A solar cell can include a conductive foil having a first portion with a first yield strength coupled to a semiconductor region of the solar cell. The solar cell can be interconnected with another solar cell via an interconnect structure that includes a second portion of the conductive foil, with the interconnect structure having a second yield strength greater than the first yield strength.

After forming an absorber layer containing cracks over a back contact layer, a passivation layer is formed over a top surface of the absorber layer and interior surfaces of the cracks. The passivation layer is deposited in a manner such that that the cracks in the absorber layer are fully passivated by the passivation layer. An emitter layer is then formed over the passivation layer to pinch off upper portions of the cracks, leaving voids in lower portions of the cracks.

A hybrid all-back-contact (ABC) solar cell and method of fabricating the same. The method comprises: forming one or more patterned insulating passivation layers over at least a portion of an absorber of the solar cell; forming one or more hetero junction layers over at least a portion of the one or more patterned insulating passivation layers to provide one or more heterojunction point or line-like contacts between the one or more heterojunction layers and the absorber of the solar cell; forming one or more first metal regions over at least a portion of the one or more heterojunction layers; forming a doped region within the absorber of the solar cell; and forming one or more second metal regions over at least a portion of the doped region and contacting the doped region to provide one or more homojunction contacts.

Methods of fabricating solar cells using a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer in foil-based metallization approaches, and the resulting solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a plurality of semiconductor regions in or above a substrate. The method also includes forming a metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer above the plurality of semiconductor regions. The method also includes forming a metal seed layer on the metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer. The method also includes forming a metal conductor layer on the metal seed layer. The method also includes laser welding the metal conductor layer to the metal seed layer. The metal-containing thermal and diffusion barrier layer protects the plurality of semiconductor regions during the laser welding.

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.

A laser processing system can be utilized to produce high-performance interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells. The laser processing system can be utilized to ablate, transfer material, and/or laser-dope or laser fire contacts. Laser ablation can be utilized to remove and pattern openings in a passivated or emitter layer. Laser transferring may then be utilized to transfer dopant and/or contact materials to the patterned openings, thereby forming an interdigitated finger pattern. The laser processing system may also be utilized to plate a conductive material on top of the transferred dopant or contact materials.

Indentation approaches for foil-based metallization of solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described. For example, a method of fabricating a solar cell includes forming a plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions in or above a substrate. The method also includes locating a metal foil above the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The method also includes forming a plurality of indentations through only a portion of the metal foil, the plurality of indentations formed at regions corresponding to locations between the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The method also includes, subsequent to forming the plurality of indentations, isolating regions of the remaining metal foil corresponding to the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions.

Light-receiving elements and the like that can more simply absorb and transmit light are provided.

A Light-receiving element includes a lens unit condensing incident light to emit the light from an emission surface, an absorption layer arranged on the emission surface of the lens unit to absorb part of the condensed light and transmit the remaining condensed light, and a detection layer placed on the absorption layer to detect intensity of light emitted from the lens unit, on the basis of intensity of light absorbed by the absorption layer.

Approaches for the foil-based metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A conductive contact structure is disposed above the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. The conductive contact structure includes a plurality of metal seed material regions providing a metal seed material region disposed on each of the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. A metal foil is disposed on the plurality of metal seed material regions, the metal foil having anodized portions isolating metal regions of the metal foil corresponding to the alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions.

A solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells each including a semiconductor substrate and first electrodes and second electrodes extended on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate, first conductive lines connected to the first electrodes at crossings between the first electrodes and the first conductive lines through first conductive adhesive layers, second conductive lines connected to the second electrodes at crossings between the second electrodes and the second conductive lines through the first conductive adhesive layers, and an intercell connector extended between a first solar cell and a second solar cell that are adjacent to each other. The first conductive lines connected to the first solar cell and the second conductive lines connected to the second solar cell are commonly connected to the intercell connector.