Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions with differentiated P-type and N-type regions architectures, and resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a back contact solar cell includes a substrate having a light-receiving surface and a back surface. A first polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a first conductivity type is disposed on a first thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A second polycrystalline silicon emitter region of a second, different, conductivity type is disposed on a second thin dielectric layer disposed on the back surface of the substrate. A third thin dielectric layer is disposed laterally directly between the first and second polycrystalline silicon emitter regions. A first conductive contact structure is disposed on the first polycrystalline silicon emitter region. A second conductive contact structure is disposed on the second polycrystalline silicon emitter region.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device having an ultra-shallow junction layer. In the method, a crystalline silicon substrate is cleaned and a first doped semiconductor layer with 1.12 eV bandgap and 580 nm of thickness is grown on the crystalline silicon substrate by high density plasma electron cyclotron resonance CVD in a preparation condition of a temperature of the crystalline silicon substrate ranging from 50 C. to 250 C. , about 500W of microwave power, deposition pressure below 50 mTorr, about 20 sccm of argon and hydrogen flow rate, SiH.sub.4 flow rate ranging from 1 sccm to 2 sccm, and 2% boroethane flow rate ranging from about 5 seem to 15 sccm. The photovoltaic device of the present invention has advantages of abrupt homo-junction, ultra-thin high-crystallinity silicon-based thin film, highly-doped concentration, high conductivity and high short-circuit current, thereby having improved efficiency.

A back contact back junction thin-film solar cell is formed on a thin-film semiconductor solar cell. Preferably the thin film semiconductor material comprises crystalline silicon. Base regions, emitter regions, and front surface field regions are formed through ion implantation and annealing processes.

A diffusion agent composition including an impurity-diffusing component (A); a binder resin (B) that thermally decomposes and disappears below a temperature at which the impurity-diffusing component (A) begins to thermally diffuse; SiO.sub.2 fine particles (C); and an organic solvent (D) that contains an organic solvent (D1) having a boiling point of at least 100 C.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a solar cell having excellent long-term reliability and high efficiency, said method including: a step (7) for applying a paste-like electrode agent to an antireflection film formed on the light receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate having at least a pn junction, said electrode agent containing a conductive material; and an electrode firing step (9) having local heat treatment (step (9a)) for applying heat such that at least a part of the conductive material is fired by irradiating merely the electrode agent-applied portion with a laser beam, and whole body heat treatment (step (9b)) for heating the whole semiconductor substrate to a temperature below 800 C.

A solar cell element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a p-type semiconductor layer; an n-type semiconductor layer disposed on a first main surface of the p-type semiconductor layer; an insulating layer disposed on a first main surface of the n-type semiconductor layer, and including a through hole in a thickness direction; an electrode disposed on a portion of the first main surface of the n-type semiconductor layer in the through hole of the insulating layer, and being thicker than the insulating layer; and a conductor layer disposed on a first main surface of the insulating layer, being out of contact with the electrode, and having a lower work function than the n-type semiconductor layer.

A silicon solar cell has doped amorphous silicon contacts formed on a tunnel silicon oxide layer on a surface of a silicon substrate. High temperature processing is unnecessary in fabricating the solar cell.

The composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer in accordance with the present invention contains a glass powder and a dispersion medium, in which the glass powder includes an donor element and a total amount of the life time killer element in the glass powder is 1000 ppm or less. An n-type diffusion layer and a photovoltaic cell having an n-type diffusion layer are prepared by applying the composition for forming an n-type diffusion layer, followed by a thermal diffusion treatment.

A solar cell includes a substrate of a first conductive type, an emitter layer, of a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type, positioned at one surface of the substrate, a first electrode electrically connected to the emitter layer, a first protective layer positioned on a front surface of the emitter layer where the first electrode is not positioned, a back surface field layer positioned at another surface of the substrate, a second electrode electrically connected to the back surface field layer, and a second protective layer positioned on a back surface of the substrate where the second electrode is not positioned. Each of the first and second protective layers is formed of a material having fixed charges of the first conductive type.

A solar cell is discussed. The solar cell includes a silicon substrate; a front passivation layer positioned on a front surface of the silicon substrate; an n-doped layer positioned on the front surface of the silicon substrate; an anti-reflection layer positioned on the n-doped layer; a p-doped region positioned on a rear surface of the silicon substrate; an n-doped region positioned on the rear surface of the silicon substrate and spaced apart from the p-doped region; a rear passivation layer positioned on the rear surface of the silicon substrate, the rear passivation layer including: a first portion positioned between the p-doped region and the silicon substrate; a second portion positioned between the n-doped region and the silicon substrate, the second portion being space apart from the first potion; and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion; a first electrode directly contacted to the p-doped region; and a second electrode directly contacted to the n-doped region.