cell has a germanium substrate forming a bottom side of the multi-junction solar cell, a germanium subcell, and at least two III-V subcells, the multilayer system of the metallization has a first layer, comprising gold and germanium, a second layer comprising titanium, a third layer, comprising palladium or nickel or platinum, with a layer thickness, and at least one metallic fourth layer, and the multilayer system of the metallization covers at least one first and second surface section and is integrally connected to the first and second surface section, wherein the first surface section is formed by the dielectric insulation layer and the second surface section is formed by the germanium substrate or by a III-V layer.

The present invention is directed to a method as well as to a machine for producing a starting material for a silicon solar cell with passivated contacts.

A solar module and a method for fabricating a solar module comprising a plurality of rear contact solar cells are described. Rear contact solar cells (1) are provided with a large size of e.g. 156×156 mm.sup.2. Soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) applied on emitter contacts (5) and base contacts (7) are provided with one or more soldering pads (9, 11) arranged linearly. The soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis (17). Each solar cell (1) is then separated into first and second cell portions (19, 21) along a line (23) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (17). Due to such cell separation and the asymmetrical design of the soldering pad arrangements (13, 15), the first and second cell portions (19, 21) may then be arranged alternately along a line with each second cell portion (21) arranged in a 180°-orientation with respect to the first cell portions (19) and such that emitter soldering pad arrangements (13) of a first cell portion (19) are aligned with base soldering pad arrangements (15) of neighboring second cell portions (21), and vice versa. Simple linear ribbon-type connector strips (25) may be used for interconnecting the cell portions (19, 21) by soldering onto the underlying aligned emitter and base soldering pad arrangements (13, 15). The interconnection approach enables using standard ribbon-type connector strips (25) while reducing any bow as well as reducing series resistance losses.

A solar module and a method for fabricating a solar module comprising a plurality of rear contact solar cells are described. Rear contact solar cells (1) are provided with a large size of e.g. 156×156 mm.sup.2. Soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) applied on emitter contacts (5) and base contacts (7) are provided with one or more soldering pads (9, 11) arranged linearly. The soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis (17). Each solar cell (1) is then separated into first and second cell portions (19, 21) along a line (23) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (17). Due to such cell separation and the asymmetrical design of the soldering pad arrangements (13, 15), the first and second cell portions (19, 21) may then be arranged alternately along a line with each second cell portion (21) arranged in a 180°-orientation with respect to the first cell portions (19) and such that emitter soldering pad arrangements (13) of a first cell portion (19) are aligned with base soldering pad arrangements (15) of neighboring second cell portions (21), and vice versa. Simple linear ribbon-type connector strips (25) may be used for interconnecting the cell portions (19, 21) by soldering onto the underlying aligned emitter and base soldering pad arrangements (13, 15). The interconnection approach enables using standard ribbon-type connector strips (25) while reducing any bow as well as reducing series resistance losses.

A solar module and a method for fabricating a solar module comprising a plurality of rear contact solar cells are described. Rear contact solar cells (1) are provided with a large size of e.g. 156×156 mm.sup.2, Soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) applied on emitter contacts (5) and base contacts (7) are provided with one or more soldering pads (9, 11) arranged linearly. The soldering pad arrangements (13, 15) are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a longitudinal axis (17). Each solar cell (1) is then separated into first and second cell portions (19, 21) along a line (23) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (17). Due to such cell separation and the asymmetrical design of the soldering pad arrangements (13, 15), the first and second cell portions (19, 21) may then be arranged alternately along a line with each second cell portion (21) arranged in a 180°-orientation with respect to the first cell portions (19) and such that emitter soldering pad arrangements (13) of a first cell portion (19) are aligned with base soldering pad arrangements (15) of neighboring second cell portions (21), and vice versa. Simple linear ribbon-type connector strips (25) may be used for interconnecting the cell portions (19, 21) by soldering onto the underlying aligned emitter and base soldering pad arrangements (13, 15). The interconnection approach enables using standard ribbon-type connector strips (25) while reducing any bow as well as reducing series resistance losses.

A marking method for applying a unique identification to each individual solar cell stack of a semiconductor wafer, at least comprising the steps: Providing a semiconductor wafer having an upper side and an underside, which comprises a Ge substrate forming the underside; and generating an identification with a unique topography by means of laser ablation, using a first laser, on a surface area of the underside of each solar cell stack of the semiconductor wafer, the surface area being formed in each case by the Ge substrate or by an insulating layer covering the Ge substrate.

A method includes depositing a first layer including amorphous silicon on a surface of a substrate; depositing a second layer including metal on the first layer; and performing an annealing process at a temperature within a range of 70° C. to 200° C., thereby inducing a silicidation reaction between the first layer and the second layer and forming a third layer comprising a metal silicide in electrical contact with the substrate, resulting in a remaining part of the first layer being between the substrate and the third layer.